diff --git a/src/comm.zig b/src/comm.zig
index 987dfed..c8b8bbb 100644
--- a/src/comm.zig
+++ b/src/comm.zig
@@ -1,14 +1,48 @@
 //! daemon/gui communication.
 //! the protocol is a simple TLV construct: MessageTag(u16), length(u64), json-marshalled Message;
 //! little endian.
+
 const std = @import("std");
 const json = std.json;
 const mem = std.mem;
 
-const ByteArrayList = @import("types.zig").ByteArrayList;
+const types = @import("types.zig");
 
 const logger = std.log.scoped(.comm);
 
+var plumb: struct {
+    a: std.mem.Allocator,
+    r: std.fs.File.Reader,
+    w: std.fs.File.Writer,
+
+    fn pipeRead(self: @This()) !ParsedMessage {
+        return read(self.a, self.r);
+    }
+
+    fn pipeWrite(self: @This(), m: Message) !void {
+        return write(self.a, self.w, m);
+    }
+} = undefined;
+
+/// initializes a global comm pipe, making `pipeRead` and `pipeWrite` ready to use from any module.
+/// a message sent with `pipeWrite` can be subsequently read with `pipeRead`.
+pub fn initPipe(a: std.mem.Allocator, p: types.IoPipe) void {
+    plumb = .{ .a = a, .r = p.r.reader(), .w = p.w.writer() };
+}
+
+/// similar to `read` but uses a global pipe initialized with `initPipe`.
+/// blocking call.
+pub fn pipeRead() !ParsedMessage {
+    return plumb.pipeRead();
+}
+
+/// similar to `write` but uses a global pipe initialized with `initPipe`.
+/// blocking but normally buffered.
+/// callers must deallocate resources with ParsedMessage.deinit when done.
+pub fn pipeWrite(m: Message) !void {
+    return plumb.pipeWrite(m);
+}
+
 /// common errors returned by read/write functions.
 pub const Error = error{
     CommReadInvalidTag,
@@ -210,7 +244,7 @@ pub fn read(allocator: mem.Allocator, reader: anytype) !ParsedMessage {
 /// outputs the message msg using writer.
 /// all allocated resources are freed upon return.
 pub fn write(allocator: mem.Allocator, writer: anytype, msg: Message) !void {
-    var data = ByteArrayList.init(allocator);
+    var data = types.ByteArrayList.init(allocator);
     defer data.deinit();
     switch (msg) {
         .ping, .pong, .poweroff, .standby, .wakeup => {}, // zero length payload
diff --git a/src/nd.zig b/src/nd.zig
index ab7f467..befdf26 100644
--- a/src/nd.zig
+++ b/src/nd.zig
@@ -171,8 +171,10 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     // note: read(2) indicates file destriptor i/o is atomic linux since 3.14.
     const uireader = ngui.stdout.?.reader();
     const uiwriter = ngui.stdin.?.writer();
+    comm.initPipe(gpa, .{ .r = ngui.stdout.?, .w = ngui.stdin.? });
+
     // send UI a ping right away to make sure pipes are working, crash otherwise.
-    comm.write(gpa, uiwriter, .ping) catch |err| {
+    comm.pipeWrite(.ping) catch |err| {
         logger.err("comm.write ping: {any}", .{err});
         return err;
     };
diff --git a/src/ngui.zig b/src/ngui.zig
index 01682e2..bfce8a5 100644
--- a/src/ngui.zig
+++ b/src/ngui.zig
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ const symbol = @import("ui/symbol.zig");
 const logger = std.log.scoped(.ngui);
 
 // these are auto-closed as soon as main fn terminates.
-const stdin = std.io.getStdIn().reader();
-const stdout = std.io.getStdOut().writer();
 const stderr = std.io.getStdErr().writer();
 
 extern "c" fn ui_update_network_status(text: [*:0]const u8, wifi_list: ?[*:0]const u8) void;
@@ -130,7 +128,7 @@ export fn nm_check_idle_time(_: *lvgl.LvTimer) void {
 /// once all's done, the daemon will send a SIGTERM back to ngui.
 export fn nm_sys_shutdown() void {
     const msg = comm.Message.poweroff;
-    comm.write(gpa, stdout, msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_sys_shutdown: {any}", .{err});
+    comm.pipeWrite(msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_sys_shutdown: {any}", .{err});
     state = .alert; // prevent screen sleep
     wakeup.set(); // wake up from standby, if any
 }
@@ -138,13 +136,13 @@ export fn nm_sys_shutdown() void {
 export fn nm_tab_settings_active() void {
     logger.info("starting wifi scan", .{});
     const msg = comm.Message{ .get_network_report = .{ .scan = true } };
-    comm.write(gpa, stdout, msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_tab_settings_active: {any}", .{err});
+    comm.pipeWrite(msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_tab_settings_active: {any}", .{err});
 }
 
 export fn nm_request_network_status(t: *lvgl.LvTimer) void {
     t.destroy();
     const msg: comm.Message = .{ .get_network_report = .{ .scan = false } };
-    comm.write(gpa, stdout, msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_request_network_status: {any}", .{err});
+    comm.pipeWrite(msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_request_network_status: {any}", .{err});
 }
 
 /// ssid and password args must not outlive this function.
@@ -154,9 +152,7 @@ export fn nm_wifi_start_connect(ssid: [*:0]const u8, password: [*:0]const u8) vo
         .password = std.mem.span(password),
     } };
     logger.info("connect to wifi [{s}]", .{msg.wifi_connect.ssid});
-    comm.write(gpa, stdout, msg) catch |err| {
-        logger.err("comm.write: {any}", .{err});
-    };
+    comm.pipeWrite(msg) catch |err| logger.err("nm_wifi_start_connect: {any}", .{err});
 }
 
 /// callers must hold ui mutex for the whole duration.
@@ -225,12 +221,12 @@ fn commThreadLoop() void {
 /// the UI accordingly.
 /// holds ui mutex for most of the duration.
 fn commThreadLoopCycle() !void {
-    const msg = try comm.read(gpa, stdin); // blocking
+    const msg = try comm.pipeRead(); // blocking
     ui_mutex.lock(); // guards the state and all UI calls below
     defer ui_mutex.unlock();
     switch (state) {
         .standby => switch (msg.value) {
-            .ping => try comm.write(gpa, stdout, comm.Message.pong),
+            .ping => try comm.pipeWrite(comm.Message.pong),
             .network_report,
             .bitcoind_report,
             .lightning_report,
@@ -238,7 +234,7 @@ fn commThreadLoopCycle() !void {
             else => logger.debug("ignoring {s}: in standby", .{@tagName(msg.value)}),
         },
         .active, .alert => switch (msg.value) {
-            .ping => try comm.write(gpa, stdout, comm.Message.pong),
+            .ping => try comm.pipeWrite(comm.Message.pong),
             .poweroff_progress => |rep| {
                 ui.poweroff.updateStatus(rep) catch |err| logger.err("poweroff.updateStatus: {any}", .{err});
                 msg.deinit();
@@ -275,9 +271,7 @@ fn uiThreadLoop() void {
             .standby => {
                 // go into a screen sleep mode due to no user activity
                 wakeup.reset();
-                comm.write(gpa, stdout, comm.Message.standby) catch |err| {
-                    logger.err("comm.write standby: {any}", .{err});
-                };
+                comm.pipeWrite(comm.Message.standby) catch |err| logger.err("standby: {any}", .{err});
                 screen.sleep(&ui_mutex, &wakeup); // blocking
 
                 // wake up due to touch screen activity or wakeup event is set
@@ -286,9 +280,7 @@ fn uiThreadLoop() void {
                 defer ui_mutex.unlock();
                 if (state == .standby) {
                     state = .active;
-                    comm.write(gpa, stdout, comm.Message.wakeup) catch |err| {
-                        logger.err("comm.write wakeup: {any}", .{err});
-                    };
+                    comm.pipeWrite(comm.Message.wakeup) catch |err| logger.err("wakeup: {any}", .{err});
                     lvgl.resetIdle();
 
                     last_report.mu.lock();
@@ -369,6 +361,9 @@ pub fn main() anyerror!void {
     // the UI is unusable otherwise.
     tick_timer = try time.Timer.start();
 
+    // initialize global nd/ngui pipe plumbing.
+    comm.initPipe(gpa, .{ .r = std.io.getStdIn(), .w = std.io.getStdOut() });
+
     // initalizes display, input driver and finally creates the user interface.
     ui.init() catch |err| {
         logger.err("ui.init: {any}", .{err});
diff --git a/src/test.zig b/src/test.zig
index b5744c5..f158045 100644
--- a/src/test.zig
+++ b/src/test.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ const std = @import("std");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const nif = @import("nif");
 
+const comm = @import("comm.zig");
+const types = @import("types.zig");
+
 comptime {
     if (!builtin.is_test) @compileError("test-only module");
 }
@@ -19,6 +22,27 @@ export fn lv_disp_get_inactive_time(disp: *opaque {}) u32 {
     return 0;
 }
 
+var global_gpa_state: std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}) = undefined;
+var global_gpa: std.mem.Allocator = undefined;
+var initGlobalOnce = std.once(initGlobalFn);
+
+/// initializes globals like the `comm.initPipe`.
+/// can be called from any test, multiple times: the initialization is enforced to happen only once.
+/// safe for concurrent use. needs not deinit'ing: resources are released by the OS
+/// when the test binary terminates.
+pub fn initGlobal() void {
+    initGlobalOnce.call();
+}
+
+fn initGlobalFn() void {
+    global_gpa_state = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
+    global_gpa = global_gpa_state.allocator();
+    var pipe = types.IoPipe.create() catch |err| {
+        std.debug.panic("IoPipe.create: {any}", .{err});
+    };
+    comm.initPipe(global_gpa, pipe);
+}
+
 /// TestTimer always reports the same fixed value.
 pub const TestTimer = struct {
     value: u64,