diff --git a/stlio.c b/stlio.c
index 63ca3d6..5bc95aa 100644
--- a/stlio.c
+++ b/stlio.c
@@ -36,18 +36,30 @@ u32 write(const char* buffer, const u32 size) {
 	return i;
 }
 
+// this is here to get around gcc's optimizations
+static void __kbd_state(u8* dest, u8 desire) {
+	*dest = desire;
+}
+
 u32 read(char* buffer, u32 size) {
-	// Read up to size-1 characters or until a \n is written
-	// once we reacch size -1 bytes read then we change the last char to a \0
+	// try the timing thing again after this
 	u32 bytes = 0;
-	while(bytes < size - 1) {
-		// was this key pressed recently?
-		if(pit_timer_ticks - kbd_time  < 200) {
-			buffer[bytes] = kbd_key;
+	u8 state = 0;
+	
+	while(bytes < size) {
+		//if(pit_timer_ticks - kbd_time < 0x20) {
+
+		__kbd_state(&state, kbd_state);
+		if(pit_timer_ticks - kbd_time < 0x20 && state == KBD_RELEASE) {
+			__kbd_state(&buffer[bytes], (u8)kbd_key);
+			bytes++;
+			__kbd_state(&kbd_state, KBD_WAITING); // reset the kbd_state since we've now used it
+			putch(kbd_key);
 		}
+		pit_timer_wait(1);
 	}
-	buffer[size - 1] = '\0';
-	return bytes + 1;
+	buffer[size-1] = '\0';
+	return bytes;
 }
 
 void printf(const char* fmt) {
@@ -68,6 +80,7 @@ void printhex(u32 num) {
 	const char _chars[] = "0123456789abcdef";
 	u32 idx = 0; // used as hash into the _chars mapping
 	// iterate over each nibble
+	printf("0x");
 	for(u32 i = 0 ;i < 8;i++) {
 		idx = (num << (i * 4)) & 0xf0000000;
 		idx = idx >> 28;