diff --git a/screenless/bureau/bureau.py b/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
index aabe4ea..19d0c45 100644
--- a/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
+++ b/screenless/bureau/bureau.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # bureau
 import configparser
 import functools
+import inspect
 import json
 import os.path
 import subprocess
@@ -65,6 +66,15 @@ class Bureau(object):
         self.commands = {}
         self.api = {}
 
+        modpath = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+        phantomjs = os.path.join(modpath, "..", "lib", "phantomjs", "bin",
+                                "phantomjs")
+        renderer = os.path.join(modpath, "..", "lib", "rasterize.js")
+        self.phantomjs = os.path.abspath(phantomjs)
+        self.html2pdf = self.phantomjs + " " + os.path.abspath(renderer) + " "
+        mypath = inspect.getfile(self.__class__)
+        self.mdir = os.path.dirname(mypath)
+
         basepath = os.path.expanduser("~/.screenless")
         if not os.path.exists(basepath):
             os.mkdir(basepath)
@@ -108,22 +118,20 @@ class Bureau(object):
         sender = self.context.socket(zmq.REQ)
         sender.connect("ipc://" + recipient + ".ipc")
         sender.send_string(message)
-        # TODO: retry this a few times with a proper sleep/timeout
-        #time.sleep(0.5)
-        #try:
-        #    ret = json.loads(sender.recv_string(flags=zmq.NOBLOCK))
-        #    # TODO: deal with non-json replies
-        #except zmq.ZMQError:
-        #    print("message sent but got no reply...")
-        #    ret = None
 
         events = sender.poll(timeout=10000)
         if events is not 0:
-            ret = json.loads(sender.recv_string())
+            resp = sender.recv_string()
+            if len(resp) == 0:
+                return None
+            elif resp[0] == "0":
+                return json.loads(resp[1:])
+            else:
+                # TODO: this may need some better error handling
+                return resp
         else:
             print("message sent... timed out after 10 seconds.")
-            ret = None
-        return ret
+            return None
 
     def _publish_methods(self):
         """
@@ -133,7 +141,13 @@ class Bureau(object):
         # register bureau with Inhuman Resources
         bureau_detail = {"name": self.name, "prefix": self.prefix,
                          "desc": self.__doc__}
-        self.send("IR", "addbureau", bureau_detail)
+
+        # slight hack to avoid messy self-reference and chicken-egg waiting
+        if self.prefix == "IR":
+            method = getattr(self, "add_bureau")
+            method(bureau_detail)
+        else:
+            self.send("IR", "addbureau", bureau_detail)
 
         # find and store all published methods
         for member in dir(self):
@@ -148,14 +162,22 @@ class Bureau(object):
                               "prefix": self.prefix,
                               "cmd": method.command,
                               "desc": method.__doc__}
-                self.send("IR", "addcommand", cmd_detail)
+                if self.prefix == "IR":
+                    method = getattr(self, "add_cmd")
+                    method(cmd_detail)
+                else:
+                    self.send("IR", "addcommand", cmd_detail)
             elif hasattr(method, "api"):
                 self.api[method.api] = method
                 api_detail = {"apiname": method.name,
                               "prefix": self.prefix,
                               "api": method.api,
                               "desc": method.__doc__}
-                self.send("IR", "addapi", api_detail)
+                if self.prefix == "IR":
+                    method = getattr(self, "add_api_method")
+                    method(api_detail)
+                else:
+                    self.send("IR", "addapi", api_detail)
 
         print("registered:")
         print(self.commands)
@@ -163,22 +185,35 @@ class Bureau(object):
 
     def print_full(self, template, **kwargs):
         """print a full page (A4) document """
-        # TODO: look up the printer LPR name
-
-        lpname = kwargs.get("printer", "default")
-        templ = Template(filename=template)
-
-        texfile, texfilepath = tempfile.mkstemp(".tex")
-        texfile.write(templ.render_unicode(
-            **kwargs).encode('utf-8', 'replace'))
-
-        texdir = os.path.dirname(texfilepath)
-
-        subprocess.call("cd " + texdir + "; xelatex " + texfilepath)
-
-        pdffile = texfilepath[0:-4] + ".pdf"
-
-        subprocess.call("lpr -P " + lpname + " " + pdffile)
+        # TODO: look up the printer LPR name / allow multiple printers/non-default
+
+        # lpname = kwargs.get("printer", "default")
+
+        htmlfile, htmlpath = tempfile.mkstemp(".html")
+        htmlfile = os.fdopen(htmlfile, "w")
+        # run template with kwargs
+        templfile = os.path.join(self.mdir, template)
+        print("using template: ", templfile)
+        templ = Template(filename=templfile)
+        htmlfile.write(templ.render_unicode(**kwargs))
+        htmlfile.close()
+        #.encode('utf-8',
+        #                                                     'replace'))
+
+        # texfile, texfilepath = tempfile.mkstemp(".tex")
+        # texfile.write(templ.render_unicode(
+        #     **kwargs).encode('utf-8', 'replace'))
+
+        # texdir = os.path.dirname(texfilepath)
+
+        # subprocess.call("cd " + texdir + "; xelatex " + texfilepath)
+
+        # TODO: make paper size a config variable
+        pdfpath = tempfile.mkstemp(".pdf")[1]
+        print("rendering with: ", self.html2pdf + htmlpath + " " + pdfpath)
+        subprocess.call(self.html2pdf + htmlpath + " " + pdfpath +
+                        " A4 1920px", shell=True)
+        #subprocess.call("lpr " + pdfpath, shell=True)
 
     # TODO: make this asynchronous
     def print_small(self, text, printer="/dev/usb/lp0"):