diff --git a/src/iperf.h b/src/iperf.h
index 460fd84..c190cd1 100644
--- a/src/iperf.h
+++ b/src/iperf.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ struct iperf_test
 {
     char      role;                             /* c' lient or 's' erver */
     int       protocol;
-    int       state;
+    char      state;
     char     *server_hostname;                  /* -c option */
     int       server_port;
     int       duration;                         /* total duration of test (-t flag) */
diff --git a/src/iperf_api.c b/src/iperf_api.c
index 18d6ae7..e2f0d27 100644
--- a/src/iperf_api.c
+++ b/src/iperf_api.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ iperf_send(struct iperf_test *test)
             reporter_interval = new_timer(test->reporter_interval, 0);
         
         test->state = TEST_RUNNING;
-        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
             perror("write TEST_RUNNING");
             exit(1);
         }
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ iperf_send(struct iperf_test *test)
 
                 // Send TEST_DONE (ALL_STREAMS_END) message
                 test->state = TEST_END;
-                if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+                if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
                     perror("write TEST_END");
                     return -1;
                 }
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ iperf_exchange_parameters(struct iperf_test * test)
 
         // Send the control message to create streams and start the test
         test->state = CREATE_STREAMS;
-        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
             perror("write CREATE_STREAMS");
             return -1;
         }
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ iperf_create_streams(struct iperf_test *test)
 int
 iperf_handle_message_client(struct iperf_test *test)
 {
-    if (read(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+    if (read(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
         // indicate error on read
         return -1;
     }
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ iperf_connect(struct iperf_test *test)
 
     /* Exchange parameters */
     test->state = PARAM_EXCHANGE;
-    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
         perror("write PARAM_EXCHANGE");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ iperf_client_end(struct iperf_test *test)
     }
 
     test->state = IPERF_DONE;
-    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
         perror("write IPERF_DONE");
         return -1;
     }
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ iperf_run_client(struct iperf_test * test)
     if (setjmp(env)) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Interrupt received. Exiting...\n");
         test->state = CLIENT_TERMINATE;
-        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+        if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Unable to send CLIENT_TERMINATE message to serer\n");
         }
         exit(1);
diff --git a/src/iperf_server_api.c b/src/iperf_server_api.c
index 64ab0cd..0ee470a 100644
--- a/src/iperf_server_api.c
+++ b/src/iperf_server_api.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ iperf_accept(struct iperf_test *test)
 int
 iperf_handle_message_server(struct iperf_test *test)
 {
-    if (read(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+    if (read(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
         // XXX: Needs to indicate read error
         return -1;
     }
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ iperf_handle_message_server(struct iperf_test *test)
             break;
         case TEST_END:
             test->state = DISPLAY_RESULTS;
-            if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+            if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
                 perror("write DISPLAY_RESULTS");
                 exit(1);
             }
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ iperf_run_server(struct iperf_test *test)
         fprintf(stderr, "Interrupt received. Exiting...\n");
         test->state = SERVER_TERMINATE;
         if (test->ctrl_sck >= 0) {
-            if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+            if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Unable to send SERVER_TERMINATE message to client\n");
             }
         }
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ iperf_run_server(struct iperf_test *test)
                     FD_CLR(test->prot_listener, &test->read_set);
                     close(test->prot_listener);
                     test->state = TEST_START;
-                    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(int)) < 0) {
+                    if (write(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char)) < 0) {
                         perror("write TEST_START");
                         return -1;
                     }