diff --git a/request-server.go b/request-server.go
index b0405cb..fc64cac 100644
--- a/request-server.go
+++ b/request-server.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package sftp
 
 import (
+	"encoding"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"sync"
@@ -121,6 +122,8 @@ func (rs *RequestServer) packetWorker() error {
 	for pkt := range rs.pktChan {
 		// handle packet specific pre-processing
 		var handle string
+		var rpkt encoding.BinaryMarshaler
+		var err error
 		switch pkt := pkt.(type) {
 		case *sshFxInitPacket:
 			err := rs.sendPacket(sshFxVersionPacket{sftpProtocolVersion, nil})
@@ -149,12 +152,13 @@ func (rs *RequestServer) packetWorker() error {
 		}
 
 		request, ok := rs.getRequest(handle)
-		if !ok { return rs.sendError(pkt, syscall.EBADF) }
-
+		if !ok { rpkt = statusFromError(pkt, syscall.EBADF) }
 		request.populate(pkt)
-		resp := request.handleRequest(rs.Handlers)
-		if resp.err != nil { rs.sendError(resp.pkt, resp.err) }
-		rs.sendPacket(resp.pkt)
+		rpkt, err = request.handleRequest(rs.Handlers)
+		if err != nil { rpkt = statusFromError(pkt, err) }
+
+		err = rs.sendPacket(rpkt)
+		if err != nil { return err }
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/request.go b/request.go
index 64a7f10..621644f 100644
--- a/request.go
+++ b/request.go
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 )
 
-// response passed back to packet handling code
-type response struct {
-	pkt resp_packet
-	err error
-}
-
 type Request struct {
 	// Get, Put, SetStat, Rename, Rmdir, Mkdir, Symlink, List, Stat, Readlink
 	Method   string
@@ -36,7 +30,7 @@ func newRequest(path string) *Request {
 }
 
 // called from worker to handle packet/request
-func (r *Request) handleRequest(handlers Handlers) response {
+func (r *Request) handleRequest(handlers Handlers) (resp_packet, error) {
 	var err error
 	var rpkt resp_packet
 	switch r.Method {
@@ -49,8 +43,7 @@ func (r *Request) handleRequest(handlers Handlers) response {
 	case "List", "Stat", "Readlink":
 		rpkt, err = fileinfo(handlers.FileInfo, r)
 	}
-	if err != nil { return response{nil, err} }
-	return response{rpkt, nil}
+	return rpkt, err
 }
 
 // wrap FileReader handler
diff --git a/request_test.go b/request_test.go
index d621ba3..0f78dd6 100644
--- a/request_test.go
+++ b/request_test.go
@@ -92,34 +92,34 @@ func TestGetMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	request := testRequest("Get")
 	// req.length is 4, so we test reads in 4 byte chunks
 	for _, txt := range []string{"file-", "data."} {
-		resp := request.handleRequest(handlers)
-		assert.Nil(t, resp.err)
-		pkt := resp.pkt.(*sshFxpDataPacket)
-		assert.Equal(t, pkt.id(), uint32(1))
-		assert.Equal(t, string(pkt.Data), txt)
+		pkt, err := request.handleRequest(handlers)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		dpkt := pkt.(*sshFxpDataPacket)
+		assert.Equal(t, dpkt.id(), uint32(1))
+		assert.Equal(t, string(dpkt.Data), txt)
 	}
 }
 
 func TestPutMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	handlers := newTestHandlers()
 	request := testRequest("Put")
-	resp := request.handleRequest(handlers)
-	assert.Nil(t, resp.err)
+	pkt, err := request.handleRequest(handlers)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, handlers.getOut().String(), "file-data.")
-	statusOk(t, resp.pkt)
+	statusOk(t, pkt)
 }
 
 func TestCmdrMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	handlers := newTestHandlers()
 	request := testRequest("Mkdir")
-	resp := request.handleRequest(handlers)
-	assert.Nil(t, resp.err)
-	statusOk(t, resp.pkt)
+	pkt, err := request.handleRequest(handlers)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	statusOk(t, pkt)
 
 	handlers.returnError()
-	resp = request.handleRequest(handlers)
-	assert.Nil(t, resp.pkt)
-	assert.Equal(t, resp.err, testError)
+	pkt, err = request.handleRequest(handlers)
+	assert.Nil(t, pkt)
+	assert.Equal(t, err, testError)
 }
 
 func TestInfoListMethod(t *testing.T)     { testInfoMethod(t, "List") }
@@ -127,19 +127,19 @@ func TestInfoReadlinkMethod(t *testing.T) { testInfoMethod(t, "Readlink") }
 func TestInfoStatMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	handlers := newTestHandlers()
 	request := testRequest("Stat")
-	resp := request.handleRequest(handlers)
-	assert.Nil(t, resp.err)
-	pkt := resp.pkt.(*sshFxpStatResponse)
-	assert.Equal(t, pkt.info.Name(), "request_test.go")
+	pkt, err := request.handleRequest(handlers)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	spkt := pkt.(*sshFxpStatResponse)
+	assert.Equal(t, spkt.info.Name(), "request_test.go")
 }
 
 func testInfoMethod(t *testing.T, method string) {
 	handlers := newTestHandlers()
 	request := testRequest(method)
-	resp := request.handleRequest(handlers)
-	assert.Nil(t, resp.err)
-	pkt, ok := resp.pkt.(*sshFxpNamePacket)
+	pkt, err := request.handleRequest(handlers)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	npkt, ok := pkt.(*sshFxpNamePacket)
 	assert.True(t, ok)
-	assert.IsType(t, sshFxpNameAttr{}, pkt.NameAttrs[0])
-	assert.Equal(t, pkt.NameAttrs[0].Name, "request_test.go")
+	assert.IsType(t, sshFxpNameAttr{}, npkt.NameAttrs[0])
+	assert.Equal(t, npkt.NameAttrs[0].Name, "request_test.go")
 }