diff --git a/src/components/implementation/chanmgr/simple/chanmgr.c b/src/components/implementation/chanmgr/simple/chanmgr.c
index cae8b24008..3fb38c22ad 100644
--- a/src/components/implementation/chanmgr/simple/chanmgr.c
+++ b/src/components/implementation/chanmgr/simple/chanmgr.c
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ chanmgr_mem_resources(chan_id_t id, cbuf_t *cb_id, void **mem)
 	chinfo = ss_channel_get(id);
 	if (!chinfo) return -1;
 
+	*mem   = chinfo->mem;
 	*cb_id = chinfo->buf_id;
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_hi/chan1.c b/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_hi/chan1.c
index b1713428a1..7ee774366b 100644
--- a/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_hi/chan1.c
+++ b/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_hi/chan1.c
@@ -8,12 +8,40 @@ struct chan_rcv r;
 
 #define COMM_AMNT (2^10 * 16)
 
+/*
+ * the Receiver and sender tests could run at different times,
+ * causing the numbers to blow up! 
+ *
+ * Another issue is, when the high priority thread here is printing,
+ * the test on the low prio side is not done yet!
+ *
+ * So, this routine syncs up between chan_hi and chan_lo wherever required!
+ * Because this (chan_hi) is high priority thread, send first and wait on rcv!
+ * The chan_lo would receive first and then send, that should immediately switch over to here!
+ */
+void
+rendezvous(void)
+{
+	ps_tsc_t rcv = 0, snd = 0;
+	snd = ps_tsc();
+	if (chan_send(&s, &snd, 0)) {
+		printc("chan_send error\n");
+		assert(0);
+	}
+
+	if (chan_recv(&r, &rcv, 0)) {
+		printc("chan_recv error\n");
+		assert(0);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 receiver(void)
 {
 	int i;
 	ps_tsc_t tot = 0;
 
+	rendezvous();
 	for (i = 0; i < COMM_AMNT; i++) {
 		ps_tsc_t now, snd;
 
@@ -32,7 +60,7 @@ void
 ipc(void)
 {
 	int i;
-	ps_tsc_t rcv = 0, prev_rcv, snd = 0, tmp;
+	ps_tsc_t rcv = 0, prev_rcv = 0, snd = 0, tmp;
 	ps_tsc_t rcvcost = 0, sendcost = 0, rtt = 0, l2h = 0;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < COMM_AMNT; i++) {
@@ -50,12 +78,13 @@ ipc(void)
 		l2h += rcv - tmp;
 
 		rcvcost += rcv - snd;
-		rtt     += rcv - prev_rcv;
+		if (prev_rcv != 0) rtt += rcv - prev_rcv;
 		if (chan_send(&s, &rcv, 0)) {
 			printc("chan_send error\n");
 			assert(0);
 		}
 	}
+	//Sync up here before printing. Chan_lo is *very likely* not done with its measurements yet!
 
 	printc("Thread with high priority (4):\n\trcv  %lld\n\tsend %lld\n\trtt  %lld\n\tlow->high %lld\n",
 	       rcvcost/COMM_AMNT, sendcost/COMM_AMNT, rtt/COMM_AMNT, l2h/COMM_AMNT);
@@ -74,6 +103,8 @@ main(void)
 void
 cos_init(void)
 {
+	memset(&s, 0, sizeof(struct chan_snd));
+	memset(&r, 0, sizeof(struct chan_rcv));
 	printc("Component chan hi initializing:\n\tCreate channel 1\n");
 	if (chan_snd_init_with(&s, 1, sizeof(u64_t), 128, CHAN_DEFAULT)) {
 		printc("Chan test 1 (%ld): Could not initialize send.\n", cos_compid());
@@ -85,7 +116,7 @@ cos_init(void)
 		BUG();
 	}
 
-	printc("\tCreate channel 2\n");
+	printc("\tPriority 4 for self!\n");
 	if (sched_thd_param_set(cos_thdid(), sched_param_pack(SCHEDP_PRIO, 4))) {
 		printc("sched_thd_param_set failed.\n");
 		assert(0);
diff --git a/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_lo/chan2.c b/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_lo/chan2.c
index 0ba44977cb..48e0c99685 100644
--- a/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_lo/chan2.c
+++ b/src/components/implementation/tests/chan_lo/chan2.c
@@ -8,11 +8,32 @@ struct chan_rcv r;
 
 #define COMM_AMNT (2^10 * 16)
 
+/*
+ * Sync up chan_hi and chan_lo for benchmarks! 
+ * Because this is chan_lo, recv first, and when it wakes up from rcv, send which immediately should yield to chan_hi
+ */
+void
+rendezvous(void)
+{
+	ps_tsc_t rcv = 0, snd = 0;
+	if (chan_recv(&r, &rcv, 0)) {
+		printc("chan_recv error\n");
+		assert(0);
+	}
+
+	snd = ps_tsc();
+	if (chan_send(&s, &snd, 0)) {
+		printc("chan_send error\n");
+		assert(0);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 sender(void)
 {
 	int i;
 
+	rendezvous();
 	for (i = 0; i < COMM_AMNT; i++) {
 		ps_tsc_t tsc = ps_tsc();
 
@@ -52,6 +73,7 @@ ipc(void)
 			assert(0);
 		}
 	}
+	/* Sync up with chan_hi here..*/
 
 	printc("Thread with low priority (5):\n\trcv  %lld\n\tsend %lld\n\trtt  %lld\n\thigh->low %lld\n",
 	       rcvcost/COMM_AMNT, sendcost/COMM_AMNT, rtt/COMM_AMNT, h2l/COMM_AMNT);
@@ -60,6 +82,7 @@ ipc(void)
 int
 main(void)
 {
+	printc("Component chan lo: executing main.\n");
 	sender();
 	ipc();
 
@@ -69,18 +92,22 @@ main(void)
 void
 cos_init(void)
 {
+	memset(&s, 0, sizeof(struct chan_snd));
+	memset(&r, 0, sizeof(struct chan_rcv));
+	printc("Component chan lo initializing:\n\tJoin channel 2\n");
 	if (chan_snd_init_with(&s, 2, sizeof(u64_t), 128, CHAN_DEFAULT)) {
 		printc("Chan test 2 (%ld): Could not initialize send.\n", cos_compid());
 		BUG();
 	}
+	printc("\tJoin channel 1\n");
 	if (chan_rcv_init_with(&r, 1, sizeof(u64_t), 128, CHAN_DEFAULT)) {
 		printc("Chan test 2 (%ld): Could not initialize recv.\n", cos_compid());
 		BUG();
 	}
 
+	printc("\tPriority 5 for self!\n");
 	if (sched_thd_param_set(cos_thdid(), sched_param_pack(SCHEDP_PRIO, 5))) {
 		printc("sched_thd_param_set failed.\n");
 		BUG();
 	}
-
 }
diff --git a/src/components/lib/chan/chan.c b/src/components/lib/chan/chan.c
index 2d7ffbd057..ef8b6520c6 100644
--- a/src/components/lib/chan/chan.c
+++ b/src/components/lib/chan/chan.c
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ static int
 __chan_gather_resources(struct __chan_meta *m, chan_id_t id, unsigned int item_sz, unsigned int nslots, chan_flags_t flags)
 {
 	cbuf_t cb;
-	void *mem;
-	sched_blkpt_id_t full, empty;
+	void *mem = NULL;
+	sched_blkpt_id_t full = 0, empty = 0;
 	int ret;
 
 	if ((ret = chanmgr_mem_resources(id, &cb, &mem)))      return ret;
diff --git a/src/components/lib/chan/chan_private.h b/src/components/lib/chan/chan_private.h
index fb74371c45..fc562aeea4 100644
--- a/src/components/lib/chan/chan_private.h
+++ b/src/components/lib/chan/chan_private.h
@@ -76,13 +76,14 @@ __chan_init_with(struct __chan_meta *meta, sched_blkpt_id_t full, sched_blkpt_id
 	struct __chan_mem *m = mem;
 
 	/* Certainly don't "initialize" if channel has been produced into! */
-	if (m->producer != 0) return;
+	if (m->producer != 0) goto done;
 
 	crt_blkpt_init_w_id(&m->empty, empty);
 	crt_blkpt_init_w_id(&m->full,  full);
 
 	m->producer = m->consumer = 0;
 
+done:
 	meta->mem = m;
 
 	return;
diff --git a/src/components/lib/sl/sl_sched.c b/src/components/lib/sl/sl_sched.c
index fe297c1be9..9815410179 100644
--- a/src/components/lib/sl/sl_sched.c
+++ b/src/components/lib/sl/sl_sched.c
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@ sl_thd_param_set(struct sl_thd *t, sched_param_t sp)
 
 	sched_param_get(sp, &type, &value);
 
+	sl_cs_enter();
 	switch (type) {
 	case SCHEDP_WINDOW:
 	{
@@ -523,6 +524,7 @@ sl_thd_param_set(struct sl_thd *t, sched_param_t sp)
 	}
 
 	sl_mod_thd_param_set(sl_mod_thd_policy_get(t), type, value);
+	sl_cs_exit();
 }
 
 void