diff --git a/applepy.py b/applepy.py
index 5052474..71e0aef 100644
--- a/applepy.py
+++ b/applepy.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 import numpy
 import pygame
+import select
+import socket
 import struct
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -357,30 +359,38 @@ class Apple2:
         self.speaker = speaker
         self.softswitches = SoftSwitches(display, speaker, cassette)
 
+        listener = socket.socket()
+        listener.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+        listener.listen(0)
+
         args = [
             sys.executable,
             "cpu6502.py",
+            "--bus", str(listener.getsockname()[1]),
             "--rom", options.rom,
         ]
         if options.ram:
             args.extend([
                 "--ram", options.ram,
             ])
-        self.core = subprocess.Popen(
-            args=args,
-            stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
-            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-        )
+        self.core = subprocess.Popen(args)
+
+        rs, _, _ = select.select([listener], [], [], 2)
+        if not rs:
+            print >>sys.stderr, "CPU module did not start"
+            sys.exit(1)
+        self.cpu, _ = listener.accept()
 
     def run(self):
         update_cycle = 0
         quit = False
         while not quit:
-            op = self.core.stdout.read(8)
+            op = self.cpu.recv(8)
+            if len(op) == 0:
+                break
             cycle, rw, addr, val = struct.unpack("<IBHB", op)
             if rw == 0:
-                self.core.stdin.write(chr(self.softswitches.read_byte(cycle, addr)))
-                self.core.stdin.flush()
+                self.cpu.send(chr(self.softswitches.read_byte(cycle, addr)))
             elif rw == 1:
                 self.display.update(addr, val)
             else:
diff --git a/applepy_curses.py b/applepy_curses.py
index 8b234e6..a232c40 100644
--- a/applepy_curses.py
+++ b/applepy_curses.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 
 import curses
+import socket
 import struct
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -55,20 +56,29 @@ def write(win, addr, val):
 
 def run(win):
     global kbd
-    p = subprocess.Popen(
-        args=[sys.executable, "cpu6502.py"],
-        stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
-        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-    )
+
+    listener = socket.socket()
+    listener.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+    listener.listen(0)
+
+    args = [
+        sys.executable,
+        "cpu6502.py",
+        "--bus", str(listener.getsockname()[1]),
+        "--rom", options.rom,
+    ]
+
+    p = subprocess.Popen(args)
+    cpu, _ = listener.accept()
+
     win.clear()
     curses.noecho()
     win.nodelay(True)
     while True:
-        op = p.stdout.read(8)
+        op = cpu.recv(8)
         cycle, rw, addr, val = struct.unpack("<IBHB", op)
         if rw == 0:
-            p.stdin.write(chr(read(addr, val)))
-            p.stdin.flush()
+            cpu.send(chr(read(addr, val)))
         elif rw == 1:
             write(win, addr, val)
         else:
@@ -85,7 +95,39 @@ def run(win):
             pass
         except TypeError:
             pass
+    
+
+def usage():
+    print >>sys.stderr, "ApplePy - an Apple ][ emulator in Python"
+    print >>sys.stderr, "James Tauber / http://jtauber.com/"
+    print >>sys.stderr
+    print >>sys.stderr, "Usage: applepy_curses.py [options]"
+    print >>sys.stderr
+    print >>sys.stderr, "    -R, --rom      ROM file to use (default A2ROM.BIN)"
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def get_options():
+    class Options:
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.rom = "A2ROM.BIN"
+
+    options = Options()
+    a = 1
+    while a < len(sys.argv):
+        if sys.argv[a].startswith("-"):
+            if sys.argv[a] in ("-R", "--rom"):
+                a += 1
+                options.rom = sys.argv[a]
+            else:
+                usage()
+        else:
+            usage()
+        a += 1
+
+    return options
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    options = get_options()
     curses.wrapper(run)
diff --git a/cpu6502.py b/cpu6502.py
index 86e4cc6..e71736c 100644
--- a/cpu6502.py
+++ b/cpu6502.py
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@
 # originally written 2001, updated 2011
 
 
+import socket
 import struct
 import sys
 
 
+bus = None  # socket for bus I/O
+
+
 def signed(x):
     if x > 0x7F:
         x = x - 0x100
@@ -42,8 +46,8 @@ class RAM(ROM):
 
 class Memory:
     
-    def __init__(self, options=None, use_stdio=True):
-        self.use_stdio = use_stdio
+    def __init__(self, options=None, use_bus=True):
+        self.use_bus = use_bus
         self.rom = ROM(0xD000, 0x3000)
         
         if options:
@@ -82,26 +86,24 @@ class Memory:
             self.bus_write(cycle, address, value)
 
     def bus_read(self, cycle, address):
-        if not self.use_stdio:
+        if not self.use_bus:
             return 0
         op = struct.pack("<IBHB", cycle, 0, address, 0)
         try:
-            sys.stdout.write(op)
-            sys.stdout.flush()
-        except IOError:
+            bus.send(op)
+            b = bus.recv(1)
+            if len(b) == 0:
+                sys.exit(0)
+            return ord(b)
+        except socket.error:
             sys.exit(0)
-        b = sys.stdin.read(1)
-        if len(b) == 0:
-            sys.exit(0)
-        return ord(b)
 
     def bus_write(self, cycle, address, value):
-        if not self.use_stdio:
+        if not self.use_bus:
             return
         op = struct.pack("<IBHB", cycle, 1, address, value)
         try:
-            sys.stdout.write(op)
-            sys.stdout.flush()
+            bus.send(op)
         except IOError:
             sys.exit(0)
 
@@ -509,7 +511,10 @@ class CPU:
     def reset(self):
         self.program_counter = self.read_word(self.RESET_VECTOR)
     
-    def run(self):
+    def run(self, bus_port):
+        global bus
+        bus = socket.socket()
+        bus.connect(("127.0.0.1", bus_port))
         while True:
             self.cycles += 2 # all instructions take this as a minimum
             op = self.read_pc_byte()
@@ -973,6 +978,7 @@ def usage():
     print >>sys.stderr
     print >>sys.stderr, "Usage: cpu6502.py [options]"
     print >>sys.stderr
+    print >>sys.stderr, "    -b, --bus      Bus port number"
     print >>sys.stderr, "    -R, --rom      ROM file to use (default A2ROM.BIN)"
     print >>sys.stderr, "    -r, --ram      RAM file to load (default none)"
     sys.exit(1)
@@ -983,12 +989,16 @@ def get_options():
         def __init__(self):
             self.rom = "A2ROM.BIN"
             self.ram = None
+            self.bus = None
 
     options = Options()
     a = 1
     while a < len(sys.argv):
         if sys.argv[a].startswith("-"):
-            if sys.argv[a] in ("-R", "--rom"):
+            if sys.argv[a] in ("-b", "--bus"):
+                a += 1
+                options.bus = int(sys.argv[a])
+            elif sys.argv[a] in ("-R", "--rom"):
                 a += 1
                 options.rom = sys.argv[a]
             elif sys.argv[a] in ("-r", "--ram"):
@@ -1004,13 +1014,13 @@ def get_options():
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    if sys.stdout.isatty():
+    options = get_options()
+    if options.bus is None:
         print "ApplePy cpu core"
         print "Run applepy.py instead"
         sys.exit(0)
 
-    options = get_options()
     mem = Memory(options)
     
     cpu = CPU(mem)
-    cpu.run()
+    cpu.run(options.bus)
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 3d8dedd..6a5d606 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from cpu6502 import Memory, CPU
 class TestMemory(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
     
     def test_load(self):
         self.memory.load(0x1000, [0x01, 0x02, 0x03])
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class TestMemory(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestLoadStoreOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
         self.memory.load(0x1000, [0x00, 0x01, 0x7F, 0x80, 0xFF])
     
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class TestLoadStoreOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestRegisterTransferOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_TAX(self):
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class TestRegisterTransferOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestStackOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_TSX(self):
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class TestStackOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestLogicalOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_AND(self):
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class TestLogicalOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestArithmeticOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_ADC_without_BCD(self):
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ class TestArithmeticOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestIncrementDecrementOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_INC(self):
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ class TestIncrementDecrementOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestShiftOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_ASL(self):
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ class TestShiftOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestJumpCallOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_JMP(self):
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ class TestJumpCallOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestBranchOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_BCC(self):
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ class TestBranchOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestStatusFlagOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_CLC(self):
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ class TestStatusFlagOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestSystemFunctionOperations(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_BRK(self):
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ class TestSystemFunctionOperations(unittest.TestCase):
 class Test6502Bugs(unittest.TestCase):
     
     def setUp(self):
-        self.memory = Memory(use_stdio=False)
+        self.memory = Memory(use_bus=False)
         self.cpu = CPU(self.memory)
     
     def test_zero_page_x(self):