diff --git a/bffhd/actors/mod.rs b/bffhd/actors/mod.rs
index e56c0e9..a1ca01d 100644
--- a/bffhd/actors/mod.rs
+++ b/bffhd/actors/mod.rs
@@ -31,11 +31,18 @@ mod process;
 mod shelly;
 
 pub trait Actor {
+    /// The state is being restored after a restart or recreation of the actor
+    fn restore(&mut self, state: ArchivedValue<State>) -> BoxFuture<'static, ()> {
+        self.apply(state)
+    }
+
+    /// The state is a changed state that is applied
     fn apply(&mut self, state: ArchivedValue<State>) -> BoxFuture<'static, ()>;
 }
 
 pub struct ActorDriver<S: 'static> {
     signal: S,
+    first: bool,
 
     actor: Box<dyn Actor + Send + Sync>,
     future: Option<BoxFuture<'static, ()>>,
@@ -45,6 +52,7 @@ impl<S: Signal<Item = ArchivedValue<State>>> ActorDriver<S> {
     pub fn new(signal: S, actor: Box<dyn Actor + Send + Sync>) -> Self {
         Self {
             signal,
+            first: true,
             actor,
             future: None,
         }
diff --git a/bffhd/actors/process.rs b/bffhd/actors/process.rs
index ee5a26b..bf57a79 100644
--- a/bffhd/actors/process.rs
+++ b/bffhd/actors/process.rs
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn into_boxed_actuator(self) -> Box<dyn Actor + Sync + Send> {
         Box::new(self)
     }
-}
 
-impl Actor for Process {
-    fn apply(&mut self, state: ArchivedValue<State>) -> BoxFuture<'static, ()> {
+    fn build_command<I, S>(&mut self, state: &ArchivedValue<State>, extra_args: I) -> Command
+        where
+            I: IntoIterator<Item = S>,
+            S: AsRef<std::ffi::OsStr>,
+    {
         tracing::debug!(name=%self.name, cmd=%self.cmd, ?state,
             "Process actor updating state");
         let mut command = Command::new(&self.cmd);
@@ -66,6 +68,42 @@ impl Actor for Process {
             command.arg("raw").arg(b64);
         }
 
+        command
+    }
+}
+
+impl Actor for Process {
+    fn restore(&mut self, state: ArchivedValue<State>) -> BoxFuture<'static, ()> {
+        let mut command = self.build_command(&state, ["--restore"]);
+        let name = self.name.clone();
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            match command.output() {
+                Ok(retv) if retv.status.success() => {
+                    tracing::trace!("Actor was restored");
+                    let outstr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&retv.stdout);
+                    for line in outstr.lines() {
+                        tracing::debug!(%name, %line, "actor stdout");
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(retv) => {
+                    tracing::warn!(%name, ?state, code=?retv.status,
+                        "Actor failed to restore: nonzero exitcode"
+                    );
+                    if !retv.stderr.is_empty() {
+                        let errstr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&retv.stderr);
+                        for line in errstr.lines() {
+                            tracing::warn!(%name, %line, "actor stderr");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(error) => tracing::warn!(%name, ?error, "process actor failed to run cmd"),
+            }
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn apply(&mut self, state: ArchivedValue<State>) -> BoxFuture<'static, ()> {
+        let empty: [&str; 0] = [];
+        let mut command = self.build_command(&state, empty);
         let name = self.name.clone();
         Box::pin(async move {
             match command.output() {
diff --git a/bffhd/capnp/machine.rs b/bffhd/capnp/machine.rs
index 8f60dee..3038a71 100644
--- a/bffhd/capnp/machine.rs
+++ b/bffhd/capnp/machine.rs
@@ -179,10 +179,8 @@ impl InUseServer for Machine {
         let data: Vec<u8> = pry!(pry!(params.get()).get_data()).to_vec();
         let resource = self.resource.clone();
         let session = self.session.clone();
-        Promise::from_future(async move {
-            resource.send_raw(data).await;
-            Ok(())
-        })
+        resource.send_raw(data);
+        Promise::ok(())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/bffhd/resources/mod.rs b/bffhd/resources/mod.rs
index 3621e1f..18f4d7a 100644
--- a/bffhd/resources/mod.rs
+++ b/bffhd/resources/mod.rs
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ impl Resource {
         self.set_state(new);
     }
 
-    pub async fn send_raw(&self, data: Vec<u8>) {
+    pub fn send_raw(&self, data: Vec<u8>) {
         let mut serializer = AllocSerializer::<1024>::default();
         let old_state_ref = self.inner.get_state_ref();
         let old_state: &ArchivedState = old_state_ref.as_ref();
diff --git a/examples/bffh.dhall b/examples/bffh.dhall
index d8cab77..7d1afb2 100644
--- a/examples/bffh.dhall
+++ b/examples/bffh.dhall
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
     -- actor can only be connected to one machine.
     actor_connections = [
         { machine = "Testmachine", actor = "Shelly1234" },
-        { machine = "Another", actor = "Bash" },
+        { machine = "Another", actor = "DoorControl1" },
         { machine = "Yetmore", actor = "Bash2" },
         { machine = "Yetmore", actor = "FailBash"}
     ],