diff --git a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/client_state.rs b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/client_state.rs
index a4cef78f..f7616771 100644
--- a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/client_state.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/client_state.rs
@@ -46,11 +46,19 @@ impl ClientState {
             .map_or(false, |c| c.transport == Transport::Ethernet)
         {
             let num_cores: u64 = atopology::MACHINE_TOPOLOGY.num_threads() as u64;
+            let mid = *crate::environment::MACHINE_ID;
+            let port_base = CONTROLLER_PORT_BASE + ((mid as u16 - 1) * MAX_CORES_PER_CLIENT);
+
+            log::debug!(
+                "Sending ethernet initialization for client with {:?} cores, mid {:?}, and port {:?}",
+                num_cores,
+                mid,
+                port_base,
+            );
 
             crate::transport::ethernet::init_ethernet_rpc(
                 smoltcp::wire::IpAddress::v4(172, 31, 0, 11),
-                CONTROLLER_PORT_BASE
-                    + (*crate::environment::MACHINE_ID as u16 - 1) * MAX_CORES_PER_CLIENT,
+                port_base,
                 num_cores,
                 false,
             )
diff --git a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/controller.rs b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/controller.rs
index 95ea43ac..e3201b1a 100644
--- a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/controller.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/controller.rs
@@ -45,36 +45,45 @@ pub(crate) fn run() {
         .get()
         .map_or(false, |c| c.transport == Transport::Ethernet)
     {
+        let port_base = CONTROLLER_PORT_BASE + (mid as u16 - 1) * MAX_CORES_PER_CLIENT;
+
+        log::debug!(
+            "Initializing transport with mid {:?} on port {:?}",
+            mid,
+            port_base
+        );
         let transport = Box::new(
-            TCPTransport::new(
-                None,
-                CONTROLLER_PORT_BASE + (mid as u16 - 1) * MAX_CORES_PER_CLIENT,
-                Arc::clone(&ETHERNET_IFACE),
-            )
-            .expect("Failed to create TCP transport"),
+            TCPTransport::new(None, port_base, Arc::clone(&ETHERNET_IFACE))
+                .expect("Failed to create TCP transport"),
         );
         let mut server = Server::new(transport);
         register_rpcs(&mut server);
         servers.push(server);
+
         ClientReadyCount.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
-        // while !DCMServerReady.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {}
+        while !DCMServerReady.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {}
+
         servers[0]
             .add_client(&CLIENT_REGISTRAR)
             .expect("Failed to accept client");
 
+        log::debug!("Initial RPC server initialized. Learning client topology...");
+
         // wait until controller learns about client topology
-        while (*rpc_servers_to_register.lock() == 0) {
-            let start = rawtime::Instant::now();
-            while start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(1) {
-                spin_loop();
-            }
-        }
+        while (*rpc_servers_to_register.lock() == 0) {}
+
+        log::debug!(
+            "Received client topology, registering subsequent {:?} cores",
+            *rpc_servers_to_register.lock()
+        );
 
-        for i in 0..*rpc_servers_to_register.lock() {
+        // register n-1 servers as we already handled the initial request
+        // will do nothing if no more servers to register
+        for i in 0..*rpc_servers_to_register.lock() - 1 {
             let transport = Box::new(
                 TCPTransport::new(
                     None,
-                    CONTROLLER_PORT_BASE + ((mid as u16 - 1) * MAX_CORES_PER_CLIENT) + i as u16 + 1,
+                    port_base + (i as u16 + 1),
                     Arc::clone(&ETHERNET_IFACE),
                 )
                 .expect("Failed to create TCP transport"),
@@ -82,20 +91,20 @@ pub(crate) fn run() {
             let mut server = Server::new(transport);
             register_rpcs(&mut server);
             servers.push(server);
-            *rpc_servers_to_register.lock() -= 1;
         }
+        *rpc_servers_to_register.lock() = 0;
 
-        ClientReadyCount.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
-
-        // Wait for all clients to connect before fulfilling any RPCs.
-        while !DCMServerReady.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {}
+        log::debug!("Transports added. Adding clients...");
 
         // already registered the first server
+        // will do nothing if no more servers to register
         for s_index in 1..servers.len() {
             servers[s_index]
                 .add_client(&CLIENT_REGISTRAR)
                 .expect("Failed to accept client");
         }
+
+        log::debug!("Finished registering RPC servers for client");
     } else if crate::CMDLINE
         .get()
         .map_or(false, |c| c.transport == Transport::Shmem)
diff --git a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/registration.rs b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/registration.rs
index 26bdb195..53629cd3 100644
--- a/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/registration.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/arch/x86_64/rackscale/registration.rs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_client(hdr: &mut RPCHeader, payload: &mut [u8]) -> Result
             return Ok(());
         }
 
-        *rpc_servers_to_register.lock() = req.num_cores - 1;
+        *rpc_servers_to_register.lock() = req.num_cores;
 
         // Parse out hw_threads
         let hw_threads = match unsafe { decode::<Vec<CpuThread>>(hwthreads_data) } {
diff --git a/kernel/src/transport/ethernet.rs b/kernel/src/transport/ethernet.rs
index 3b9b3cd0..d6ef51f9 100644
--- a/kernel/src/transport/ethernet.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/transport/ethernet.rs
@@ -108,9 +108,8 @@ pub(crate) fn init_ethernet_rpc(
 
     let mut clients: Vec<rpc::client::Client> = Vec::new();
 
-    for i in 0..num_cores {
-        let offset = i;
-        let server_port = server_port_base + offset as u16;
+    for core in 0..num_cores {
+        let server_port = server_port_base + core as u16;
 
         let rpc_transport = Box::new(
             TCPTransport::new(Some(server_ip), server_port, Arc::clone(&ETHERNET_IFACE))
@@ -119,7 +118,7 @@ pub(crate) fn init_ethernet_rpc(
         let mut client = Client::new(rpc_transport);
 
         // only send client data on first client registration request
-        let send_client_data = if i == 0 { true } else { false };
+        let send_client_data = if core == 0 { true } else { false };
 
         client = initialize_client(client, send_client_data, is_dcm)
             .expect("Failed to initialize client");