diff --git a/cmd/revid-cli/main.go b/cmd/revid-cli/main.go
index 9407aff7..9a4f231c 100644
--- a/cmd/revid-cli/main.go
+++ b/cmd/revid-cli/main.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ AUTHORS
 	Jack Richardson <jack@ausocean.org>
 
 LICENSE
-  RevidCLI.go is Copyright (C) 2017 the Australian Ocean Lab (AusOcean)
+  RevidCLI.go is Copyright (C) 2017-2018 the Australian Ocean Lab (AusOcean)
 
   It is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify them
   under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ const (
 
 // Other misc consts
 const (
+	progName           = "revid-cli"
 	netSendRetryTime   = 5
 	sleepTime          = 2 * 43200
 	defaultRunDuration = 2 * 43200
@@ -86,8 +87,7 @@ const (
 
 // Globals
 var (
-	varSum    int = 0
-	vars          = make(map[string]string)
+	ns        netsender.Netsender
 	revidInst revid.Revid
 	config    revid.Config
 )
@@ -241,11 +241,14 @@ func main() {
 	config.Timeout = *configFlags[timeoutPtr]
 	config.IntraRefreshPeriod = *configFlags[intraRefreshPeriodPtr]
 
-	//init netsender
+	var vs int
 	if *netSenderFlagPtr {
-		netsenderInit()
+		// initialize NetSender and use NetSender's logger
+		config.Logger = netsender.GetLogger()
+		ns = netsender.NewNetsender(false, revidReportActions)
+		vs = ns.GetVarSum()
 	} else {
-		// Also give the config a logger object
+		// alternatively, instantiate our own logger
 		config.Logger = smartlogger.New(loggerVerbosity, smartlogger.File, "/var/log/netsender/")
 	}
 
@@ -253,29 +256,37 @@ func main() {
 	startRevid()
 	paused := false
 
-	// Is the netsender flag been used ? if so run this loop
+	// loop in NetSender mode
 	for *netSenderFlagPtr {
-		varsChanged, err := netSend()
-		if err != nil {
-			config.Logger.Log("revidCLI", "Error", err.Error())
+		if err := netSend(); err != nil {
+			config.Logger.Log(progName, "Error", err.Error())
 			time.Sleep(time.Duration(netSendRetryTime) * time.Second)
 			continue
 		}
-		if varsChanged {
+
+		if vs != ns.GetVarSum() {
+		        // vars changed
+			vars, err := ns.GetVars()
+			if err != nil {
+				config.Logger.Log(progName, "Error", err.Error())
+				time.Sleep(time.Duration(netSendRetryTime) * time.Second)
+				continue
+			}
+			vs = ns.GetVarSum()
 			if vars["mode"] == "Paused" {
 				if !paused {
-					config.Logger.Log("revidCLI", "Info", "Pausing revid")
+					config.Logger.Log(progName, "Info", "Pausing revid")
 					stopRevid()
 					paused = true
 				}
 			} else {
-				updateRevid(!paused)
+				updateRevid(vars, !paused)
 				if paused {
 					paused = false
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		sleepTime, _ := strconv.Atoi(netsender.GetConfigParam("monPeriod"))
+		sleepTime, _ := strconv.Atoi(ns.GetConfigParam("monPeriod"))
 		time.Sleep(time.Duration(sleepTime) * time.Second)
 	}
 
@@ -285,50 +296,26 @@ func main() {
 	stopRevid()
 }
 
-func netsenderInit() {
-	//initialize netsender and assign function to check X pins
-	config.Logger = netsender.GetLogger()
-	netsender.Init(false)
-	netsender.ExternalReader = revidReportActions
-}
-
 // netSend implements the NetSender client, and is called every monPeriod seconds.
 // It handles NetReceiver configuration and sends requested data to the cloud.
-// Finally, it updates vars and returns true when vars have changed
-func netSend() (bool, error) {
-	var err error
-
-	if !netsender.IsConfigured() {
-		if err = netsender.GetConfig(); err != nil {
-			return false, err
+func netSend() error {
+	if !ns.IsConfigured() {
+		if err := ns.Config(); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	inputs := netsender.SplitCSV(netsender.GetConfigParam("inputs"))
-	var reconfig bool
-	if _, reconfig, err = netsender.Send(netsender.RequestPoll, inputs); err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	if reconfig {
-		if err = netsender.GetConfig(); err != nil {
-			return false, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	if cloudVarSum := netsender.GetVarSum(); cloudVarSum != varSum {
-		var newVars map[string]string
-		if newVars, err = netsender.GetVars(); err != nil {
-			return false, err
-		}
-		varSum = cloudVarSum
-		for newVar, value := range newVars {
-			if currentValue, varExists := vars[newVar]; !varExists || currentValue != value {
-				vars[newVar] = value
+	inputs := netsender.SplitCSV(ns.GetConfigParam("inputs"))
+	if _, reconfig, err := ns.Send(netsender.RequestPoll, inputs); err != nil {
+		return err
+	} else {
+		if reconfig {
+			if err := ns.Config(); err != nil {
+				return err
 			}
 		}
-		return true, nil
 	}
-	return false, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // wrappers for stopping and starting revid
@@ -342,12 +329,12 @@ func stopRevid() {
 	time.Sleep(time.Duration(revidStopTime) * time.Second)
 }
 
-func updateRevid(stop bool) {
+func updateRevid(vars map[string]string, stop bool) {
 	if stop {
 		stopRevid()
 	}
 
-	//look through var map and update revid where needed
+	//look through the vars and update revid where needed
 	for key, value := range vars {
 		switch key {
 		case "FramesPerClip":
@@ -477,7 +464,7 @@ func createRevidInstance() {
 		// If the config does have a logger, use it to output error, otherwise
 		// just output to std output
 		if config.Logger != nil {
-			config.Logger.Log("revidCLI", "FATAL ERROR", err.Error())
+			config.Logger.Log(progName, "FATAL ERROR", err.Error())
 		} else {
 			fmt.Printf("FATAL ERROR: %v", err.Error())
 		}