diff --git a/lib/c/labcomm_decoder.c b/lib/c/labcomm_decoder.c
index 38fb6bf7ed90a22763caacb63e832c709e9f6763..6221d651d519bcc5b48ba472a25cd188fc0bd133 100644
--- a/lib/c/labcomm_decoder.c
+++ b/lib/c/labcomm_decoder.c
@@ -299,6 +299,54 @@ out:
   return result;
 }
 
+static labcomm_decoder_function lookup_h(struct labcomm_decoder *d,
+		                         struct call_handler_context *wrap,
+		                         int remote_index,
+					 int **local_index)
+{
+  labcomm_decoder_function do_decode = NULL;
+  labcomm_scheduler_data_lock(d->scheduler);
+  *local_index = LABCOMM_SIGNATURE_ARRAY_REF(d->memory,
+      				      d->remote_to_local, int,
+      				      remote_index);
+  if (**local_index != 0) {
+    struct sample_entry *entry;
+
+    entry = LABCOMM_SIGNATURE_ARRAY_REF(d->memory,
+      				  d->local, struct sample_entry,
+      				  **local_index);
+    wrap->local_index = **local_index;
+    wrap->signature = entry->signature;
+    wrap->handler = entry->handler;
+    wrap->context = entry->context;
+    do_decode = entry->decode;
+  }
+  labcomm_scheduler_data_unlock(d->scheduler);
+  return do_decode;
+}
+static int decode_and_handle(struct labcomm_decoder *d, int remote_index)
+{
+  int result;
+  int *local_index;
+  struct call_handler_context wrap = {
+    .reader = d->reader,
+    .remote_index = remote_index,
+    .signature = NULL,
+    .handler = NULL,
+    .context = NULL,
+  };
+  labcomm_decoder_function do_decode = lookup_h(d, &wrap, remote_index, &local_index);
+  result = *local_index;
+  if (do_decode) {
+    do_decode(d->reader, call_handler, &wrap);
+    if (d->reader->error < 0) {
+      result = d->reader->error;
+    }
+  } else {
+    result = -ENOENT;
+  }
+  return result;
+}
 int labcomm_decoder_decode_one(struct labcomm_decoder *d)
 {
   int result, remote_index, length;
@@ -328,42 +376,7 @@ int labcomm_decoder_decode_one(struct labcomm_decoder *d)
     //result = remote_index;
     result = decoder_skip(d, length, remote_index);
   } else {
-    int *local_index;
-    struct call_handler_context wrap = {
-      .reader = d->reader,
-      .remote_index = remote_index,
-      .signature = NULL,
-      .handler = NULL,
-      .context = NULL,
-    };
-    labcomm_decoder_function do_decode = NULL;
-
-    labcomm_scheduler_data_lock(d->scheduler);
-    local_index = LABCOMM_SIGNATURE_ARRAY_REF(d->memory,
-					      d->remote_to_local, int,
-					      remote_index);
-    if (*local_index != 0) {
-      struct sample_entry *entry;
-
-      entry = LABCOMM_SIGNATURE_ARRAY_REF(d->memory,
-					  d->local, struct sample_entry,
-					  *local_index);
-      wrap.local_index = *local_index;
-      wrap.signature = entry->signature;
-      wrap.handler = entry->handler;
-      wrap.context = entry->context;
-      do_decode = entry->decode;
-      result = *local_index;
-    }
-    labcomm_scheduler_data_unlock(d->scheduler);
-    if (do_decode) {
-      do_decode(d->reader, call_handler, &wrap);
-      if (d->reader->error < 0) {
-	result = d->reader->error;
-      }
-    } else {
-      result = -ENOENT;
-    }
+    result = decode_and_handle(d, remote_index);
   }
 out:   
   return result;