diff --git a/pkg/vere/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/vere/BUILD.bazel
index 249fc42e42..7e772ae61c 100644
--- a/pkg/vere/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/vere/BUILD.bazel
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ vere_library(
     hdrs = [
         "db/lmdb.h",
         "vere.h",
+        "mdns.h",
     ] + select({
         "@platforms//os:macos": [],
         "@platforms//os:linux": [
diff --git a/pkg/vere/io/ames.c b/pkg/vere/io/ames.c
index 6dd6cff67d..cba1dbf48d 100644
--- a/pkg/vere/io/ames.c
+++ b/pkg/vere/io/ames.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /// @file
 
 #include "vere.h"
+#include "mdns.h"
 
 #include "noun.h"
 #include "ur.h"
@@ -2063,7 +2064,6 @@ _ames_recv_cb(uv_udp_t*        wax_u,
 static void
 _mdns_dear_bail(u3_ovum* egg_u, u3_noun lud)
 {
-  u3l_log("mdns: %%dear failure;");
   u3z(lud);
   u3_ovum_free(egg_u);
 }
@@ -2071,7 +2071,7 @@ _mdns_dear_bail(u3_ovum* egg_u, u3_noun lud)
 /* _ames_put_dear(): send lane to arvo after hearing mdns response
 */
 static void
-_ames_put_dear(char* ship, unsigned long s_addr, uint16_t port, void* context)
+_ames_put_dear(c3_c* ship, c3_w s_addr, c3_s port, void* context)
 {
   u3_ames* sam_u = (u3_ames*)context;
 
@@ -2088,6 +2088,7 @@ _ames_put_dear(char* ship, unsigned long s_addr, uint16_t port, void* context)
 
   u3_noun our = u3i_chubs(2, sam_u->pir_u->who_d);
   if (our == u3t(shp_u)) {
+    u3z(shp_u);
     u3z(our);
     return;
   }
@@ -2168,11 +2169,14 @@ _ames_io_start(u3_ames* sam_u)
     u3l_log("ames: live on %d (localhost only)", sam_u->pir_u->por_s);
   }
 
-  u3_noun our = u3dc("scot", 'p', who);
-  char* our_s = u3r_string(our);
-  u3z(our);
+  {
+    u3_noun our = u3dc("scot", 'p', u3k(who));
+    char* our_s = u3r_string(our);
+    u3z(our);
 
-  mdns_init(por_s, our_s, _ames_put_dear, (void *)sam_u);
+    mdns_init(por_s, our_s, _ames_put_dear, (void *)sam_u);
+    c3_free(our_s);
+  }
 
   uv_udp_recv_start(&sam_u->wax_u, _ames_alloc, _ames_recv_cb);
 
diff --git a/pkg/vere/mdns.c b/pkg/vere/mdns.c
index b38e5ea737..9489ad4841 100644
--- a/pkg/vere/mdns.c
+++ b/pkg/vere/mdns.c
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 /// @file
 
 #include "vere.h"
-
+#include "mdns.h"
 #include "dns_sd.h"
 
 typedef struct _mdns_payload {
   mdns_cb*      cb;
   DNSServiceRef sref;
-  char*         who;
-  char*         our;
+  char          who[58];
   uint16_t      port;
-  uv_poll_t*    poll;
+  uv_poll_t     poll;
   void*         context;
 } mdns_payload;
 
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@ static void getaddrinfo_cb(uv_getaddrinfo_t* req, int status, struct addrinfo* r
   struct sockaddr_in* addr = (struct sockaddr_in*)res->ai_addr;
   payload->cb(payload->who, addr->sin_addr.s_addr, payload->port, payload->context);
 
-  c3_free(payload->who);
   uv_freeaddrinfo(res);
   c3_free(req);
   DNSServiceRefDeallocate(payload->sref);
@@ -51,8 +49,7 @@ static void resolve_cb(DNSServiceRef sref,
 {
   mdns_payload* payload = (mdns_payload*)context;
 
-  uv_poll_stop(payload->poll);
-  c3_free(payload->poll);
+  uv_poll_stop(&payload->poll);
 
   if (err != kDNSServiceErr_NoError) {
     u3l_log("mdns: dns resolve error %d", err);
@@ -64,19 +61,13 @@ static void resolve_cb(DNSServiceRef sref,
   payload->sref = sref;
   payload->port = port;
 
-  char* who = strtok(name, ".");
-
-  if (who == NULL) {
-    u3l_log("mdns: invalid domain name");
-    c3_free(payload);
-    DNSServiceRefDeallocate(sref);
-    return;
+  int i;
+  payload->who[0] = '~';
+  for (i = 0; name[i] != '\0' && name[i] != '.' && i < 58; ++i)
+  {
+    payload->who[i+1] = name[i];
   }
 
-  char* who2 = c3_malloc(strlen(who) + 1);
-  snprintf(who2, sizeof who2, "~%s", who);
-  payload->who = who2;
-
   struct addrinfo hints;
   memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(hints));
   hints.ai_family = AF_INET; // Request only IPv4 addresses
@@ -96,19 +87,17 @@ static void resolve_cb(DNSServiceRef sref,
   }
 }
 
-static void poll_cb(uv_poll_t *handle, int status, int events) {
+static void poll_cb(uv_poll_t* handle, int status, int events) {
   DNSServiceRef sref = (DNSServiceRef) handle->data;
   int err = DNSServiceProcessResult(sref);
 }
 
-static void dns_sd_cb(DNSServiceRef sref, mdns_payload* payload) {
+static void init_sref_poll(DNSServiceRef sref, mdns_payload* payload) {
   int fd = DNSServiceRefSockFD(sref);
   uv_loop_t* loop = uv_default_loop();
-  uv_poll_t* poll = (uv_poll_t *)c3_malloc(sizeof(uv_poll_t));
-  poll->data = (void *)sref;
-  payload->poll = poll;
-  uv_poll_init(loop, poll, fd);
-  uv_poll_start(poll, UV_READABLE, poll_cb);
+  payload->poll.data = (void*)sref;
+  uv_poll_init(loop, &payload->poll, fd);
+  uv_poll_start(&payload->poll, UV_READABLE, poll_cb);
 }
 
 static void browse_cb(DNSServiceRef s,
@@ -145,7 +134,7 @@ static void browse_cb(DNSServiceRef s,
       DNSServiceRefDeallocate(sr);
       return;
     }
-    dns_sd_cb(sr, payload_copy);
+    init_sref_poll(sr, payload_copy);
   }
 }
 
@@ -164,9 +153,9 @@ static void register_cb(DNSServiceRef sref,
   } else {
     u3l_log("mdns: %s registered on all interfaces", name);
   }
-  uv_poll_stop(payload->poll);
-  c3_free(payload->poll);
-  c3_free(payload->our);
+  // not freeing sref with DNSServiceRefDeallocate since that
+  // deregisters us from mdns
+  uv_poll_stop(&payload->poll);
   c3_free(payload);
 }
 
@@ -181,10 +170,6 @@ void mdns_init(uint16_t port, char* our, mdns_cb* cb, void* context)
 
   mdns_payload* register_payload = (mdns_payload*)c3_malloc(sizeof(mdns_payload));
 
-  register_payload->cb = cb;
-  register_payload->context = context;
-  register_payload->our = our;
-
   DNSServiceRef sref;
   DNSServiceErrorType err;
   err = DNSServiceRegister(&sref, 0, 0, our, "_ames._udp",
@@ -192,12 +177,11 @@ void mdns_init(uint16_t port, char* our, mdns_cb* cb, void* context)
 
   if (err != kDNSServiceErr_NoError) {
     u3l_log("mdns: service register error %i", err);
-    c3_free(our);
     DNSServiceRefDeallocate(sref);
     return;
   }
 
-  dns_sd_cb(sref, register_payload);
+  init_sref_poll(sref, register_payload);
 
   mdns_payload* browse_payload = (mdns_payload*)c3_malloc(sizeof(mdns_payload));
 
@@ -215,6 +199,6 @@ void mdns_init(uint16_t port, char* our, mdns_cb* cb, void* context)
     return;
   }
 
-  dns_sd_cb(sref2, browse_payload);
+  init_sref_poll(sref2, browse_payload);
 
 }
diff --git a/pkg/vere/mdns.h b/pkg/vere/mdns.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..66c3477179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/vere/mdns.h
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#include "noun.h"
+
+typedef void mdns_cb(c3_c* ship, c3_w s_addr, c3_s port, void* context);
+
+void mdns_init(uint16_t port, char* our, mdns_cb* cb, void* context);
diff --git a/pkg/vere/vere.h b/pkg/vere/vere.h
index 3154432fc5..cef16810b6 100644
--- a/pkg/vere/vere.h
+++ b/pkg/vere/vere.h
@@ -674,12 +674,6 @@
           uv_timer_t       tim_u;               //  gc timer
         } u3_king;
 
-      /* mdns_cb: callback when mdns finds a new ship
-      */
-        typedef void mdns_cb(char* ship,
-                             unsigned long s_addr,
-                             uint16_t port,
-                             void* context);
       /* u3_pier_spin(): (re-)activate idle handler
       */
         void
@@ -1244,12 +1238,6 @@
         u3_auto*
         u3_lick_io_init(u3_pier* pir_u);
 
-    /**  mdns, routing for the local network
-    **/
-      /* mdns_init(): initialize mdns.
-      */
-        void
-        mdns_init(uint16_t port, char* our, mdns_cb* cb, void* context);
     /**  HTTP server.
     **/
       /* u3_http_io_init(): initialize http I/O.