diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 7b08ba0..3f7d5b0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ COPY --from=releaser /opt/rel .
 
 # Alias remote shell script under a single command
 RUN touch ~/.profile && \
-    printf "%s\n" "alias remshell='/opt/braidnet/bin/braidnet remote_console'" \
+    printf "%s\n" 'alias remshell='\''/opt/braidnet/erts-*/bin/erl -boot $(find /opt/braidnet/releases -type f -name start_clean.boot | sed "s/\.boot$//") -setcookie cookie -proto_dist inet6_tls -ssl_dist_optfile lib/braidnet-*/priv/prod.ssl_dist_opts.rel -sname console -remsh braidnet@$(hostname)'\''' \
     >> ~/.profile
 
 EXPOSE 80/tcp
diff --git a/config/container.config.src b/config/container.config.src
index a0b4481..72fd7ad 100644
--- a/config/container.config.src
+++ b/config/container.config.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [
   {braidnet, [
     {rest_api_token, <<"${AUTH_TOKEN}">>},
-    {braidcert_url, "https://braidcert.fly.dev/csr/"},
+    {braidcert_url, "${BRAIDCERT_CSR_URL:-https://braidcert.fly.dev/csr/}"},
     {braidcert_key, "${BRAIDCERT_KEY}"},
     {docker_trust, false} % defaults to true
   ]},
diff --git a/hooks/pre_start b/hooks/pre_start
index d5bfd57..5740cac 100755
--- a/hooks/pre_start
+++ b/hooks/pre_start
@@ -1,14 +1,28 @@
 #!/bin/ash
 
+check_error() {
+    local code="${1:-1}"
+    local message="${2:-"Unknown Error"}"
+    if [ "${code}" -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "Error: ${message} (${code})" >&2
+        exit ${code}
+    fi
+}
+
+BRAIDCERT_DOMAIN=$(echo "$BRAIDCERT_CSR_URL" | sed -e 's|https://||' -e 's|/.*||')
+BRAIDCERT_CA_URL="https://${BRAIDCERT_DOMAIN}/ca"
 
 # Get the Braidcert CA:
-curl \
-    -X GET https://braidcert.fly.dev/ca \
+curl --fail \
+    -X GET "${BRAIDCERT_CA_URL}" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer ${BRAIDCERT_KEY}" \
     >> certs/braidcert.CA.pem
+check_error $? "Failed to get BraidCert CA"
+
 
 # Generate a private key for the signing request:
 openssl genrsa -out certs/braidnet.key 4096
+check_error $? "Failed to generate private key"
 
 # Generate a certificate signing request for this Braidnet instance:
 openssl req \
@@ -17,14 +31,16 @@ openssl req \
     -key certs/braidnet.key \
     -addext subjectAltName=DNS.0:"${FLY_MACHINE_ID}" \
     -out certs/braidnet.csr
+check_error $? "Failed to generate CSR"
 
 # Send the request to Braidcert and save the resulting certificate:
-curl \
-    -X PUT https://braidcert.fly.dev/csr/"${FLY_MACHINE_ID}" \
+curl --fail \
+    -X PUT "${BRAIDCERT_CSR_URL}/${FLY_MACHINE_ID}" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer ${BRAIDCERT_KEY}" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
     --data-binary "@certs/braidnet.csr" \
     >> certs/braidnet.pem
+check_error $? "Failed to get BraidCert certificate"
 
 # Remove the request file:
-rm certs/braidnet.csr
+rm -f certs/braidnet.csr
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index 200c7fe..448351c 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 {profiles, [
   {container, [
       {relx, [
-          {release, {braidnet, "0.1.0"}, [braidnet]},
+          {release, {braidnet, "0.1.0"}, [braidnet, runtime_tools]},
           {sys_config_src, "./config/container.config.src"},
           {vm_args, "./config/container.vm.args.src"},
           {mode, prod},
diff --git a/rebar.lock b/rebar.lock
index e8ef30a..3d594b7 100644
--- a/rebar.lock
+++ b/rebar.lock
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 [{<<"cowboy">>,{pkg,<<"cowboy">>,<<"2.10.0">>},0},
  {<<"cowlib">>,{pkg,<<"cowlib">>,<<"2.12.1">>},1},
  {<<"jiffy">>,{pkg,<<"jiffy">>,<<"1.1.1">>},0},
- {<<"quickrand">>,{pkg,<<"quickrand">>,<<"2.0.5">>},1},
+ {<<"quickrand">>,{pkg,<<"quickrand">>,<<"2.0.7">>},1},
  {<<"ranch">>,{pkg,<<"ranch">>,<<"1.8.0">>},1},
  {<<"uuid">>,{pkg,<<"uuid_erl">>,<<"2.0.5">>},0}]}.
 [
@@ -10,14 +10,14 @@
  {<<"cowboy">>, <<"FF9FFEFF91DAE4AE270DD975642997AFE2A1179D94B1887863E43F681A203E26">>},
  {<<"cowlib">>, <<"A9FA9A625F1D2025FE6B462CB865881329B5CAFF8F1854D1CBC9F9533F00E1E1">>},
  {<<"jiffy">>, <<"ACA10F47AA91697BF24AB9582C74E00E8E95474C7EF9F76D4F1A338D0F5DE21B">>},
- {<<"quickrand">>, <<"06FCAD85CB47D5C85C51D6BC9C84A082501BA098A89D64AD0A2F69599E034C04">>},
+ {<<"quickrand">>, <<"D2BD76676A446E6A058D678444B7FDA1387B813710D1AF6D6E29BB92186C8820">>},
  {<<"ranch">>, <<"8C7A100A139FD57F17327B6413E4167AC559FBC04CA7448E9BE9057311597A1D">>},
  {<<"uuid">>, <<"60FAEEB7EDFD40847ED13CB0DD1044BAABE4E79A00C0CA9C4D13A073914B1016">>}]},
 {pkg_hash_ext,[
  {<<"cowboy">>, <<"3AFDCCB7183CC6F143CB14D3CF51FA00E53DB9EC80CDCD525482F5E99BC41D6B">>},
  {<<"cowlib">>, <<"163B73F6367A7341B33C794C4E88E7DBFE6498AC42DCD69EF44C5BC5507C8DB0">>},
  {<<"jiffy">>, <<"62E1F0581C3C19C33A725C781DFA88410D8BFF1BBAFC3885A2552286B4785C4C">>},
- {<<"quickrand">>, <<"252CF0493570EBF1A58985CB71990982CDDCD4396B6427F1E10CF58924C1C052">>},
+ {<<"quickrand">>, <<"B8ACBF89A224BC217C3070CA8BEBC6EB236DBE7F9767993B274084EA044D35F0">>},
  {<<"ranch">>, <<"49FBCFD3682FAB1F5D109351B61257676DA1A2FDBE295904176D5E521A2DDFE5">>},
  {<<"uuid">>, <<"E54373262CA88401689277947C54B95E9ECBC977BD5C57C9DD44AD9DA278E360">>}]}
 ].
diff --git a/src/braidnet.erl b/src/braidnet.erl
index 576aad9..d183e84 100644
--- a/src/braidnet.erl
+++ b/src/braidnet.erl
@@ -74,13 +74,26 @@ list() ->
 logs(CID) ->
     braidnet_orchestrator:logs(CID).
 
-rpc(CID, M, F, A) ->
+rpc(CID, M, F, A)
+  when is_atom(M), is_atom(F), is_list(A) orelse A =:= undefined ->
+    M2 = base64:encode(term_to_binary(M)),
+    F2 = base64:encode(term_to_binary(F)),
+    A2 = case A =:= undefined of
+        true -> undefined;
+        false -> base64:encode(term_to_binary(A))
+    end,
+    case rpc(CID, M2, F2, A2) of
+        {ok, Result} -> binary_to_term(base64:decode(Result));
+        {error, _Reason} = Error -> Error
+    end;
+rpc(CID, M, F, A)
+  when is_binary(M), is_binary(F), is_binary(A) orelse A =:= undefined ->
     case braidnet_orchestrator:get_ws_pid(CID) of
         undefined ->
-            base64:encode("no_connection");
+            {error, no_connection};
         Pid ->
             Params = #{m => M, f => F, a => A},
-            braidnet_braidnode_api:request(Pid, self(), rpc, Params)
+            braidnet_braidnode_api:request(Pid, rpc, Params)
     end.
 
 remove_configuration(NodesMap) ->
diff --git a/src/braidnet_braid_rest_api.erl b/src/braidnet_braid_rest_api.erl
index 35f99e0..6781a3f 100644
--- a/src/braidnet_braid_rest_api.erl
+++ b/src/braidnet_braid_rest_api.erl
@@ -95,8 +95,14 @@ to_json(#{bindings := #{method := <<"rpc">>}, qs := Qs} = Req, S) ->
     M = get_qs_entry(<<"m">>, Qs),
     F = get_qs_entry(<<"f">>, Qs),
     A = get_qs_entry(<<"args">>, Qs),
-    Result = braidnet:rpc(CID, M, F, A),
-    {json_encode(Result), Req, S}.
+    case braidnet:rpc(CID, M, F, A) of
+        {ok, Result} ->
+            {json_encode(Result), Req, S};
+        {error, Reason} ->
+            ErrorMsg = base64:encode(iolist_to_binary(io_lib:format("~p",[Reason]))),
+            Req2 = cowboy_req:reply(400, #{}, ErrorMsg, Req),
+            {stop, Req2, S}
+    end.
 
 from_json(#{bindings := #{method := <<"launch">>}} = Req, BraidCfg = S) ->
     braidnet:launch_configuration(BraidCfg),
diff --git a/src/braidnet_braidnode_api.erl b/src/braidnet_braidnode_api.erl
index 6dc2847..4bfd9e2 100644
--- a/src/braidnet_braidnode_api.erl
+++ b/src/braidnet_braidnode_api.erl
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 -export([notify/2]).
 -export([notify/3]).
 
+-export([request/2]).
 -export([request/3]).
--export([request/4]).
 
 -behaviour(cowboy_websocket).
 
@@ -31,12 +31,19 @@ notify(Pid, Method) ->
 notify(Pid, Method, Params) ->
     Pid ! {notify, Method, Params}.
 
-request(Pid, Caller, Method) ->
-    request(Pid, Caller, Method, undefined).
-
-request(Pid, Caller, Method, Params) ->
-    Pid ! {request, Caller, Method, Params},
-    receive {Pid, Msg} -> Caller ! Msg end.
+request(Pid, Method) ->
+    request(Pid, Method, undefined).
+
+request(Pid, Method, Params) ->
+    MonRef = erlang:monitor(process, Pid),
+    Pid ! {request, self(), MonRef, Method, Params},
+    receive
+        {Pid, MonRef, Result} ->
+            erlang:demonitor(MonRef, [flush]),
+            Result;
+        {'DOWN', MonRef, process, Pid, Reason} ->
+            {error, Reason}
+    end.
 
 %--- WS Callbacks --------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -88,14 +95,14 @@ websocket_handle(_Frame, State) ->
 websocket_info({notify, Method, Params}, State) ->
     JsonRPC = braidnet_jsonrpc:notification(Method, Params),
     {[{binary, JsonRPC}], State};
-websocket_info({request, Caller, Method, undefined}, #state{pending_requests = Map} = S) ->
+websocket_info({request, Caller, Ref, Method, undefined}, #state{pending_requests = Map} = S) ->
     ID = id(),
     JsonRPC = braidnet_jsonrpc:call(Method, ID),
-    {[{binary, JsonRPC}], S#state{pending_requests = Map#{ID => Caller}}};
-websocket_info({request, Caller, Method, Params}, #state{pending_requests = Map} = S) ->
+    {[{binary, JsonRPC}], S#state{pending_requests = Map#{ID => {Caller, Ref}}}};
+websocket_info({request, Caller, Ref, Method, Params}, #state{pending_requests = Map} = S) ->
     ID = id(),
     JsonRPC = braidnet_jsonrpc:call(Method, Params, ID),
-    {[{binary, JsonRPC}], S#state{pending_requests = Map#{ID => Caller}}};
+    {[{binary, JsonRPC}], S#state{pending_requests = Map#{ID => {Caller, Ref}}}};
 websocket_info(Info, State) ->
     ?LOG_WARNING("Unexpected info: ~p", [Info]),
     {ok, State}.
@@ -121,13 +128,13 @@ handle_notification(_CID, Method, _Params) ->
     ?LOG_WARNING("Unhandled jsonrpc notification method ~p",[Method]).
 
 handle_response({result, Result, ID}, #state{pending_requests = Preqs} = S) ->
-    #{ID := Caller} = Preqs,
-    Caller ! {self(), Result},
+    #{ID := {Caller, Ref}} = Preqs,
+    Caller ! {self(), Ref, {ok, Result}},
     S#state{pending_requests = maps:remove(ID, Preqs)};
-handle_response({error, _, _, _, ID} = Error,
+handle_response({error, Code, Message, Extra, ID},
                 #state{pending_requests = Preqs} = S) ->
-    #{ID := Caller} = Preqs,
-    Caller ! {self(), Error},
+    #{ID := {Caller, Ref}} = Preqs,
+    Caller ! {self(), Ref, {error, {Code, Message, Extra}}},
     S#state{pending_requests = maps:remove(ID, Preqs)}.
 
 id() -> uuid:uuid_to_string(uuid:get_v4(), binary_standard).