diff --git a/domain-server/src/main.cpp b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
index fa6018b6c6..2ffad2f720 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/main.cpp
+++ b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,10 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
     if (voxelServerConfig) {
         qDebug("Reading Voxel Server Configuration.\n");
         qDebug() << "   config: " << voxelServerConfig << "\n";
-        voxelServerAssignment.setPayload((uchar*)voxelServerConfig, strlen(voxelServerConfig) + 1);
+        int payloadLength = strlen(voxelServerConfig) + sizeof(char);
+        uchar* payload = new uchar[payloadLength];
+        memcpy(payload, voxelServerConfig, payloadLength);
+        voxelServerAssignment.setPayload(payload, payloadLength);
     }
     
     // construct a local socket to send with our created assignments to the global AS
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
index e2608b230a..2fd5758007 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
@@ -85,17 +85,18 @@ Assignment::Assignment(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) :
             qDebug("Received a socket that cannot be unpacked!\n");
         }
     }
-    
+
     if (numBytes > numBytesRead) {
         _numPayloadBytes = numBytes - numBytesRead;
-        memcpy(_payload, dataBuffer + numBytesRead, numBytes - numBytesRead);
+        _payload = new uchar[_numPayloadBytes]; // <<< the code was not allocating _payload
+        memcpy(_payload, dataBuffer + numBytesRead, _numPayloadBytes);
     }
 }
 
 Assignment::~Assignment() {
     delete _attachedPublicSocket;
     delete _attachedLocalSocket;
-    delete _payload;
+    delete _payload;  // <<< this probably needs to be delete[]???
     _numPayloadBytes = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.cpp b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.cpp
index 257f9b2640..9dafeafeee 100644
--- a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cstdio>
 
+#include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
+
 #include <OctalCode.h>
 #include <NodeList.h>
 #include <NodeTypes.h>
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ VoxelServer::VoxelServer(Assignment::Command command, Assignment::Location locat
     _jurisdictionSender = NULL;
     _voxelServerPacketProcessor = NULL;
     _voxelPersistThread = NULL;
+    _parsedArgV = NULL;
 }
 
 VoxelServer::VoxelServer(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) : Assignment(dataBuffer, numBytes),
@@ -86,6 +90,16 @@ VoxelServer::VoxelServer(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) : Assign
     _jurisdictionSender = NULL;
     _voxelServerPacketProcessor = NULL;
     _voxelPersistThread = NULL;
+    _parsedArgV = NULL;
+}
+
+VoxelServer::~VoxelServer() {
+    if (_parsedArgV) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < _argc; i++) {
+            delete[] _parsedArgV[i];
+        }
+        delete[] _parsedArgV;
+    }
 }
 
 void VoxelServer::setArguments(int argc, char** argv) {
@@ -93,6 +107,44 @@ void VoxelServer::setArguments(int argc, char** argv) {
     _argv = const_cast<const char**>(argv);
 }
 
+void VoxelServer::parsePayload() {
+    
+    //uchar* getPayload() { return _payload; }
+    //int getNumPayloadBytes() const { return _numPayloadBytes; }
+    
+    if (getNumPayloadBytes() > 0) {
+        QString config((const char*)getPayload());
+
+        QString delimiterPattern(" ");
+        QStringList configList = config.split(delimiterPattern);
+        
+        int argCount = configList.size() + 2;
+
+        printf("VoxelServer::parsePayload()... argCount=%d\n",argCount);
+
+        _parsedArgV = new char*[argCount];
+        const char* dummy = "dummy";
+        _parsedArgV[0] = new char[strlen(dummy)+1];
+        strcpy(_parsedArgV[0], dummy);
+
+        for (int i = 1; i < argCount-1; i++) {
+            QString configItem = configList.at(i-1);
+            _parsedArgV[i] = new char[configItem.length() + 1];
+            strcpy(_parsedArgV[i], configItem.toLocal8Bit().constData());
+            printf("VoxelServer::parsePayload()... _parsedArgV[%d]=%s\n", i, _parsedArgV[i]);
+        }
+        _parsedArgV[argCount - 1] = new char[strlen(dummy)+1];
+        strcpy(_parsedArgV[argCount - 1], dummy);
+
+        setArguments(argCount, _parsedArgV);
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < argCount; i++) {
+            printf("_argv[%d]=%s\n", i, _argv[i]);
+        }
+
+    }
+}
+
 void VoxelServer::setupStandAlone(const char* domain, int port) {
     NodeList::createInstance(NODE_TYPE_VOXEL_SERVER, port);
 
@@ -114,6 +166,12 @@ void VoxelServer::setupStandAlone(const char* domain, int port) {
 
 //int main(int argc, const char * argv[]) {
 void VoxelServer::run() {
+
+    // Now would be a good time to parse our arguments, if we got them as assignment
+    if (getNumPayloadBytes() > 0) {
+        parsePayload();
+    }
+
     pthread_mutex_init(&_treeLock, NULL);
     
     qInstallMessageHandler(sharedMessageHandler);
@@ -143,7 +201,7 @@ void VoxelServer::run() {
             _jurisdiction = new JurisdictionMap(jurisdictionRoot, jurisdictionEndNodes);
         }
     }
-    
+
     // should we send environments? Default is yes, but this command line suppresses sending
     const char* DUMP_VOXELS_ON_MOVE = "--dumpVoxelsOnMove";
     _dumpVoxelsOnMove = cmdOptionExists(_argc, _argv, DUMP_VOXELS_ON_MOVE);
diff --git a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.h b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.h
index 6eb412ea68..8ab18d8c46 100644
--- a/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.h
+++ b/libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelServer.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ public:
                 
     VoxelServer(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes);
     
+    ~VoxelServer();
+    
     /// runs the voxel server assignment
     void run();
     
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ public:
 private:
     int _argc;
     const char** _argv;
+    char** _parsedArgV;
     bool _dontKillOnMissingDomain;
 
     char _voxelPersistFilename[MAX_FILENAME_LENGTH];
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ private:
     
     NodeWatcher _nodeWatcher; // used to cleanup AGENT data when agents are killed
     
+    void parsePayload();
 };
 
 #endif // __voxel_server__VoxelServer__