diff --git a/src/libcore/pipes.rs b/src/libcore/pipes.rs
index e020d5c3e9f..3bb2467f3df 100644
--- a/src/libcore/pipes.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/pipes.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ import arc::methods;
 
 // Things used by code generated by the pipe compiler.
 export entangle, get_buffer, drop_buffer;
+export send_packet_buffered, recv_packet_buffered;
+export mk_packet;
+
+// export these so we can find them in the buffer_resource
+// destructor. This is probably another metadata bug.
+export atomic_add_acq, atomic_sub_rel;
 
 // User-level things
 export send_packet, recv_packet, send, recv, try_recv, peek;
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@ higher level buffer structure. Packets can maintain a pointer to their
 buffer, and this is the part that gets freed.
 
 It might be helpful to have some idea of a semi-unique pointer (like
-being partially pregnant, also like an ARC). 
+being partially pregnant, also like an ARC).
 
 */
 
@@ -87,7 +93,7 @@ class buffer_header {
     // get away with restricting it to 0 or 1, if we're careful.
     let mut ref_count: int;
 
-    new() { self.ref_count = 1; }
+    new() { self.ref_count = 0; }
 
     // We may want a drop, and to be careful about stringing this
     // thing along.
@@ -134,6 +140,10 @@ class packet_header {
         assert self.buffer.is_not_null();
         reinterpret_cast(self.buffer)
     }
+
+    fn set_buffer<T: send>(b: ~buffer<T>) unsafe {
+        self.buffer = reinterpret_cast(b);
+    }
 }
 
 type packet<T: send> = {
@@ -141,6 +151,13 @@ type packet<T: send> = {
     mut payload: option<T>,
 };
 
+fn mk_packet<T: send>() -> packet<T> {
+    {
+        header: packet_header(),
+        mut payload: none
+    }
+}
+
 fn unibuffer<T: send>() -> ~buffer<packet<T>> {
     let b = ~{
         header: buffer_header(),
@@ -170,12 +187,25 @@ extern mod rusti {
     fn atomic_xchng(&dst: int, src: int) -> int;
     fn atomic_xchng_acq(&dst: int, src: int) -> int;
     fn atomic_xchng_rel(&dst: int, src: int) -> int;
+
+    fn atomic_add_acq(&dst: int, src: int) -> int;
+    fn atomic_sub_rel(&dst: int, src: int) -> int;
 }
 
+// If I call the rusti versions directly from a polymorphic function,
+// I get link errors. This is a bug that needs investigated more.
 fn atomic_xchng_rel(&dst: int, src: int) -> int {
     rusti::atomic_xchng_rel(dst, src)
 }
 
+fn atomic_add_acq(&dst: int, src: int) -> int {
+    rusti::atomic_add_acq(dst, src)
+}
+
+fn atomic_sub_rel(&dst: int, src: int) -> int {
+    rusti::atomic_sub_rel(dst, src)
+}
+
 type rust_task = libc::c_void;
 
 extern mod rustrt {
@@ -222,13 +252,21 @@ unsafe fn get_buffer<T: send>(p: *packet_header) -> ~buffer<T> {
 class buffer_resource<T: send> {
     let buffer: ~buffer<T>;
     new(+b: ~buffer<T>) {
+        let p = ptr::addr_of(*b);
+        #error("take %?", p);
+        atomic_add_acq(b.header.ref_count, 1);
         self.buffer = b;
     }
 
     drop unsafe {
         let b = move!{self.buffer};
-        let old_count = atomic_xchng_rel(b.header.ref_count, 0);
-        if old_count == 0 {
+        let p = ptr::addr_of(*b);
+        #error("drop %?", p);
+        let old_count = atomic_sub_rel(b.header.ref_count, 1);
+        //let old_count = atomic_xchng_rel(b.header.ref_count, 0);
+        if old_count == 1 {
+            // The new count is 0.
+
             // go go gadget drop glue
         }
         else {
@@ -237,7 +275,8 @@ class buffer_resource<T: send> {
     }
 }
 
-fn send<T: send>(-p: send_packet<T>, -payload: T) {
+fn send<T: send, Tbuffer: send>(-p: send_packet_buffered<T, Tbuffer>,
+                                -payload: T) {
     let header = p.header();
     let p_ = p.unwrap();
     let p = unsafe { &*p_ };
@@ -273,11 +312,13 @@ fn send<T: send>(-p: send_packet<T>, -payload: T) {
     }
 }
 
-fn recv<T: send>(-p: recv_packet<T>) -> T {
+fn recv<T: send, Tbuffer: send>(-p: recv_packet_buffered<T, Tbuffer>) -> T {
     option::unwrap(try_recv(p))
 }
 
-fn try_recv<T: send>(-p: recv_packet<T>) -> option<T> {
+fn try_recv<T: send, Tbuffer: send>(-p: recv_packet_buffered<T, Tbuffer>)
+    -> option<T>
+{
     let p_ = p.unwrap();
     let p = unsafe { &*p_ };
     let this = rustrt::rust_get_task();
@@ -498,6 +539,10 @@ class send_packet_buffered<T: send, Tbuffer: send> {
             p <-> self.p;
             sender_terminate(option::unwrap(p))
         }
+        unsafe { #error("send_drop: %?",
+                        if self.buffer == none {
+                            "none"
+                        } else { "some" }); }
     }
     fn unwrap() -> *packet<T> {
         let mut p = none;
@@ -518,6 +563,13 @@ class send_packet_buffered<T: send, Tbuffer: send> {
           none { fail ~"packet already consumed" }
         }
     }
+
+    fn reuse_buffer() -> buffer_resource<Tbuffer> {
+        #error("send reuse_buffer");
+        let mut tmp = none;
+        tmp <-> self.buffer;
+        option::unwrap(tmp)
+    }
 }
 
 type recv_packet<T: send> = recv_packet_buffered<T, packet<T>>;
@@ -547,6 +599,10 @@ class recv_packet_buffered<T: send, Tbuffer: send> : selectable {
             p <-> self.p;
             receiver_terminate(option::unwrap(p))
         }
+        unsafe { #error("recv_drop: %?",
+                        if self.buffer == none {
+                            "none"
+                        } else { "some" }); }
     }
     fn unwrap() -> *packet<T> {
         let mut p = none;
@@ -567,6 +623,13 @@ class recv_packet_buffered<T: send, Tbuffer: send> : selectable {
           none { fail ~"packet already consumed" }
         }
     }
+
+    fn reuse_buffer() -> buffer_resource<Tbuffer> {
+        #error("recv reuse_buffer");
+        let mut tmp = none;
+        tmp <-> self.buffer;
+        option::unwrap(tmp)
+    }
 }
 
 fn entangle<T: send>() -> (send_packet<T>, recv_packet<T>) {
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/pipe-pingpong-bounded.rs b/src/test/run-pass/pipe-pingpong-bounded.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bad605b8929
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/pipe-pingpong-bounded.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+// Ping-pong is a bounded protocol. This is place where I can
+// experiment with what code the compiler should generate for bounded
+// protocols.
+
+// xfail-pretty
+
+// This was generated initially by the pipe compiler, but it's been
+// modified in hopefully straightforward ways.
+mod pingpong {
+    import pipes::*;
+
+    type packets = {
+        ping: packet<ping>,
+        pong: packet<pong>,
+    };
+
+    fn init() -> (client::ping, server::ping) {
+        let buffer = ~{
+            header: buffer_header(),
+            data: {
+                ping: mk_packet::<ping>(),
+                pong: mk_packet::<pong>()
+            }
+        };
+        unsafe {
+            buffer.data.ping.header.set_buffer(buffer);
+            buffer.data.pong.header.set_buffer(buffer);
+        }
+        let client = send_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(buffer.data.ping));
+        let server = recv_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(buffer.data.ping));
+        (client, server)
+    }
+    enum ping = server::pong;
+    enum pong = client::ping;
+    mod client {
+        fn ping(+pipe: ping) -> pong {
+            {
+                let b = pipe.reuse_buffer();
+                let s = send_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(b.buffer.data.pong));
+                let c = recv_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(b.buffer.data.pong));
+                let message = pingpong::ping(s);
+                pipes::send(pipe, message);
+                c
+            }
+        }
+        type ping = pipes::send_packet_buffered<pingpong::ping,
+        pingpong::packets>;
+        type pong = pipes::recv_packet_buffered<pingpong::pong,
+        pingpong::packets>;
+    }
+    mod server {
+        type ping = pipes::recv_packet_buffered<pingpong::ping,
+        pingpong::packets>;
+        fn pong(+pipe: pong) -> ping {
+            {
+                let b = pipe.reuse_buffer();
+                let s = send_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(b.buffer.data.ping));
+                let c = recv_packet_buffered(ptr::addr_of(b.buffer.data.ping));
+                let message = pingpong::pong(s);
+                pipes::send(pipe, message);
+                c
+            }
+        }
+        type pong = pipes::send_packet_buffered<pingpong::pong,
+        pingpong::packets>;
+    }
+}
+
+mod test {
+    import pipes::recv;
+    import pingpong::{ping, pong};
+
+    fn client(-chan: pingpong::client::ping) {
+        import pingpong::client;
+
+        let chan = client::ping(chan); ret;
+        log(error, "Sent ping");
+        let pong(_chan) = recv(chan);
+        log(error, "Received pong");
+    }
+    
+    fn server(-chan: pingpong::server::ping) {
+        import pingpong::server;
+
+        let ping(chan) = recv(chan); ret;
+        log(error, "Received ping");
+        let _chan = server::pong(chan);
+        log(error, "Sent pong");
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let (client_, server_) = pingpong::init();
+    let client_ = ~mut some(client_);
+    let server_ = ~mut some(server_);
+    do task::spawn |move client_| {
+        let mut client__ = none;
+        *client_ <-> client__;
+        test::client(option::unwrap(client__));
+    };
+    do task::spawn |move server_| {
+        let mut server_ˊ = none;
+        *server_ <-> server_ˊ;
+        test::server(option::unwrap(server_ˊ));
+    };
+}