diff --git a/src/libraries/j6/channel.cpp b/src/libraries/j6/channel.cpp
index 81e6300..3896eb7 100644
--- a/src/libraries/j6/channel.cpp
+++ b/src/libraries/j6/channel.cpp
@@ -125,8 +125,10 @@ channel::receive(void *buffer, size_t *size, bool block)
 {
     j6::scoped_lock lock {m_header->mutex};
     while (!m_header->read_avail()) {
-        if (!block)
+        if (!block) {
+            *size = 0;
             return j6_status_would_block;
+        }
 
         lock.release();
         m_header->read_waiting.wait();
diff --git a/src/libraries/j6/include/j6/ring_buffer.hh b/src/libraries/j6/include/j6/ring_buffer.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69c01e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libraries/j6/include/j6/ring_buffer.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#pragma once
+/// \file j6/ring_buffer.hh
+/// Helper class for managing ring buffers in doubly-mapped VMAs
+
+// The kernel depends on libj6 for some shared code,
+// but should not include the user-specific code.
+#ifndef __j6kernel
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <j6/types.h>
+#include <util/api.h>
+
+namespace j6 {
+
+API class ring_buffer
+{
+public:
+    ring_buffer(size_t pages);
+
+    inline bool valid() const { return m_data != nullptr; }
+    inline size_t size() const { return 1<<m_bits; }
+    inline size_t used() const { return m_write-m_read; }
+    inline size_t free() const { return size()-used(); }
+
+    inline const char * read_ptr() const { return get(m_read); }
+    inline char * write_ptr() { return get(m_write); }
+
+    inline void commit(size_t &n) {
+        if (n > free()) n = free();
+        m_write += n;
+    }
+
+    inline const char * consume(size_t &n) {
+        if (n > used()) n = used();
+        size_t i = m_read;
+        m_read += n;
+        return get(i);
+    }
+
+private:
+    inline size_t mask() const { return (1<<m_bits)-1;}
+    inline size_t index(size_t i) const { return i & mask(); }
+
+    inline char * get(size_t i) { return m_data + index(i); }
+    inline const char * get(size_t i) const { return m_data + index(i); }
+
+    size_t m_bits;
+    size_t m_write;
+    size_t m_read;
+    j6_handle_t m_vma;
+    char *m_data;
+};
+
+} // namespace j6
+#endif // __j6kernel
+
diff --git a/src/libraries/j6/j6.module b/src/libraries/j6/j6.module
index 05bac16..4cea203 100644
--- a/src/libraries/j6/j6.module
+++ b/src/libraries/j6/j6.module
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ j6 = module("j6",
         "protocol_ids.cpp",
         "protocols/service_locator.cpp",
         "protocols/vfs.cpp",
+        "ring_buffer.cpp",
         "syscalls.s.cog",
         "sysconf.cpp.cog",
         "syslog.cpp",
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ j6 = module("j6",
         "j6/protocols.h",
         "j6/protocols/service_locator.h",
         "j6/protocols/service_locator.hh",
+        "j6/ring_buffer.hh",
         "j6/syscalls.h.cog",
         "j6/sysconf.h.cog",
         "j6/syslog.hh",
diff --git a/src/libraries/j6/ring_buffer.cpp b/src/libraries/j6/ring_buffer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ff8388
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libraries/j6/ring_buffer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// The kernel depends on libj6 for some shared code,
+// but should not include the user-specific code.
+#ifndef __j6kernel
+
+#include <arch/memory.h>
+#include <j6/errors.h>
+#include <j6/flags.h>
+#include <j6/ring_buffer.hh>
+#include <j6/syscalls.h>
+#include <j6/types.h>
+#include <util/util.h>
+
+namespace j6 {
+
+API
+ring_buffer::ring_buffer(size_t pages) :
+    m_bits {util::log2(pages) + arch::frame_bits},
+    m_write {0},
+    m_read {0},
+    m_vma {j6_handle_invalid},
+    m_data {nullptr}
+{
+    // Must be a power of 2
+    if (!util::is_pow2(pages))
+        return;
+
+    uintptr_t buffer_addr = 0;
+    size_t size = 1<<m_bits;
+    j6_status_t result = j6_vma_create_map(&m_vma, size, &buffer_addr, j6_vm_flag_ring|j6_vm_flag_write);
+    if (result != j6_status_ok)
+        return;
+
+    m_data = reinterpret_cast<char*>(buffer_addr);
+}
+
+} // namespace j6
+
+#endif // __j6kernel
diff --git a/src/user/drv.uart/main.cpp b/src/user/drv.uart/main.cpp
index 7db6263..b6987a5 100644
--- a/src/user/drv.uart/main.cpp
+++ b/src/user/drv.uart/main.cpp
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include <arch/memory.h>
 #include <j6/cap_flags.h>
 #include <j6/channel.hh>
 #include <j6/errors.h>
 #include <j6/flags.h>
 #include <j6/init.h>
 #include <j6/protocols/service_locator.hh>
+#include <j6/ring_buffer.hh>
 #include <j6/syscalls.h>
 #include <j6/sysconf.h>
 #include <j6/syslog.hh>
@@ -64,8 +66,10 @@ main(int argc, const char **argv)
     serial_port com1 {COM1, in_buf_size, com1_in, out_buf_size, com1_out};
     serial_port com2 {COM2, in_buf_size, com2_in, out_buf_size, com2_out};
 
-    static constexpr size_t buffer_size = 512;
-    char buffer[buffer_size];
+    static constexpr size_t buffer_pages = 1;
+    j6::ring_buffer buffer {buffer_pages};
+    if (!buffer.valid())
+        return 128;
 
     j6_handle_t slp = j6_find_init_handle(j6::proto::sl::id);
     if (slp == j6_handle_invalid)
@@ -87,17 +91,13 @@ main(int argc, const char **argv)
         return 6;
 
     while (true) {
-        size_t size = buffer_size;
-        while (true) {
-            result = cout->receive(buffer, &size, 0);
-            if (result != j6_status_ok)
-                break;
+        size_t size = buffer.free();
+        cout->receive(buffer.write_ptr(), &size, 0);
+        buffer.commit(size);
+        //j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::spam, "uart driver: got %d bytes from channel", size);
 
-            j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::spam, "uart driver: got %d bytes from channel", size);
-            com1.write(buffer, size);
-        }
-        if (result != j6_status_would_block)
-            j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::error, "uart driver: error %lx receiving from channel", result);
+        size = com1.write(buffer.read_ptr(), buffer.used());
+        buffer.consume(size);
 
         uint64_t signals = 0;
         result = j6_event_wait(event, &signals, 500);
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ main(int argc, const char **argv)
             j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::error, "uart driver: error %lx waiting for irq", result);
             continue;
         } else {
-            j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::verbose, "uart driver: irq signals: %lx", signals);
+            j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::spam, "uart driver: irq signals: %lx", signals);
         }
 
         if (signals & (1<<0))
@@ -121,5 +121,4 @@ main(int argc, const char **argv)
 
     j6::syslog(j6::logs::srv, j6::log_level::error, "uart driver somehow got to the end of main");
     return 0;
-}
-
+}
\ No newline at end of file