diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d7e839e..7b3cc71 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -131,3 +131,5 @@ dmypy.json
 .idea/
 
 tags
+*.jwt
+*.json
diff --git a/sample/flask-of-ziti/helloFlazk.py b/sample/flask-of-ziti/helloFlazk.py
index e6d3aea..3b82d27 100644
--- a/sample/flask-of-ziti/helloFlazk.py
+++ b/sample/flask-of-ziti/helloFlazk.py
@@ -19,20 +19,18 @@
 app = Flask(__name__)
 bind_opts = {}  # populated in main
 
-
-@openziti.zitify(bindings={
-    ':18080': bind_opts,
-})
+@openziti.zitify(bindings={':18080': bind_opts,})
 def runApp():
     from waitress import serve
+    print("starting server on OpenZiti overlay")
+    #the port is only used to integrate OpenZiti with frameworks that expect a "hostname:port" combo
     serve(app,port=18080)
 
-
 @app.route('/')
 def hello_world():  # put application's code here
+    print("received a request to /")
     return 'Have some Ziti!'
 
-
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     bind_opts['ztx'] = sys.argv[1]
     bind_opts['service'] = sys.argv[2]
diff --git a/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-client.py b/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-client.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2df6771
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#  Copyright NetFoundry Inc.
+#
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#  https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+
+import sys
+import openziti
+import socket
+
+def netcat_client(ziti_id, service, port):
+    try:
+        zitiContext = openziti.load(ziti_id)
+        client = openziti.socket(type = socket.SOCK_STREAM) #socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+
+        client.connect((service, port))
+        print(f"Connected to {service}:{port}")
+
+        while True:
+            user_input = input("Enter a message: ")
+            client.send(user_input.encode("utf-8") + b'\n')
+
+            data = client.recv(1024)
+            if len(data) == 0:
+                break
+
+            print("Server response:", data.decode("utf-8"))
+
+    except ConnectionRefusedError:
+        print(f"Connection to {service}:{port} refused.")
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        print("\nConnection closed.")
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error: {e}")
+    finally:
+        client.close()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    netcat_client(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2], int(sys.argv[3]))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-server.py b/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-server.py
index 137032f..a3b1b71 100644
--- a/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-server.py
+++ b/sample/ziti-echo-server/ziti-echo-server.py
@@ -13,8 +13,13 @@
 #  limitations under the License.
 
 import sys
+import signal
+import threading
 import openziti
 
+def signal_handler(signum, frame):
+    print("\nCtrl-C detected. Exiting...")
+    sys.exit(0)
 
 def run(ziti_id, service):
     ztx = openziti.load(ziti_id)
@@ -22,18 +27,27 @@ def run(ziti_id, service):
     server.listen()
 
     while True:
+        print('beginning accept')
         conn, peer = server.accept()
         print(f'processing incoming client[{peer}]')
         with conn:
             count = 0
             while True:
+                print('starting receive')
                 data = conn.recv(1024)
                 if not data:
                     print(f'client finished after sending {count} bytes')
                     break
                 count += len(data)
                 conn.sendall(data)
+                print(f'received data from client. returning {len(data)} bytes of data now...')
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    run(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])
\ No newline at end of file
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, signal_handler)
+    # Create a separate thread to run the server so we can respond to ctrl-c when in 'accept'
+    server_thread = threading.Thread(target=run, args=(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2]))
+    server_thread.start()
+
+    # Wait for the server thread to complete or Ctrl-C to be detected
+    server_thread.join()
\ No newline at end of file