diff --git a/secop/lib/__init__.py b/secop/lib/__init__.py
index 736b304..b1d86fa 100644
--- a/secop/lib/__init__.py
+++ b/secop/lib/__init__.py
@@ -36,16 +36,16 @@ import unicodedata
 from os import path
 
 
-repodir = path.abspath(path.join(path.dirname(__file__), '..', '..'))
+repodir = path.abspath(path.join(path.dirname(__file__), u'..', u'..'))
 
 CONFIG = {
-    'piddir': os.path.join(repodir, 'pid'),
-    'logdir': os.path.join(repodir, 'log'),
-    'confdir': os.path.join(repodir, 'etc'),
-} if os.path.exists(os.path.join(repodir, '.git')) else {
-    'piddir': '/var/run/secop',
-    'logdir': '/var/log',
-    'confdir': '/etc/secop',
+    u'piddir': os.path.join(repodir, u'pid'),
+    u'logdir': os.path.join(repodir, u'log'),
+    u'confdir': os.path.join(repodir, u'etc'),
+} if os.path.exists(os.path.join(repodir, u'.git')) else {
+    u'piddir': u'/var/run/secop',
+    u'logdir': u'/var/log',
+    u'confdir': u'/etc/secop',
 }
 
 
diff --git a/secop/modules.py b/secop/modules.py
index afec2c4..8780558 100644
--- a/secop/modules.py
+++ b/secop/modules.py
@@ -180,7 +180,9 @@ class Module(object):
 #                                      (self.name, k, e))
             # note: this will call write_* methods which will
             # write to the hardware, if possible!
-            setattr(self, k, v)
+            if k != u'value':
+                setattr(self, k, v)
+            cfgdict.pop(k)
 
         # Adopt units AFTER applying the cfgdict
         for k, v in self.accessibles.items():
diff --git a/secop/protocol/dispatcher.py b/secop/protocol/dispatcher.py
index 9005968..4ac4d6a 100644
--- a/secop/protocol/dispatcher.py
+++ b/secop/protocol/dispatcher.py
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
         # active (i.e. broadcast-receiving) connections
         self._active_connections = set()
         # map eventname -> list of subscribed connections
+        # eventname is <modulename> or <modulename>:<parametername>
         self._subscriptions = {}
         self._lock = threading.RLock()
 
@@ -178,10 +179,9 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
                 mod_desc[propname] = prop
             result[u'modules'].extend([modulename, mod_desc])
         result[u'equipment_id'] = self.equipment_id
-        result[u'firmware'] = u'The SECoP playground'
-        result[u'version'] = u'2017.07'
+        result[u'firmware'] = u'FRAPPY - The Python Framework for SECoP'
+        result[u'version'] = u'2018.09'
         result.update(self.nodeopts)
-        # XXX: what else?
         return result
 
     def _execute_command(self, modulename, command, arguments=None):
diff --git a/secop/server.py b/secop/server.py
index 66fe208..0d3dfc6 100644
--- a/secop/server.py
+++ b/secop/server.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class Server(object):
             name.endswith('.cfg'):
             self._cfgfile = name
             self._pidfile = os.path.join(cfg[u'piddir'],
-                                         name[:-4].replace(os.path.sep, '_') + u'.pid')
+                                         name[:-4].replace(os.path.sep, u'_') + u'.pid')
             name = os.path.basename(name[:-4])
         else:
             self._cfgfile = os.path.join(cfg[u'confdir'], name + u'.cfg')
diff --git a/secop_demo/test.py b/secop_demo/test.py
index 5d26073..72a0991 100644
--- a/secop_demo/test.py
+++ b/secop_demo/test.py
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
 # *****************************************************************************
 """testing devices"""
 
+try:
+    # py2
+    unicode
+except NameError:
+    # py3
+    unicode = str  # pylint: disable=redefined-builtin
+
 import random
 
 from secop.modules import Readable, Drivable, Communicator, Parameter
@@ -89,4 +96,4 @@ class Temp(Drivable):
 class Lower(Communicator):
     """Communicator returning a lowercase version of the request"""
     def do_communicate(self, request):
-        return str(request).lower()
+        return unicode(request).lower()