diff --git a/daemon/1shared.go b/daemon/1shared.go
index 1e73190..47a41e1 100644
--- a/daemon/1shared.go
+++ b/daemon/1shared.go
@@ -5,3 +5,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 var binPath, _ = os.Executable() // store binary path
+
+// daemonIsOpen checks if the socket/named pipe for the rcw
+// daemon exists and returns a boolean indicator.
+func daemonIsOpen() bool {
+	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(socketPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return !fileInfo.IsDir()
+}
diff --git a/daemon/2server.go b/daemon/2server.go
index a29ca52..0790cbe 100644
--- a/daemon/2server.go
+++ b/daemon/2server.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var daemonHash []byte
-var passphrase string
+var globalPassphrase string
 
 // RCWService provides an RPC method.
 type RCWService struct{}
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type RCWService struct{}
 // GetPass is the RPC method.
 // For now (as a test/example), it returns "hello" if the input is "hi".
 func (h *RCWService) GetPass(request string, reply *string) error {
-	*reply = passphrase
+	*reply = globalPassphrase
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -26,13 +26,3 @@ func getFileHash(path string) []byte {
 	io.Copy(hash, file)
 	return hash.Sum(nil)
 }
-
-// daemonIsOpen checks if the socket/named pipe for the rcw
-// daemon exists and returns a boolean indicator.
-func daemonIsOpen() bool {
-	fileInfo, err := os.Stat(socketPath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	return !fileInfo.IsDir()
-}
diff --git a/daemon/2serverUNIXGeneric.go b/daemon/2serverUNIXGeneric.go
index bfcd814..552b15e 100644
--- a/daemon/2serverUNIXGeneric.go
+++ b/daemon/2serverUNIXGeneric.go
@@ -14,15 +14,10 @@ import (
 	peercred "github.com/rwinkhart/peercred-mini"
 )
 
-// Run should be called to start an RPC server.
-func Start(inputPassphrase string) {
-	// ensure daemon is not already running
-	if daemonIsOpen() {
-		return
-	}
-
+// Start should be called to serve the given passphrase through an RPC daemon.
+func Start(passphrase string) {
 	// store passphrase to be referenced by GetPass method
-	passphrase = inputPassphrase
+	globalPassphrase = passphrase
 
 	// register RCWService with the RPC package
 	if err := rpc.Register(&RCWService{}); err != nil {
@@ -32,13 +27,6 @@ func Start(inputPassphrase string) {
 	// store the hash of the daemon binary
 	daemonHash = getFileHash(binPath)
 
-	// remove the socket file if it already exists
-	if _, err := os.Stat(socketPath); err == nil {
-		if err := os.Remove(socketPath); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("Failed to remove existing socket: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// listen on the Unix domain socket
 	listener, err := net.Listen("unix", socketPath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/daemon/2serverWindows.go b/daemon/2serverWindows.go
index dcb1800..b69baec 100644
--- a/daemon/2serverWindows.go
+++ b/daemon/2serverWindows.go
@@ -19,15 +19,10 @@ const (
 	PROCESS_QUERY_LIMITED_INFORMATION = 0x1000
 )
 
-// Run should be called to start an RPC server using Windows named pipes
-func Start(inputPassphrase string) {
-	// ensure daemon is not already running
-	if daemonIsOpen() {
-		return
-	}
-
+// Start should be called to serve the given passphrase through an RPC daemon.
+func Start(passphrase string) {
 	// store passphrase to be referenced by GetPass method
-	passphrase = inputPassphrase
+	globalPassphrase = passphrase
 
 	// register RCWService with the RPC package
 	if err := rpc.Register(&RCWService{}); err != nil {
diff --git a/daemon/3client.go b/daemon/3client.go
index 830fc59..603c113 100644
--- a/daemon/3client.go
+++ b/daemon/3client.go
@@ -5,8 +5,18 @@ import (
 	"net/rpc"
 )
 
-// Call connects to the RPC server and requests the passphrase.
-func Call() string {
+// CallDaemonIfOpen returns the passphrase served by the RCW daemon
+// (if one is available). If no RCW daemon is accessible, nil is returned.
+func CallDaemonIfOpen() []byte {
+	if daemonIsOpen() {
+		call()
+		return call()
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// call connects to the RPC server and requests the passphrase.
+func call() []byte {
 	// connect to the UNIX domain socket/Windows named pipe
 	conn := getConn()
 	defer conn.Close()
@@ -22,5 +32,5 @@ func Call() string {
 	}
 
 	// return the passphrase
-	return reply
+	return []byte(reply)
 }
diff --git a/example.go b/example.go
index d4afd0a..ea77117 100644
--- a/example.go
+++ b/example.go
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.WriteFile(outputFile, encBytes, 0600)
 	default:
 		// request served data
-		fmt.Println(daemon.Call())
+		if servedData := daemon.CallDaemonIfOpen(); servedData != nil {
+			fmt.Println(string(servedData))
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println("No RCW daemon available")
+		}
 	}
 }