diff --git a/disco/gateway/client.py b/disco/gateway/client.py
index 46d5fa6..5ff6956 100644
--- a/disco/gateway/client.py
+++ b/disco/gateway/client.py
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ class GatewayClient(LoggingClass):
         raise Exception('WS recieved error: %s', error)
 
     def on_open(self):
+        self.log.info('Opened, headers: %s', self.ws.sock.headers)
+
         if self.seq and self.session_id:
             self.log.info('WS Opened: attempting resume w/ SID: %s SEQ: %s', self.session_id, self.seq)
             self.send(OPCode.RESUME, {
@@ -175,7 +177,8 @@ class GatewayClient(LoggingClass):
     def on_close(self, code, reason):
         # Kill heartbeater, a reconnect/resume will trigger a HELLO which will
         #  respawn it
-        self._heartbeat_task.kill()
+        if self._heartbeat_task:
+            self._heartbeat_task.kill()
 
         # If we're quitting, just break out of here
         if self.shutting_down:
diff --git a/disco/gateway/sharder.py b/disco/gateway/sharder.py
index 45e756a..0321cee 100644
--- a/disco/gateway/sharder.py
+++ b/disco/gateway/sharder.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import gipc
 import gevent
+import pickle
 import logging
 import marshal
 
@@ -82,7 +83,24 @@ class AutoSharder(object):
             format='{} [%(levelname)s] %(asctime)s - %(name)s:%(lineno)d - %(message)s'.format(id)
         )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def dumps(data):
+        if isinstance(data, (basestring, int, long, bool, list, set, dict)):
+            return '\x01' + marshal.dumps(data)
+        elif isinstance(data, object) and data.__class__.__name__ == 'code':
+            return '\x01' + marshal.dumps(data)
+        else:
+            return '\x02' + pickle.dumps(data)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def loads(data):
+        enc_type = data[0]
+        if enc_type == '\x01':
+            return marshal.loads(data[1:])
+        elif enc_type == '\x02':
+            return pickle.loads(data[1:])
+
     def start_shard(self, sid):
-        cpipe, ppipe = gipc.pipe(duplex=True, encoder=marshal.dumps, decoder=marshal.loads)
+        cpipe, ppipe = gipc.pipe(duplex=True, encoder=self.dumps, decoder=self.loads)
         gipc.start_process(run_shard, (self.config, sid, cpipe))
         self.shards[sid] = GIPCProxy(self, ppipe)