diff --git a/cmd/counter/main.go b/cmd/counter/main.go
index 3e770a43d..503908b45 100644
--- a/cmd/counter/main.go
+++ b/cmd/counter/main.go
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ import (
 
 func main() {
 
+	addrPtr := flag.String("addr", "tcp://0.0.0.0:46658", "Listen address")
 	serialPtr := flag.Bool("serial", false, "Enforce incrementing (serial) txs")
 	flag.Parse()
 	app := example.NewCounterApplication(*serialPtr)
 
 	// Start the listener
-	_, err := server.StartListener("tcp://0.0.0.0:46658", app)
+	_, err := server.StartListener(*addrPtr, app)
 	if err != nil {
 		Exit(err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/dummy/main.go b/cmd/dummy/main.go
index ce9bf8d0b..d1766e65a 100644
--- a/cmd/dummy/main.go
+++ b/cmd/dummy/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"flag"
+
 	. "github.com/tendermint/go-common"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmsp/example/golang"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmsp/server"
@@ -8,8 +10,11 @@ import (
 
 func main() {
 
+	addrPtr := flag.String("addr", "tcp://0.0.0.0:46658", "Listen address")
+	flag.Parse()
+
 	// Start the listener
-	_, err := server.StartListener("tcp://0.0.0.0:46658", example.NewDummyApplication())
+	_, err := server.StartListener(*addrPtr, example.NewDummyApplication())
 	if err != nil {
 		Exit(err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/simple/simple.go b/tests/benchmarks/simple/simple.go
index b40dbef5e..a8a8d7c4e 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/simple/simple.go
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/simple/simple.go
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ func makeRequest(conn net.Conn, req *types.Request) (*types.Response, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	err = bufWriter.Flush()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	// Read desired response
 	var res = &types.Response{}