diff --git a/lns_server.lua b/lns_server.lua
index 6549dfb..f403186 100644
--- a/lns_server.lua
+++ b/lns_server.lua
@@ -38,27 +38,30 @@ load_data()
 
 while true do
     client_id, msg = rednet.receive()
+    request = textutils.unserialize(msg)
 
-    -- split string msg into action and hostname with ':' as a delimiter using string.unpack
-    local action, hostname = split(msg, ":")
+    if request.action == nil or request.hostname == nil then
+        rednet.send(client_id, "invalid request")
+        return
+    end
 
-    if action == "lookup" then
+    if request.action == "lookup" then
 
         -- check if hostname in data
-        if data[hostname] == nil then
+        if request.hostname == nil then
             rednet.send(client_id, "not found")
         else
-            rednet.send(client_id, data[hostname])
+            rednet.send(client_id, data[request.hostname])
         end
     end
     
-    if action == "reload" then
+    if request.action == "reload" then
         load_data()
         rednet.send(client_id, "ok")
     end
 
-    if action == "register" then
-        data[hostname] = client_id
+    if request.action == "register" then
+        data[request.hostname] = client_id
         save_data()
         rednet.send(client_id, "ok")
     end
diff --git a/register_lns.lua b/register_lns.lua
index 90a3b39..1fdb2af 100644
--- a/register_lns.lua
+++ b/register_lns.lua
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ end
 rednet.open(modem_location)
 receiverID = rednet.lookup("lns", lns_server)
 current_time = os.time()
-rednet.send(receiverID, "register:" .. hostname)
+
+
+data = {
+    [action] = "register",
+    [hostname] = hostname
+}
+
+rednet.send(receiverID, textutils.serialize(data))
 
 while true do
     id, msg = rednet.receive()