diff --git a/gex/PayloadParser.py b/gex/PayloadParser.py
index 7126996..ed42c6c 100644
--- a/gex/PayloadParser.py
+++ b/gex/PayloadParser.py
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ class PayloadParser:
     """
 
     def __init__(self, buf, endian:str='little'):
-        """ buf - buffer to parse (bytearray or binary string) """
+        """
+        buf - buffer to parse (bytearray or binary string)
+        """
 
         if type(buf) == TF_Msg:
             buf = buf.data
@@ -115,5 +117,7 @@ class PayloadParser:
         return self._slice(length)
 
     def skip(self, nbytes:int):
-        """ Skip some bytes """
+        """ Skip some bytes. returns self for chaining. """
         self.blob(nbytes)
+        return self
+
diff --git a/gex/units/USART.py b/gex/units/USART.py
index b571978..53dc4f0 100644
--- a/gex/units/USART.py
+++ b/gex/units/USART.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import threading
+
 import gex
 from gex.Client import EventReport
 
@@ -7,6 +9,13 @@ class USART(gex.Unit):
     USART
     """
 
+    def _init(self):
+        self.handler_decode = None
+        self.handler = None
+        self.buffer = bytearray()
+        self.rxwaitnum = 0
+        self.rxdoneSem = threading.Semaphore()
+
     def _type(self):
         return 'USART'
 
@@ -42,3 +51,37 @@ class USART(gex.Unit):
                                else evt.payload.decode(self.handler_decode)
 
                 self.handler(data, evt.timestamp)
+            else:
+                self.buffer.extend(evt.payload)
+                if len(self.buffer) >= self.rxwaitnum:
+                    self.rxdoneSem.release()
+
+    def clear_buffer(self):
+        self.buffer = bytearray()
+
+    def receive(self, nbytes, decode='utf-8', timeout=0.1):
+        if self.handler is not None:
+            raise Exception("Can't call .receive() with an async handler registered!")
+        if len(self.buffer) >= nbytes:
+            chunk = self.buffer[0:nbytes]
+            self.buffer = self.buffer[nbytes:] # put the rest back for later...
+            if decode is not None:
+                return chunk.decode(decode)
+            else:
+                return chunk
+
+        self.rxwaitnum = nbytes
+        self.rxdoneSem.acquire() # claim
+
+        # now the event handler releases the sem and we can take it again
+        suc = self.rxdoneSem.acquire(timeout=timeout)
+        # and release it back, to get into a defined state
+        self.rxdoneSem.release()
+
+        if not suc:
+            if len(self.buffer) < nbytes:
+                raise Exception("Data not Rx in timeout!")
+
+        # use the handling code above via recursion
+        return self.receive(nbytes, decode, timeout)
+
diff --git a/ndir_test.py b/ndir_test.py
index 223d00c..2eb9c26 100644
--- a/ndir_test.py
+++ b/ndir_test.py
@@ -5,22 +5,12 @@ import gex
 with gex.Client(gex.TrxRawUSB()) as client:
     ser = gex.USART(client, 'ser')
 
-    buf = bytearray()
-    def decode(data, ts):
-        global buf
-        buf.extend(data)
-        if len(buf) == 9:
-            pp = gex.PayloadParser(buf, endian="big")
-            pp.skip(2)
-            print("%d ppm CO₂" % pp.u16())
-            buf = bytearray()
-        if len(buf) > 9:
-            # something went wrong, clear
-            buf = bytearray()
-
-
-    ser.listen(decode, decode=None)
-
     while True:
+        ser.clear_buffer()
         ser.write([0xFF, 0x01, 0x86, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0x79])
+        data = ser.receive(9, decode=None)
+
+        pp = gex.PayloadParser(data, endian="big").skip(2)
+        print("%d ppm CO₂" % pp.u16())
+
         time.sleep(1)