diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 21c81ae..b358312 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ rvdb_SOURCES = \
     cli.c cli.h data.c data.h \
     debug.c debug.h file_io.c file_io.h \
     main.c serial.c serial.h types.h \
-    util.c util.h
+    util.c util.h pollLib.c pollLib.h
diff --git a/src/cli.c b/src/cli.c
index 1fc7bea..4f54bc2 100644
--- a/src/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli.c
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "types.h"
 #include "util.h"
+#include "pollLib.h"
+#include "serial.h"
 #include <pwd.h>
-#include <readline/history.h>
-#include <readline/readline.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 // DESCRIPTION: takes the command as a string, and applies it to the serial port
 // RETURNS: 0 for success, non-zero for error
@@ -305,10 +306,33 @@ int parse_cmd(char *line, target_t *tg) {
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
 }
 
+void receive_otter_input(int serial_port) {
+    char buffer[MAX_RECEIVE_LEN];
+
+    if (read_string(serial_port, buffer) != 0) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    printf("OTTER: %s\n", buffer);
+}
+
+void readFromStdin(char *buffer) {
+    int len;
+
+    if (fgets(buffer, MAX_INPUT_LEN, stdin) == NULL) {
+        perror("fgets");
+        exit(-1);
+    }
+
+    // remove \n
+    len = strlen(buffer);
+    buffer[len-1] = '\0';
+}
+
 // DESCRIPTION: launches a debugger command line interface (a la GDB)
 //   on the device at the designated serial port
 void debug_cli(char *path, int serial_port) {
-    char *line;
+    char line[MAX_INPUT_LEN];
     int err = 0;
 
     // create and populate a hash table of variables
@@ -346,9 +370,14 @@ void debug_cli(char *path, int serial_port) {
     tg.bp_cap = MAX_BREAK_PTS;
     tg.pipe = 0;
 
-    printf("\n" CYAN "UART Debugger\n" RESET);
+    printf("\n" CYAN "UART Debugger/Receiver\n" RESET);
     printf("Enter 'h' for usage details.\n");
 
+    // create a pollset to poll stdin and the serial port
+    setupPollSet();
+    addToPollSet(STDIN_FILENO);
+    addToPollSet(serial_port);
+
     // run until EOD is read
     while (1) {
         // prompt
@@ -357,39 +386,45 @@ void debug_cli(char *path, int serial_port) {
             printf(" (paused)\n");
         else
             printf("\n");
-        line = (err) ? readline(RED "$ " RESET) : readline(GREEN "$ " RESET);
 
-        if (line[0] == '!') {
-            err = 0;
-            system(line + 1);
-        }
+        if (err)
+            printf(RED "$ " RESET);
+        else
+            printf(GREEN "$ " RESET);
+        fflush(stdout); // flush stdout to display the prompt
+        memset(line, 0, MAX_INPUT_LEN);
 
-        // help message
-        else if (match_strs(line, "h")) {
-            HELP_MSG;
-            err = 0;
-        }
+        if (pollCall(-1) == STDIN_FILENO) {
+            // User has entered input
+            readFromStdin(line);
+
+            if (line[0] == '!') {
+                err = 0;
+                system(line + 1);
+            }
 
-        // quit/exit
-        else if (match_strs(line, "q")) {
-            free(line);
-            ht_destroy(vars_ht, keys, vc);
-            return;
-        } else if (match_strs(line, "exit")) {
-            free(line);
-            ht_destroy(vars_ht, keys, vc);
-            return;
-        } else if (!line) {
-            free(line);
-            ht_destroy(vars_ht, keys, vc);
-            return;
-        } else if (*line) {
-            add_history(line);
-            err = parse_cmd(line, &tg);
+            // help message
+            else if (match_strs(line, "h")) {
+                HELP_MSG;
+                err = 0;
+            }
+
+            // quit/exit
+            else if (match_strs(line, "q")) {
+                ht_destroy(vars_ht, keys, vc);
+                return;
+            } else if (match_strs(line, "exit")) {
+                ht_destroy(vars_ht, keys, vc);
+                return;
+            } else {
+                err = parse_cmd(line, &tg);
+            }
+
+        } else {
+            // Otter is talking
+            receive_otter_input(serial_port);
         }
 
-        // don't forget to free!
-        free(line);
-        line = (char *)NULL;
+        
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/cli.h b/src/cli.h
index 2949581..27289bf 100644
--- a/src/cli.h
+++ b/src/cli.h
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@
 #define MAX_BREAK_PTS 8
 #define MAX_VAR_COUNT 256
 
+#define MAX_RECEIVE_LEN 1024
+
+#define MAX_INPUT_LEN 1024
+
 #define REL_CONFIG_PATH "/.config/rvdb/config"
 
 #define CTEST_TOKEN "t"
diff --git a/src/pollLib.c b/src/pollLib.c
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d6fca00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pollLib.c
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+//
+// Written Hugh Smith, Updated: April 2020
+// Use at your own risk.  Feel free to copy, just leave my name in it.
+//
+
+#include <poll.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "pollLib.h"
+
+
+// Poll global variables 
+static struct pollfd * pollFileDescriptors;
+static int maxFileDescriptor = 0;
+static int currentPollSetSize = 0;
+
+static void growPollSet(int newSetSize);
+
+// Poll functions (setup, add, remove, call)
+void setupPollSet()
+{
+	currentPollSetSize = POLL_SET_SIZE;
+	pollFileDescriptors = (struct pollfd *) calloc(POLL_SET_SIZE, sizeof(struct pollfd));
+}
+
+
+void addToPollSet(int socketNumber)
+{
+	
+	if (socketNumber >= currentPollSetSize)
+	{
+		// needs to increase off of the biggest socket number since
+		// the file desc. may grow with files open or sockets
+		// so socketNumber could be much bigger than currentPollSetSize
+		growPollSet(socketNumber + POLL_SET_SIZE);		
+	}
+	
+	if (socketNumber + 1 >= maxFileDescriptor)
+	{
+		maxFileDescriptor = socketNumber + 1;
+	}
+
+	pollFileDescriptors[socketNumber].fd = socketNumber;
+	pollFileDescriptors[socketNumber].events = POLLIN;
+}
+
+void removeFromPollSet(int socketNumber)
+{
+	pollFileDescriptors[socketNumber].fd = 0;
+	pollFileDescriptors[socketNumber].events = 0;
+}
+
+int pollCall(int timeInMilliSeconds)
+{
+	// returns the socket number if one is ready for read
+	// returns -1 if timeout occurred
+	// if timeInMilliSeconds == -1 blocks forever (until a socket ready)
+	// (this -1 is a feature of poll)
+	
+	int i = 0;
+	int returnValue = -1;
+	int pollValue = 0;
+	
+	if ((pollValue = poll(pollFileDescriptors, maxFileDescriptor, timeInMilliSeconds)) < 0)
+	{
+		perror("pollCall");
+		exit(-1);
+	}	
+			
+	// check to see if timeout occurred (poll returned 0)
+	if (pollValue > 0)
+	{
+		// see which socket is ready
+		for (i = 0; i < maxFileDescriptor; i++)
+		{
+			//if(pollFileDescriptors[i].revents & (POLLIN|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL)) 
+			//Could just check for some revents, but want to catch any of them
+			//Otherwise, this could mask an error (eat the error condition)
+			if(pollFileDescriptors[i].revents > 0) 
+			{
+				//printf("for socket %d poll revents: %d\n", i, pollFileDescriptors[i].revents);
+				returnValue = i;
+				break;
+			} 
+		}
+
+	}
+	
+	// Ready socket # or -1 if timeout/none
+	return returnValue;
+}
+static void growPollSet(int newSetSize)
+{
+	int i = 0;
+	
+	// just check to see if someone screwed up
+	if (newSetSize <= currentPollSetSize)
+	{
+		printf("Error - current poll set size: %d newSetSize is not greater: %d\n",
+			currentPollSetSize, newSetSize);
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+	
+	printf("Increasing poll set from: %d to %d\n", currentPollSetSize, newSetSize);
+	pollFileDescriptors = realloc(pollFileDescriptors, newSetSize * sizeof(struct pollfd));	
+	
+	// zero out the new poll set elements
+	for (i = currentPollSetSize; i < newSetSize; i++)
+	{
+		pollFileDescriptors[i].fd = 0;
+		pollFileDescriptors[i].events = 0;
+	}
+	
+	currentPollSetSize = newSetSize;
+}
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/pollLib.h b/src/pollLib.h
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b35edff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pollLib.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// 
+// Writen by Hugh Smith, April 2020
+//
+// Provides an interface to the poll() library.  Allows for
+// adding a file descriptor to the set, removing one and calling poll.
+// Feel free to copy, just leave my name in it, use at your own risk.
+//
+
+
+#ifndef __POLLLIB_H__
+#define __POLLLIB_H__
+
+#define POLL_SET_SIZE 10
+#define POLL_WAIT_FOREVER -1
+
+void setupPollSet();
+void addToPollSet(int socketNumber);
+void removeFromPollSet(int socketNumber);
+int pollCall(int timeInMilliSeconds);
+
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/serial.c b/src/serial.c
index cf61834..6b6e036 100644
--- a/src/serial.c
+++ b/src/serial.c
@@ -107,6 +107,23 @@ int send_word(int serial_port, word_t w) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+// read a byte from thhe device and return 0 if successful
+int recv_byte(int serial_port, byte_t *byte) {
+    ssize_t br;
+
+    br = read(serial_port, byte, 1);
+
+    if (br == -1) {
+        perror("read(serial_port)");
+        exit(-1);
+    }
+    if (br == 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error: read 0 bytes from serial_port\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 // read a word from the device and return 0 if successful
 int recv_word(int serial_port, word_t *word) {
     word_t w;
@@ -162,3 +179,21 @@ int read_word(int serial_port, word_t *word) {
     }
     return 1;
 }
+
+// reads bytes from the serial port until it reaches a null terminator
+// this depends on the otter programmer sending a 0 to not get stuck, could be improved to timeout
+// returns 0 on success
+int read_string(int serial_port, char *data) {
+    int i;
+    byte_t byte;
+    i = 0;
+
+    do {
+        if (recv_byte(serial_port, &byte) != 0) {
+            return 1;
+        }
+        data[i++] = (char)byte;
+    } while(byte != '\0');
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/serial.h b/src/serial.h
index 9a1105d..a67c40e 100644
--- a/src/serial.h
+++ b/src/serial.h
@@ -21,5 +21,6 @@ typedef struct termios term_sa;
 int open_serial(char *path, int *serial_port);
 int send_word(int serial_port, word_t w);
 int read_word(int serial_port, word_t *w);
+int read_string(int serial_port, char *data);
 
 #endif