diff --git a/usr/shelly/shelly.c b/usr/shelly/shelly.c
index 9922ce4..e97872f 100644
--- a/usr/shelly/shelly.c
+++ b/usr/shelly/shelly.c
@@ -16,9 +16,16 @@
 
 __attribute__((__used__))
 static void shelly_interrupt_handler(void * arg) {
-    // struct shelly_st * shelly_s = (struct shelly_st *) arg;
-    SHELLY_DEBUG("[shelly_interrupt_handler]\n");
-    return;
+    errval_t err;
+    struct shelly_st * shelly_s = (struct shelly_st *) arg;
+    // SHELLY_DEBUG("[shelly_interrupt_handler]\n");
+
+    char input_char;
+    err = lpuart_getchar(shelly_s->uart_s, &input_char);
+    if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "while trying to get character");
+
+    err = lpuart_putchar(shelly_s->uart_s, input_char);
+    if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "while trying to put character");
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -26,7 +33,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     errval_t err;
     debug_printf("welcome to shelly!\n");
 
-    struct shelly_st shelly_s;
+    struct shelly_st * shelly_s = calloc(sizeof(struct shelly_st), 1);
+    assert(shelly_s);
 
     //afeer: map lpuart registers
     struct capref cap_arg0 = {
@@ -34,7 +42,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         .slot  = 0
     };
     err = paging_map_frame_attr(get_current_paging_state(),
-                                (void **) &shelly_s.lpuart_base, IMX8X_UART_SIZE,
+                                (void **) &shelly_s->lpuart_base, IMX8X_UART_SIZE,
                                 cap_arg0, VREGION_FLAGS_READ_WRITE_NOCACHE);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "while mapping lpuart registers");
 
@@ -46,22 +54,20 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         .slot  = 1
     };
     err = paging_map_frame_attr(get_current_paging_state(),
-                                (void**) &shelly_s.gic_base, IMX8X_GIC_DIST_SIZE,
+                                (void**) &shelly_s->gic_base, IMX8X_GIC_DIST_SIZE,
                                 cap_arg1, VREGION_FLAGS_READ_WRITE_NOCACHE);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "while mapping gic registers");
 
     SHELLY_DEBUG("mapped gic\n");
 
     //afeer: init gic driver
-    struct gic_dist_s * gic_s;
-    err = gic_dist_init(&gic_s, shelly_s.gic_base);
+    err = gic_dist_init(&shelly_s->gic_s, shelly_s->gic_base);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "couln't init gic_dist interrupts");
 
     SHELLY_DEBUG("initialized gic driver\n");
 
     //afeer: init lpuart driver
-    struct lpuart_s * uart_s;
-    err = lpuart_init(&uart_s, shelly_s.lpuart_base);
+    err = lpuart_init(&shelly_s->uart_s, shelly_s->lpuart_base);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) {
         USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "couldn't init lpuart");
     }
@@ -78,17 +84,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     debug_printf(buf);
 
     struct waitset * ws = get_default_waitset();
-    err = inthandler_setup(inter_cap, ws, MKCLOSURE(shelly_interrupt_handler, (void *) &shelly_s));
+    err = inthandler_setup(inter_cap, ws, MKCLOSURE(shelly_interrupt_handler, (void *) shelly_s));
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "couln't setup interrupt handler");
 
     SHELLY_DEBUG("setup interrupt handler\n");
 
-    err = gic_dist_enable_interrupt(gic_s, IMX8X_UART3_INT, 0b11111111, 0);
+    err = gic_dist_enable_interrupt(shelly_s->gic_s, IMX8X_UART3_INT, 0b11111111, 0);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "couln't enable gic interrupts");
 
     SHELLY_DEBUG("enabled gic interrupt\n");
 
-    err = lpuart_enable_interrupt(uart_s);
+    err = lpuart_enable_interrupt(shelly_s->uart_s);
     if (err_is_fail(err)) USER_PANIC_ERR(err, "couln't enable lpuart interrupts");
 
     SHELLY_DEBUG("enabled lpuart interrupt\n");
diff --git a/usr/shelly/shelly.h b/usr/shelly/shelly.h
index 8ea68fc..33497fa 100644
--- a/usr/shelly/shelly.h
+++ b/usr/shelly/shelly.h
@@ -18,9 +18,15 @@
 #define SHELLY_DEBUG(x, ...) ((void)0)
 #endif
 
+#include <drivers/lpuart.h>
+#include <drivers/gic_dist.h>
+
 struct shelly_st {
 	void * lpuart_base; // < virtual address of the lpuart device registers
 	void * gic_base; // < virtual address of the gic device registers
+
+	struct lpuart_s * uart_s; // < state of the uart driver
+	struct gic_dist_s * gic_s; // < state of the gic driver
 };
 
 #endif // ndef SHELLY_H_