diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index aa3a99b..3f6360c 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -33,13 +33,25 @@ struct tm cur_time = {0};
 
 void sig_handler(int signum) {
     printf("\nExiting on signal %s\n", strsignal(signum));
-    running = 0;  /* shut down the main loop */
+    running = 0;  /* shut down the main loops */
     shutdown(sock_fd, SHUT_RDWR);  /* break the listener socket */
     close(sock_fd);
 }
 
 
-void clear_buffer() {
+int submit_events(char* message) {
+    // Send it
+    if(put_events(message, "http://192.168.1.120:8298") == 0) {
+        return 0;
+    } else {
+        printf("Failed to post messages!\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+    free(message);
+}
+
+
+char* collect_buffer() {
     char header[72];
     sprintf(header, "{\"index\": {\"_index\": \"firewall-%04d.%02d.%02d\", \"_type\": \"event\"}}\n",
             cur_time.tm_year + 1900,
@@ -49,7 +61,7 @@ void clear_buffer() {
     // Calculate how large the payload will be
     int header_size = strlen(header);
     int num_messages = buff_count();
-    if(num_messages == 0) return;
+    if(num_messages == 0) return NULL;
     char* messages[num_messages];
     int message_size = 0;
     for(int i=0; i<num_messages; i++) {
@@ -65,32 +77,28 @@ void clear_buffer() {
         strcat(message, "\n");
         free(messages[i]);
     }
-
-    // Send it
-    if(put_events(message, "http://192.168.1.120:8298") == 0) {
-        printf("Pushed %d messages\n", num_messages);
-    } else {
-        printf("Failed to post messages!\n");
-    }
-    free(message);
+    return message;
 }
 
 
 void* buffer_watch() {
     /*flush the buffer when larger than 10 messages or older than 5 seconds*/
     time_t last_flush = time(NULL);
-    time_t now = last_flush;
-
+    char* buffer = NULL;
     while(running) {
         usleep(100 * 1000);
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&buflock);  // TODO lock only while clearing the buffer
-        now = time(NULL);
-        if(buff_count() >= 10 || now - last_flush > 5) {
-            printf("\n");
-            clear_buffer();
+        time_t now = time(NULL);;
+        int messages = buff_count();
+        pthread_mutex_lock(&buflock);
+        if(messages > 0 && (messages >= 10 || now - last_flush > 5)) {
+            buffer = collect_buffer();
+            pthread_mutex_unlock(&buflock);
+            submit_events(buffer);
+            printf("\nPushed %d messages\n", messages);
             last_flush = now;
+        } else {
+            pthread_mutex_unlock(&buflock);
         }
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&buflock);
     }
     return NULL;
 }