diff --git a/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h b/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
index 65a5b1b..a298f25 100644
--- a/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
+++ b/include/sysutils/SocketClient.h
@@ -45,7 +45,18 @@
     int sendMsg(int code, const char *msg, bool addErrno);
     int sendMsg(int code, const char *msg, bool addErrno, bool useCmdNum);
 
-    //Sending binary data:
+    // Provides a mechanism to send a response code to the client. The message uses
+    // the same format as in sendMsg method above.
+    // Sends the code, a space, and a null character.
+    int sendCode(int code);
+
+    // Provides a mechanism to send binary data to client. The message uses the
+    // same format as in sendMsg method above.
+    // Sends the code, a space, and a null character, followed by 4 bytes of
+    // big-endian length, and the data.
+    int sendBinaryMsg(int code, const void *data, int len);
+
+    // Sending binary data:
     int sendData(const void *data, int len);
 
     // Optional reference counting.  Reference count starts at 1.  If
@@ -59,6 +70,12 @@
     // Send null-terminated C strings
     int sendMsg(const char *msg);
     void init(int socket, bool owned, bool useCmdNum);
+
+    // Sending binary data. The caller should use make sure this is protected
+    // from multiple threads entering simultaneously.
+    // returns 0 if successful, -1 if there is a 0 byte write and -2 if any other
+    // error occurred (use errno to get the error)
+    int sendDataLocked(const void *data, int len);
 };
 
 typedef android::sysutils::List<SocketClient *> SocketClientCollection;
diff --git a/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp b/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
index d9fc48c..d9713a6 100644
--- a/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
+++ b/libsysutils/src/SocketClient.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
 
 #define LOG_TAG "SocketClient"
 #include <cutils/log.h>
@@ -78,6 +79,34 @@
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+int SocketClient::sendBinaryMsg(int code, const void *data, int len) {
+
+    /* 5 bytes for the code & space + 4 bytes for the len */
+    char buf[9];
+    /* Write the code */
+    snprintf(buf, 5, "%.3d ", code);
+    /* Write the len */
+    uint32_t tmp = htonl(len);
+    memcpy(buf + 5, &tmp, sizeof(uint32_t));
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&mWriteMutex);
+    int result = sendDataLocked(buf, sizeof(buf));
+    if (result == 0 && len > 0) {
+        result = sendDataLocked(data, len);
+    }
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mWriteMutex);
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+// Sends the code (c-string null-terminated).
+int SocketClient::sendCode(int code) {
+    char buf[5];
+    snprintf(buf, 5, "%.3d ", code);
+    return sendData(buf, 5);
+}
+
 int SocketClient::sendMsg(const char *msg) {
     if (mSocket < 0) {
         errno = EHOSTUNREACH;
@@ -92,7 +121,16 @@
     return 0;
 }
 
-int SocketClient::sendData(const void* data, int len) {
+int SocketClient::sendData(const void *data, int len) {
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&mWriteMutex);
+    int rc = sendDataLocked(data, len);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mWriteMutex);
+
+    return rc;
+}
+
+int SocketClient::sendDataLocked(const void *data, int len) {
     int rc = 0;
     const char *p = (const char*) data;
     int brtw = len;
@@ -101,7 +139,6 @@
         return 0;
     }
 
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&mWriteMutex);
     while (brtw > 0) {
         rc = write(mSocket, p, brtw);
         if (rc > 0) {
@@ -113,7 +150,6 @@
         if (rc < 0 && errno == EINTR)
             continue;
 
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mWriteMutex);
         if (rc == 0) {
             SLOGW("0 length write :(");
             errno = EIO;
@@ -122,7 +158,6 @@
         }
         return -1;
     }
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mWriteMutex);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/rootdir/init.rc b/rootdir/init.rc
index 7299513..2e8f7d2 100644
--- a/rootdir/init.rc
+++ b/rootdir/init.rc
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@
     # give system access to wpa_supplicant.conf for backup and restore
     mkdir /data/misc/wifi 0770 wifi wifi
     chmod 0660 /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf
-    mkdir /data/local 0771 shell shell
+    mkdir /data/local 0751 root root
     mkdir /data/local/tmp 0771 shell shell
     mkdir /data/data 0771 system system
     mkdir /data/app-private 0771 system system