diff --git a/src/syndicate.nim b/src/syndicate.nim
index 715400d..0844e01 100644
--- a/src/syndicate.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate.nim
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import ./syndicate/[actors, dataspaces, durings, patterns]
 
 from ./syndicate/relays import connectStdio, connectUnix
 
-export Assertion, Facet, Handle, Ref, Turn, TurnAction, bootDataspace, `?`, connectStdio, connectUnix, drop, grab, publish, replace, run
+export Assertion, Facet, Handle, Ref, Turn, TurnAction, bootDataspace, `?`, `$`, connectStdio, connectUnix, drop, grab, message, publish, replace, run
 
 type
   PublishProc = proc (turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) {.closure.}
diff --git a/src/syndicate/actors.nim b/src/syndicate/actors.nim
index 4817788..8f657e5 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/actors.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/actors.nim
@@ -336,8 +336,8 @@ proc terminate(facet; turn: var Turn; orderly: bool) {.gcsafe.} =
       parent.get.children.excl facet
     block:
       var turn = Turn(facet: facet, queues: turn.queues)
-      for child in facet.children:
-        child.terminate(turn, orderly)
+      while facet.children.len > 0:
+        facet.children.pop.terminate(turn, orderly)
       if orderly:
         for act in facet.shutdownActions:
           act(turn)
diff --git a/src/syndicate/membranes.nim b/src/syndicate/membranes.nim
index 4b12eba..2972c18 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/membranes.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/membranes.nim
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ proc grab*(mem: Membrane; key: Oid|Ref): WireSymbol =
 
 proc drop*(mem: var Membrane; sym: WireSymbol) =
   ## Drop a `WireSymbol` from a `Membrane`.
-  when not defined(release): assert sym.mem == mem
+  when not defined(release): assert sym.mem == mem,
+    "cannot drop WireSymbol at the wrong Membrane"
   assert sym.count > 0
   dec sym.count
   if sym.count < 1:
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ proc drop*(mem: var Membrane; sym: WireSymbol) =
 
 proc newWireSymbol*(mem: var Membrane; o: Oid; r: Ref): WireSymbol =
   ## Allocate a `WireSymbol` at a `Membrane`.
-  result = WireSymbol(oid: o, `ref`: r)
-  when not defined(release): result.mem = mem
+  result = WireSymbol(oid: o, `ref`: r, count: 1)
   mem.byOid[result.oid] = result
   mem.byRef[result.`ref`] = result
+  when not defined(release): result.mem = mem
diff --git a/src/syndicate/relays.nim b/src/syndicate/relays.nim
index 98304d0..334a0e2 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/relays.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/relays.nim
@@ -73,28 +73,28 @@ proc newSyncPeerEntity(r: Relay; p: Ref): SyncPeerEntity =
   SyncPeerEntity(relay: r, peer: p)
 
 proc rewriteRefOut(relay: Relay; `ref`: Ref; transient: bool; exported: var seq[WireSymbol]): WireRef =
-  if `ref`.target of RelayEntity and `ref`.target.RelayEntity.relay == relay:
-    trace "do the rewriteRefOut that wasn't being done before"
-    result = WireRef(
-      orKind: WirerefKind.yours,
-      yours: WireRefYours[Ref](oid: `ref`.target.oid))
+  if `ref`.target of RelayEntity and `ref`.target.RelayEntity.relay == relay and `ref`.attenuation.len == 0:
+    WireRef(orKind: WireRefKind.yours, yours: WireRefYours[Ref](oid: `ref`.target.oid))
   else:
     var ws = grab(relay.exported, `ref`)
     if ws.isNil:
-      assert(not transient, "Cannot send transient reference")
-      inc relay.nextLocalOid
+      doAssert(not transient, "Cannot send transient reference")
       ws = newWireSymbol(relay.exported, relay.nextLocalOid, `ref`)
+      inc relay.nextLocalOid
     exported.add ws
-    result = WireRef(
-      orKind: WireRefKind.mine,
-      mine: WireRefMine(oid: ws.oid))
+    WireRef(
+        orKind: WireRefKind.mine,
+        mine: WireRefMine(oid: ws.oid))
 
 proc rewriteOut(relay: Relay; v: Assertion; transient: bool):
     tuple[rewritten: WireAssertion, exported: seq[WireSymbol]] =
   var exported: seq[WireSymbol]
-  var rewritten = mapEmbeds[Ref, WireRef](v) do (r: Ref) -> WireRef:
-    result = rewriteRefOut(relay, r, transient, exported)
-  (rewritten, exported)
+  result.rewritten = mapEmbeds[Ref, WireRef](v) do (r: Ref) -> WireRef:
+    rewriteRefOut(relay, r, transient, exported)
+  result.exported = exported
+
+proc register(relay: Relay; v: Assertion): WireAssertion =
+  rewriteOut(relay, v, false).rewritten
 
 proc register(relay: Relay; v: Assertion; h: Handle): WireAssertion =
   var (rewritten, exported) = rewriteOut(relay, v, false)
@@ -138,11 +138,8 @@ method retract(re: RelayEntity; t: var Turn; h: Handle) =
     retract: Retract(handle: h))
 
 method message(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; msg: Assertion) =
-  var
-    ev = Event(orKind: EventKind.Message)
-    (body, _) = rewriteOut(re.relay, msg, true)
-  ev.message = Message[WireRef](body: body)
-  re.send ev
+  re.send Event(orKind: EventKind.Message,
+      message: Message[WireRef](body: register(re.relay, msg)))
 
 method sync(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; peer: Ref) =
   var