diff --git a/src/daemon/toks_daemon_init.c b/src/daemon/toks_daemon_init.c
index d500854..cc05f00 100644
--- a/src/daemon/toks_daemon_init.c
+++ b/src/daemon/toks_daemon_init.c
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ static int32_t toks_daemon_init_impl(
 		dctx->driver_ctx,
 		hsvclink);
 
-	/* todo: check driver flags or defer to driver */
 	return ntapi->tty_request_peer(
                 htty,
 		TOKS_DAEMON_TTYSIGNAL,
@@ -98,11 +97,37 @@ int32_t __stdcall toks_daemon_init(struct toks_daemon_ctx * dctx, const nt_guid 
 	int32_t			status;
 	nt_timeout		timeout;
 	nt_runtime_data *	rtdata;
+	nt_filetime		pcnt;
+	nt_guid			cliguid;
+	uint32_t *		data;
 
 	/* rtdata */
 	if ((status = ntapi->tt_get_runtime_data(&rtdata,0)))
 		return status;
 
+	/* arbitrary client uuid */
+	if (!svcguid) {
+		toks_query_performance_counters(dctx->driver_ctx,&pcnt);
+
+		svcguid = &cliguid;
+		data    = &cliguid.data1;
+
+		data[0] = ntapi->tt_buffer_crc32(
+			(uint32_t)(uintptr_t)&cliguid,
+			&pcnt,sizeof(pcnt));
+
+		data[1] = ntapi->tt_buffer_crc32(
+			(uint32_t)(uintptr_t)rtdata,
+			rtdata,sizeof(*rtdata));
+
+		data[2] = ntapi->tt_buffer_crc32(
+			data[1],dctx,sizeof(*dctx));
+
+		data[3] = ntapi->tt_buffer_crc32(
+			data[2],dctx->driver_ctx,
+			sizeof(*dctx->driver_ctx));
+	}
+
 	/* once */
 	switch (at_locked_cas_32(&toks_daemon_once,0,1)) {
 		case 0:
diff --git a/src/daemon/toks_daemon_loop.c b/src/daemon/toks_daemon_loop.c
index 8054e06..d038982 100644
--- a/src/daemon/toks_daemon_loop.c
+++ b/src/daemon/toks_daemon_loop.c
@@ -27,9 +27,15 @@ static toks_daemon_routine * toks_daemon_vtbl[TOKS_VTBL_ELEMENTS] = {
 	TOKS_HANDLER(ABORT,         toks_daemon_abort),
 };
 
+static toks_daemon_routine * toks_client_vtbl[TOKS_VTBL_ELEMENTS] = {
+	TOKS_HANDLER(CONNECT,       toks_daemon_connect),
+	TOKS_HANDLER(TTYSIGNAL,     toks_daemon_signal),
+};
+
 int32_t __stdcall toks_daemon_loop(void * ctx)
 {
 	struct toks_daemon_ctx *	dctx;
+	toks_daemon_routine **		svcvtbl;
 	nt_rtdata *			rtdata;
 
 	nt_tty_port_msg *		request;
@@ -43,6 +49,10 @@ int32_t __stdcall toks_daemon_loop(void * ctx)
 
 	dctx = (struct toks_daemon_ctx *)ctx;
 
+	svcvtbl = (dctx->driver_ctx->cctx->drvflags & TOKS_DRIVER_MODE_SERVER)
+		? toks_daemon_vtbl
+		: toks_client_vtbl;
+
 	/* init */
 	request = &dctx->request;
 	reply   = &dctx->reply;
@@ -58,7 +68,10 @@ int32_t __stdcall toks_daemon_loop(void * ctx)
 
 	/* message loop */
 	do {
-		toks_log_lpc_request(dctx->driver_ctx,request);
+		if (svcvtbl == toks_daemon_vtbl)
+			toks_log_lpc_request(
+				dctx->driver_ctx,
+				request);
 
 		switch (request->header.msg_type) {
 			case NT_LPC_REQUEST:
@@ -89,8 +102,8 @@ int32_t __stdcall toks_daemon_loop(void * ctx)
 			reply->ttyinfo.exarg = (void *)request->header.client_id.process_id;
 			opcode -= TOKS_DAEMON_OPCODE_BASE;
 
-			if (toks_daemon_vtbl[opcode])
-				reply->ttyinfo.status = toks_daemon_vtbl[opcode](dctx);
+			if (svcvtbl[opcode])
+				reply->ttyinfo.status = svcvtbl[opcode](dctx);
 			else
 				reply->ttyinfo.status = NT_STATUS_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/driver/toks_amain.c b/src/driver/toks_amain.c
index f989b3b..c179626 100644
--- a/src/driver/toks_amain.c
+++ b/src/driver/toks_amain.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #ifndef TOKS_DRIVER_FLAGS
 #define TOKS_DRIVER_FLAGS	TOKS_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS \
+				| TOKS_DRIVER_DAEMON_ALWAYS   \
 				| TOKS_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/driver/toks_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/toks_driver_ctx.c
index 9da2c37..098a426 100644
--- a/src/driver/toks_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/toks_driver_ctx.c
@@ -440,6 +440,24 @@ int toks_get_driver_ctx(
 	}
 
 	if (cctx.drvflags & TOKS_DRIVER_MODE_CLIENT) {
+		if (cctx.drvflags & TOKS_DRIVER_DAEMON_ALWAYS) {
+			toks_daemon_ctx.driver_ctx = &ctx->ctx;
+
+			switch ((status = toks_daemon_init(&toks_daemon_ctx,0))) {
+				case NT_STATUS_SUCCESS:
+					break;
+
+				default:
+					if (flags & TOKS_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+						toks_dprintf(STDERR_FILENO,
+							"%s: error: failed to initialize signal handling "
+							"(check the system's documentation) [0x%x].",
+							program,status);
+
+					return toks_get_driver_ctx_fail(meta);
+			}
+		}
+
 		switch ((status = toks_client_connect(&ctx->ctx))) {
 			case NT_STATUS_SUCCESS:
 				break;