diff --git a/src/bind.c b/src/bind.c
index 47e1e0e..ef22b95 100644
--- a/src/bind.c
+++ b/src/bind.c
@@ -271,59 +271,49 @@ gt_bind(int argc, char **argv)
         }
 
         if (FD_ISSET(ctl_fd, &rfds)) {
-            struct ctl_msg msg, reply = {.type = CTL_REPLY};
+            struct ctl_msg req, res = {.reply = 1};
             struct sockaddr_storage ss;
             socklen_t sl = sizeof(ss);
 
-            ssize_t r = recvfrom(ctl_fd, &msg, sizeof(msg), 0,
+            ssize_t r = recvfrom(ctl_fd, &req, sizeof(req), 0,
                                  (struct sockaddr *)&ss, &sl);
 
-            if (r == (ssize_t)sizeof(msg)) {
-                switch (msg.type) {
+            if (r == (ssize_t)sizeof(req)) {
+                res.type = req.type;
+
+                switch (req.type) {
+                case CTL_NONE:
+                    break;
                 case CTL_PATH_ADD:
-                    if (mud_add_path(mud, (struct sockaddr *)&msg.path_addr)) {
-                        reply.reply = errno;
-                        perror("mud_add_path");
-                    }
+                    if (mud_add_path(mud, (struct sockaddr *)&req.path_addr))
+                        res.ret = errno;
                     break;
                 case CTL_PATH_DEL:
-                    if (mud_del_path(mud, (struct sockaddr *)&msg.path_addr)) {
-                        reply.reply = errno;
-                        perror("mud_del_path");
-                    }
+                    if (mud_del_path(mud, (struct sockaddr *)&req.path_addr))
+                        res.ret = errno;
                     break;
                 case CTL_MTU:
-                    reply.reply = (int)mud_set_mtu(mud, GT_MTU((size_t)msg.mtu));
-                    mtu = gt_setup_mtu(mud, tun_name);
+                    mud_set_mtu(mud, GT_MTU((size_t)req.mtu));
+                    res.mtu = gt_setup_mtu(mud, tun_name);
+                    mtu = res.mtu;
                     break;
                 case CTL_TIMEOUT:
-                    reply.reply = mud_set_send_timeout(mud, msg.timeout);
+                    if (mud_set_send_timeout(mud, req.timeout))
+                        res.ret = errno;
                     break;
                 case CTL_TIMETOLERANCE:
-                    reply.reply = mud_set_time_tolerance(mud, msg.timetolerance);
+                    if (mud_set_time_tolerance(mud, req.timetolerance))
+                        res.ret = errno;
                     break;
                 case CTL_STATUS:
-                    reply = (struct ctl_msg){
-                        .type = CTL_STATUS_REPLY,
-                        .status = {
-                            .mtu = mtu,
-                            .mtu_auto = (icmp_fd != -1),
-                            .chacha = chacha,
-                            .bind = bind_addr,
-                            .peer = peer_addr,
-                        },
-                    };
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    reply = (struct ctl_msg){
-                        .type = CTL_UNKNOWN,
-                        .unknown = {
-                            .type = msg.type,
-                        },
-                    };
+                    res.status.mtu = mtu;
+                    res.status.mtu_auto = (icmp_fd != -1);
+                    res.status.chacha = chacha;
+                    res.status.bind = bind_addr;
+                    res.status.peer = peer_addr;
                     break;
                 }
-                if (sendto(ctl_fd, &reply, sizeof(reply), 0,
+                if (sendto(ctl_fd, &res, sizeof(res), 0,
                            (const struct sockaddr *)&ss, sl) == -1)
                     perror("sendto(ctl)");
             } else if (r == -1 && errno != EAGAIN) {
diff --git a/src/ctl.c b/src/ctl.c
index f559473..ff4bbef 100644
--- a/src/ctl.c
+++ b/src/ctl.c
@@ -8,6 +8,26 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 
+int
+ctl_reply(int fd, struct ctl_msg *res, struct ctl_msg *req)
+{
+    if ((send(fd, req, sizeof(struct ctl_msg), 0) == -1) ||
+        (recv(fd, res, sizeof(struct ctl_msg), 0) == -1))
+        return -1;
+
+    if (res->type != req->type || !res->reply) {
+        errno = EINTR;
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    if (res->ret) {
+        errno = res->ret;
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static int
 ctl_setsun(struct sockaddr_un *dst, const char *dir, const char *file)
 {
diff --git a/src/ctl.h b/src/ctl.h
index 1011c14..09de687 100644
--- a/src/ctl.h
+++ b/src/ctl.h
@@ -3,23 +3,19 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
 enum ctl_type {
-    CTL_UNKNOWN,
+    CTL_NONE = 0,
     CTL_PATH_ADD,
     CTL_PATH_DEL,
     CTL_STATUS,
-    CTL_STATUS_REPLY,
     CTL_MTU,
     CTL_TIMEOUT,
     CTL_TIMETOLERANCE,
-    CTL_REPLY,
 };
 
 struct ctl_msg {
     enum ctl_type type;
+    int reply, ret;
     union {
-        struct {
-            enum ctl_type type;
-        } unknown;
         struct sockaddr_storage path_addr;
         struct {
             size_t mtu;
@@ -31,10 +27,10 @@ struct ctl_msg {
         int mtu;
         unsigned long timeout;
         unsigned long timetolerance;
-        int reply;
     };
 };
 
 int  ctl_create  (const char *, const char *);
 int  ctl_connect (int, const char *, const char *);
+int  ctl_reply   (int, struct ctl_msg *, struct ctl_msg *);
 void ctl_delete  (int);
diff --git a/src/path.c b/src/path.c
index fcd0e86..1eaed7c 100644
--- a/src/path.c
+++ b/src/path.c
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ gt_path(int argc, char **argv)
     if (argz(pathz, argc, argv))
         return 1;
 
-    struct ctl_msg msg;
+    struct ctl_msg req, res = {0};
 
     if (argz_is_set(pathz, "up")) {
-        msg = (struct ctl_msg){
+        req = (struct ctl_msg){
             .type = CTL_PATH_ADD,
             .path_addr = addr,
         };
     } else if (argz_is_set(pathz, "down")) {
-        msg = (struct ctl_msg){
+        req = (struct ctl_msg){
             .type = CTL_PATH_DEL,
             .path_addr = addr,
         };
@@ -55,30 +55,14 @@ gt_path(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    struct ctl_msg reply;
+    int ret = 0;
 
-    if ((send(fd, &msg, sizeof(msg), 0) == -1) ||
-        (recv(fd, &reply, sizeof(reply), 0) == -1)) {
-        perror("send/recv");
-        ctl_delete(fd);
-        return 1;
-    }
-
-    switch (reply.type) {
-    case CTL_REPLY:
-        if (reply.reply) {
-            errno = reply.reply;
-            perror("error");
-        }
-        break;
-    case CTL_UNKNOWN:
-        printf("unknown command: %i\n", reply.unknown.type);
-        break;
-    default:
-        gt_log("bad reply from server: %i\n", reply.type);
+    if (ctl_reply(fd, &res, &req)) {
+        perror(dev);
+        ret = 1;
     }
 
     ctl_delete(fd);
 
-    return 0;
+    return ret;
 }
diff --git a/src/set.c b/src/set.c
index 8a165d2..3a6abd6 100644
--- a/src/set.c
+++ b/src/set.c
@@ -7,30 +7,6 @@
 
 #include "../argz/argz.h"
 
-static ssize_t
-gt_reply(int fd, struct ctl_msg *res, struct ctl_msg *req)
-{
-    if ((send(fd, req, sizeof(struct ctl_msg), 0) == -1) ||
-        (recv(fd, res, sizeof(struct ctl_msg), 0) == -1)) {
-        int err = errno;
-        ctl_delete(fd);
-        errno = err;
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (res->type == CTL_REPLY) {
-        if (res->reply < 0) {
-            errno = res->reply;
-            return -1;
-        }
-    } else {
-        errno = EINTR;
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 static int
 gt_set_mtu(int fd, size_t mtu)
 {
@@ -39,10 +15,10 @@ gt_set_mtu(int fd, size_t mtu)
         .mtu = mtu,
     };
 
-    int ret = gt_reply(fd, &res, &req);
+    int ret = ctl_reply(fd, &res, &req);
 
     if (!ret)
-        printf("new mtu: %i\n", res.reply);
+        printf("new mtu: %i\n", res.mtu);
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -55,7 +31,7 @@ gt_set_timeout(int fd, unsigned long timeout)
         .timeout = timeout,
     };
 
-    return gt_reply(fd, &res, &req);
+    return ctl_reply(fd, &res, &req);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -66,7 +42,7 @@ gt_set_timetolerance(int fd, unsigned long timetolerance)
         .timetolerance = timetolerance,
     };
 
-    return gt_reply(fd, &res, &req);
+    return ctl_reply(fd, &res, &req);
 }
 
 int
@@ -100,22 +76,24 @@ gt_set(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
+    int ret = 0;
+
     if (mtu && gt_set_mtu(fd, mtu)) {
         perror("mtu");
-        return 1;
+        ret = 1;
     }
 
-    if (timeout && gt_set_timeout(fd, timeout)) {
+    if (!ret && timeout && gt_set_timeout(fd, timeout)) {
         perror("timeout");
-        return 1;
+        ret = 1;
     }
 
-    if (timetolerance && gt_set_timetolerance(fd, timetolerance)) {
+    if (!ret && timetolerance && gt_set_timetolerance(fd, timetolerance)) {
         perror("timetolerance");
-        return 1;
+        ret = 1;
     }
 
     ctl_delete(fd);
 
-    return 0;
+    return ret;
 }
diff --git a/src/show.c b/src/show.c
index 8bdc54f..82043da 100644
--- a/src/show.c
+++ b/src/show.c
@@ -44,37 +44,31 @@ gt_show_tunnel(int fd, const char *dev)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    struct ctl_msg reply, msg = {
-        .type = CTL_STATUS,
-    };
+    struct ctl_msg res, req = {.type = CTL_STATUS};
 
-    if ((send(fd, &msg, sizeof(msg), 0) == -1) ||
-        (recv(fd, &reply, sizeof(reply), 0) == -1)) {
+    if (ctl_reply(fd, &res, &req)) {
         perror(dev);
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (reply.type != CTL_STATUS_REPLY)
-        return -1;
-
     char bindstr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN] = {0};
     char peerstr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN] = {0};
 
-    if (gt_ss_addr(bindstr, sizeof(bindstr), &reply.status.bind) ||
-        gt_ss_addr(peerstr, sizeof(peerstr), &reply.status.peer))
+    if (gt_ss_addr(bindstr, sizeof(bindstr), &res.status.bind) ||
+        gt_ss_addr(peerstr, sizeof(peerstr), &res.status.peer))
         return -1;
 
-    if (reply.status.peer.ss_family == 0) {
+    if (res.status.peer.ss_family == 0) {
         printf("server %s:\n"
                "  bind:      %s port %hu\n"
                "  mtu:       %zu\n"
                "  auto mtu:  %s\n"
                "  cipher:    %s\n",
                dev,
-               bindstr, gt_ss_port(&reply.status.bind),
-               reply.status.mtu,
-               reply.status.mtu_auto ? "enabled" : "disabled",
-               reply.status.chacha ? "chacha20poly1305" : "aes256gcm");
+               bindstr, gt_ss_port(&res.status.bind),
+               res.status.mtu,
+               res.status.mtu_auto ? "enabled" : "disabled",
+               res.status.chacha ? "chacha20poly1305" : "aes256gcm");
     } else {
         printf("client %s:\n"
                "  bind:      %s port %hu\n"
@@ -83,11 +77,11 @@ gt_show_tunnel(int fd, const char *dev)
                "  auto mtu:  %s\n"
                "  cipher:    %s\n",
                dev,
-               bindstr, gt_ss_port(&reply.status.bind),
-               peerstr, gt_ss_port(&reply.status.peer),
-               reply.status.mtu,
-               reply.status.mtu_auto ? "enabled" : "disabled",
-               reply.status.chacha ? "chacha20poly1305" : "aes256gcm");
+               bindstr, gt_ss_port(&res.status.bind),
+               peerstr, gt_ss_port(&res.status.peer),
+               res.status.mtu,
+               res.status.mtu_auto ? "enabled" : "disabled",
+               res.status.chacha ? "chacha20poly1305" : "aes256gcm");
     }
 
     return 0;