diff --git a/assignment-client/src/main.cpp b/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
index b1b6303525..4003d853ac 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/main.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[]) {
             // copy the passed assignment pool
             int poolLength = strlen(optarg);
             assignmentPool = new char[poolLength + sizeof(char)];
-            memcpy(assignmentPool, optarg, poolLength + sizeof(char));
+            strcpy(assignmentPool, optarg);
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/assignment-server/src/main.cpp b/assignment-server/src/main.cpp
index 5330b175d2..5d074e1d18 100644
--- a/assignment-server/src/main.cpp
+++ b/assignment-server/src/main.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[]) {
                 }
             } else if (senderData[0] == PACKET_TYPE_CREATE_ASSIGNMENT && packetVersionMatch(senderData)) {
                 // memcpy the sent assignment
-                Assignment createdAssignment(senderData + numBytesForPacketHeader(PACKET_TYPE_CREATE_ASSIGNMENT));
+                Assignment createdAssignment(senderData + numBytesForPacketHeader(senderData));
                 
                 qDebug() << "Received an assignment:" << createdAssignment;
                 
diff --git a/domain-server/src/main.cpp b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
index 43e13636ed..ac6249a823 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/main.cpp
+++ b/domain-server/src/main.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[])
     
     // loop the parameters to see if we were passed a pool for assignment
     int parameter = -1;
-    const char ALLOWED_PARAMETERS[] = "p::";
+    const char ALLOWED_PARAMETERS[] = "p::-local::";
     const char POOL_PARAMETER_CHAR = 'p';
     
     char* assignmentPool = NULL;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[])
             // copy the passed assignment pool
             int poolLength = strlen(optarg);
             assignmentPool = new char[poolLength + sizeof(char)];
-            memcpy(assignmentPool, optarg, poolLength + sizeof(char));
+            strcpy(assignmentPool, optarg);
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
index 00ab2878a2..112d19b9fe 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Assignment::Assignment(Assignment::Direction direction, Assignment::Type type, c
         
         // create the char array and make it large enough for string and null termination
         _pool = new char[poolLength + sizeof(char)];
-        memcpy(_pool, pool, poolLength + 1);
+        strcpy(_pool, pool);
     }
 }
 
@@ -33,25 +33,25 @@ Assignment::Assignment(const unsigned char* dataBuffer) {
     
     int poolLength = strlen((const char*) dataBuffer + numBytesRead);
     _pool = new char[poolLength + sizeof(char)];
-    memcpy(_pool, dataBuffer + numBytesRead, poolLength + sizeof(char));
+    strcpy(_pool, (char*) dataBuffer + numBytesRead);
 }
 
-int Assignment::packAssignmentToBuffer(unsigned char* buffer) {
+int Assignment::packToBuffer(unsigned char* buffer) {
     int numPackedBytes = 0;
     
     memcpy(buffer, &_direction, sizeof(_direction));
     numPackedBytes += sizeof(_direction);
     
-    memcpy(buffer, &_type, sizeof(_type));
+    memcpy(buffer + numPackedBytes, &_type, sizeof(_type));
     numPackedBytes += sizeof(_type);
     
-    strcpy((char *)buffer, _pool);
+    strcpy((char*) buffer + numPackedBytes, _pool);
     numPackedBytes += strlen(_pool) + sizeof(char);
     
     return numPackedBytes;
 }
 
 QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const Assignment &assignment) {
-    debug << "T:" << assignment.getType() << "P" << assignment.getPool();
+    debug << "T:" << assignment.getType() << "P:" << assignment.getPool();
     return debug.nospace();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
index c85d235547..99acd6924d 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public:
     Assignment::Type getType() const { return _type; }
     const char* getPool() const { return _pool; }
     
-    int packAssignmentToBuffer(unsigned char* buffer);
+    int packToBuffer(unsigned char* buffer);
     
 private:
     Assignment::Direction _direction;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index 45e51c06d9..745ab450db 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -379,9 +379,9 @@ void NodeList::sendAssignment(Assignment& assignment) {
         : PACKET_TYPE_REQUEST_ASSIGNMENT;
     
     int numHeaderBytes = populateTypeAndVersion(assignmentPacket, assignmentPacketType);
-    *(assignmentPacket + numHeaderBytes) = assignment.getType();
+    int numAssignmentBytes = assignment.packToBuffer(assignmentPacket + numHeaderBytes);
 
-    _nodeSocket.send((sockaddr*) &assignmentServerSocket, assignmentPacket, numHeaderBytes + sizeof(unsigned char));
+    _nodeSocket.send((sockaddr*) &assignmentServerSocket, assignmentPacket, numHeaderBytes + numAssignmentBytes);
 }
 
 Node* NodeList::addOrUpdateNode(sockaddr* publicSocket, sockaddr* localSocket, char nodeType, uint16_t nodeId) {