diff --git a/apps/protocol/lib/lexical/protocol/json_rpc.ex b/apps/protocol/lib/lexical/protocol/json_rpc.ex
index 03aefa6a6..970bf220d 100644
--- a/apps/protocol/lib/lexical/protocol/json_rpc.ex
+++ b/apps/protocol/lib/lexical/protocol/json_rpc.ex
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ defmodule Lexical.Protocol.JsonRpc do
   alias Lexical.Protocol.Notifications
   alias Lexical.Protocol.Requests
 
+  require Logger
+
   @crlf "\r\n"
 
   def decode(message_string) do
@@ -30,8 +32,10 @@ defmodule Lexical.Protocol.JsonRpc do
     {:ok, json_rpc}
   end
 
+  # These messages appear to be empty Responses (per LSP spec) sent to
+  # aknowledge Requests sent from the language server to the client.
   defp do_decode(%{"id" => _id, "result" => nil}) do
-    :error
+    {:error, :empty_response}
   end
 
   defp do_decode(%{"method" => method, "id" => _id} = request) do
diff --git a/apps/server/lib/lexical/server/transport/std_io.ex b/apps/server/lib/lexical/server/transport/std_io.ex
index 31479b4ee..97bf0a76d 100644
--- a/apps/server/lib/lexical/server/transport/std_io.ex
+++ b/apps/server/lib/lexical/server/transport/std_io.ex
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 defmodule Lexical.Server.Transport.StdIO do
   alias Lexical.Protocol.JsonRpc
 
+  require Logger
+
   @behaviour Lexical.Server.Transport
 
   def start_link(device, callback) do
@@ -59,16 +61,22 @@ defmodule Lexical.Server.Transport.StdIO do
       "\n" ->
         headers = parse_headers(buffer)
 
-        with {:ok, content_length} <-
-               header_value(headers, "content-length", &String.to_integer/1),
+        with {:ok, content_length} <- content_length(headers),
              {:ok, data} <- read_body(device, content_length),
              {:ok, message} <- JsonRpc.decode(data) do
           callback.(message)
+        else
+          {:error, :empty_response} ->
+            :noop
+
+          {:error, reason} ->
+            Logger.critical("read protocol message: #{inspect(reason)}")
         end
 
         loop([], device, callback)
 
       :eof ->
+        Logger.critical("stdio received :eof, server will stop.")
         maybe_stop()
 
       line ->
@@ -76,27 +84,44 @@ defmodule Lexical.Server.Transport.StdIO do
     end
   end
 
-  defp parse_headers(headers) do
-    Enum.map(headers, &parse_header/1)
+  defp content_length(headers) do
+    with {:ok, len_str} <- find_header(headers, "content-length") do
+      parse_length(len_str)
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp find_header(headers, name) do
+    case List.keyfind(headers, name, 0) do
+      {_, len_str} -> {:ok, len_str}
+      nil -> {:error, {:header_not_found, name}}
+    end
   end
 
-  defp header_value(headers, header_name, converter) do
-    case List.keyfind(headers, header_name, 0) do
-      nil -> :error
-      {_, value} -> {:ok, converter.(value)}
+  defp parse_length(len_str) when is_binary(len_str) do
+    case Integer.parse(len_str) do
+      {int, ""} -> {:ok, int}
+      :error -> {:error, {:cant_parse_length, len_str}}
     end
   end
 
   defp read_body(device, byte_count) do
     case IO.binread(device, byte_count) do
-      data when is_binary(data) or is_list(data) ->
+      data when is_binary(data) ->
         {:ok, data}
 
-      other ->
-        other
+      :eof ->
+        Logger.critical("stdio received :eof, server will stop.")
+        maybe_stop()
+
+      {:error, reason} ->
+        {:error, reason}
     end
   end
 
+  defp parse_headers(headers) do
+    Enum.map(headers, &parse_header/1)
+  end
+
   defp parse_header(line) do
     [name, value] = String.split(line, ":")