diff --git a/RFM69.py b/RFM69.py
index 5e52ee0..b839dee 100755
--- a/RFM69.py
+++ b/RFM69.py
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ def sendWithRetry(self, toAddress, buff = "", retries = 3, retryWaitTime = 10):
             sentTime = time.time()
             while (time.time() - sentTime) * 1000 < retryWaitTime:
                 if self.ACKReceived(toAddress):
+                    self.receiveBegin()
                     return True
         return False
 
@@ -295,6 +296,8 @@ def receiveBegin(self):
         self.setMode(RF69_MODE_RX)
 
     def receiveDone(self):
+        while self.intLock:
+            pass # wait for lock to be removed
         if (self.mode == RF69_MODE_RX or self.mode == RF69_MODE_STANDBY) and self.PAYLOADLEN > 0:
             self.setMode(RF69_MODE_STANDBY)
             return True
@@ -303,10 +306,6 @@ def receiveDone(self):
             # Russss figured out that if you leave alone long enough it times out
             # tell it to stop being silly and listen for more packets
             self.writeReg(REG_PACKETCONFIG2, (self.readReg(REG_PACKETCONFIG2) & 0xFB) | RF_PACKET2_RXRESTART)
-        elif self.mode == RF69_MODE_RX:
-            # already in RX no payload yet
-            return False
-        self.receiveBegin()
         return False
 
     def readRSSI(self, forceTrigger = False):
diff --git a/example.py b/example.py
index c6e281c..4757e1f 100755
--- a/example.py
+++ b/example.py
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@
 if test.sendWithRetry(2, "blah", 3, 20):
     print "ack recieved"
 print "reading"
+test.receiveBegin()
 while True:
-    test.receiveBegin()
-    while not test.receiveDone():
-        time.sleep(.1)
-    print "%s from %s RSSI:%s" % ("".join([chr(letter) for letter in test.DATA]), test.SENDERID, test.RSSI)
-    if test.ACKRequested():
-        test.sendACK()
+    if test.receiveDone():
+        print "%s from %s RSSI:%s" % ("".join([chr(letter) for letter in test.DATA]), test.SENDERID, test.RSSI)
+        if test.ACKRequested():
+            test.sendACK()
+        else:
+            test.receiveBegin()
 print "shutting down"
 test.shutdown()