diff --git a/artiq/firmware/satman/kernel.rs b/artiq/firmware/satman/kernel.rs
index d4cc226cb..fdf8792f8 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/satman/kernel.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/satman/kernel.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use core::{mem, option::NoneError};
-use alloc::{string::String, format, vec::Vec, collections::{btree_map::BTreeMap, vec_deque::VecDeque}};
+use alloc::{string::String, format, vec::Vec, collections::btree_map::BTreeMap};
 use cslice::AsCSlice;
 
 use board_artiq::{drtioaux, drtio_routing::RoutingTable, mailbox, spi};
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ enum KernelState {
     Absent,
     Loaded,
     Running,
-    MsgAwait { max_time: u64, tags: Vec<u8> },
+    MsgAwait { id: u32, max_time: u64, tags: Vec<u8> },
     MsgSending,
     SubkernelAwaitLoad,
     SubkernelAwaitFinish { max_time: u64, id: u32 },
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ macro_rules! unexpected {
 
 /* represents interkernel messages */
 struct Message {
+    id: u32,
     count: u8,
     data: Vec<u8>
 }
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ enum OutMessageState {
 struct MessageManager {
     out_message: Option<Sliceable>,
     out_state: OutMessageState,
-    in_queue: VecDeque<Message>,
+    in_queue: Vec<Message>,
     in_buffer: Option<Message>,
 }
 
@@ -171,12 +172,12 @@ impl MessageManager {
         MessageManager {
             out_message: None,
             out_state: OutMessageState::NoMessage,
-            in_queue: VecDeque::new(),
+            in_queue: Vec::new(),
             in_buffer: None
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn handle_incoming(&mut self, status: PayloadStatus, length: usize, data: &[u8; MASTER_PAYLOAD_MAX_SIZE]) {
+    pub fn handle_incoming(&mut self, status: PayloadStatus, length: usize, id: u32, data: &[u8; MASTER_PAYLOAD_MAX_SIZE]) {
         // called when receiving a message from master
         if status.is_first() {
             // clear the buffer for first message
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ impl MessageManager {
             Some(message) => message.data.extend(&data[..length]),
             None => {
                 self.in_buffer = Some(Message {
+                    id: id,
                     count: data[0],
                     data: data[1..length].to_vec()
                 });
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ impl MessageManager {
         };
         if status.is_last() {
             // when done, remove from working queue
-            self.in_queue.push_back(self.in_buffer.take().unwrap());
+            self.in_queue.push(self.in_buffer.take().unwrap());
         }
     }
 
@@ -257,8 +259,13 @@ impl MessageManager {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub fn get_incoming(&mut self) -> Option<Message> {
-        self.in_queue.pop_front()
+    pub fn get_incoming(&mut self, id: u32) -> Option<Message> {
+        for i in 0..self.in_queue.len() {
+            if self.in_queue[i].id == id {
+                return Some(self.in_queue.remove(i));
+            }
+        }
+        None
     }
 }
 
@@ -363,11 +370,11 @@ impl Manager {
         kern_acknowledge()
     }
 
-    pub fn message_handle_incoming(&mut self, status: PayloadStatus, length: usize, slice: &[u8; MASTER_PAYLOAD_MAX_SIZE]) {
+    pub fn message_handle_incoming(&mut self, status: PayloadStatus, length: usize, id: u32, slice: &[u8; MASTER_PAYLOAD_MAX_SIZE]) {
         if !self.is_running() {
             return;
         }
-        self.session.messages.handle_incoming(status, length, slice);
+        self.session.messages.handle_incoming(status, length, id, slice);
     }
     
     pub fn message_get_slice(&mut self, slice: &mut [u8; MASTER_PAYLOAD_MAX_SIZE]) -> Option<SliceMeta> {
@@ -539,13 +546,13 @@ impl Manager {
 
     fn process_external_messages(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         match &self.session.kernel_state {
-            KernelState::MsgAwait { max_time, tags } => {
+            KernelState::MsgAwait { id, max_time, tags } => {
                 if clock::get_ms() > *max_time {
                     kern_send(&kern::SubkernelMsgRecvReply { status: kern::SubkernelStatus::Timeout, count: 0 })?;
                     self.session.kernel_state = KernelState::Running;
                     return Ok(())
                 }
-                if let Some(message) = self.session.messages.get_incoming() {
+                if let Some(message) = self.session.messages.get_incoming(*id) {
                     kern_send(&kern::SubkernelMsgRecvReply { status: kern::SubkernelStatus::NoError, count: message.count })?;
                     let tags = tags.clone();
                     self.session.kernel_state = KernelState::Running;
@@ -752,22 +759,29 @@ impl Manager {
                     Ok(())
                 }
 
-                &kern::SubkernelMsgSend { id: _, destination: msg_dest, count, tag, data } => {
-                    let dest = match msg_dest {
-                        Some(dest) => dest,
-                        None => self.session.source
-                    };
-                    self.session.messages.accept_outgoing(self.current_id, destination,
-                        dest, count, tag, data, 
+                &kern::SubkernelMsgSend { id, destination: msg_dest, count, tag, data } => {
+                    let message_destination;
+                    let message_id;
+                    if let Some(dest) = msg_dest {
+                        message_destination = dest;
+                        message_id = id;
+                    } else {
+                        // return message, return to source
+                        message_destination = self.session.source;
+                        message_id = self.current_id;
+                    }
+                    self.session.messages.accept_outgoing(message_id, destination,
+                        message_destination, count, tag, data, 
                         routing_table, rank, router)?;
                     // acknowledge after the message is sent
                     self.session.kernel_state = KernelState::MsgSending;
                     Ok(())
                 }
 
-                &kern::SubkernelMsgRecvRequest { id: _, timeout, tags } => {
+                &kern::SubkernelMsgRecvRequest { id, timeout, tags } => {
                     let max_time = clock::get_ms() + timeout as u64;
-                    self.session.kernel_state = KernelState::MsgAwait { max_time: max_time, tags: tags.to_vec() };
+                    self.session.kernel_state = KernelState::MsgAwait { 
+                        id: id, max_time: max_time, tags: tags.to_vec() };
                     Ok(())
                 },
 
diff --git a/artiq/firmware/satman/main.rs b/artiq/firmware/satman/main.rs
index 78c84103a..2105b4c26 100644
--- a/artiq/firmware/satman/main.rs
+++ b/artiq/firmware/satman/main.rs
@@ -458,9 +458,9 @@ fn process_aux_packet(dmamgr: &mut DmaManager, analyzer: &mut Analyzer, kernelmg
                 data: data_slice,
             })
         }
-        drtioaux::Packet::SubkernelMessage { source, destination: _destination, id: _id, status, length, data } => {
+        drtioaux::Packet::SubkernelMessage { source, destination: _destination, id, status, length, data } => {
             forward!(_routing_table, _destination, *rank, _repeaters, &packet);
-            kernelmgr.message_handle_incoming(status, length as usize, &data);
+            kernelmgr.message_handle_incoming(status, length as usize, id, &data);
             router.send(drtioaux::Packet::SubkernelMessageAck {
                     destination: source
                 }, _routing_table, *rank, *self_destination)