diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4b825f6..9562c0e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 
 simple: build
-	make -C example clean simpleMutexGlobal goimports vet
+	# make -C example clean simpleMutexGlobal goimports vet
 	make -C example clean simpleMutexProtoc goimports vet
 
 full: install clean auto goimports vet build test install
diff --git a/addMutex.go b/addMutex.go
index ff2aec5..cfd31b3 100644
--- a/addMutex.go
+++ b/addMutex.go
@@ -69,8 +69,25 @@ func (pb *Files) addMutex(f *File) error {
 
 // is this struct supposed to have a Mutex added?
 func (pf *File) structMatch(line string) bool {
-	for _, msg := range pf.MsgNames {
-		start := "type " + msg.Name + " struct {"
+	var msg *MsgName
+	var start string
+
+	msg = pf.Bases
+	start = "type " + msg.Name + " struct {"
+	if strings.HasPrefix(line, start) {
+		msg.MutexFound = true
+		return true
+	}
+
+	msg = pf.Base
+	start = "type " + msg.Name + " struct {"
+	if strings.HasPrefix(line, start) {
+		msg.MutexFound = true
+		return true
+	}
+
+	for _, msg = range pf.MsgNames {
+		start = "type " + msg.Name + " struct {"
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, start) {
 			msg.MutexFound = true
 			return true
diff --git a/human.go b/human.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0aebb80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/human.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// print the protobuf in human form
+func (pf *File) printMsgTable() {
+	pf.Bases.printMsg()
+	pf.Base.printMsg()
+
+	// everything else
+	for _, msg := range pf.MsgNames {
+		msg.printMsg()
+	}
+}
+
+func (msg *MsgName) printMsg() {
+	var s string
+	if msg.DoMutex {
+		s += "(mutex) "
+	}
+	if msg.DoMarshal {
+		s += "(marshal) "
+	}
+	log.Printf("%s %s\n", msg.Name, s)
+
+	for _, v := range msg.Vars {
+		var end string
+		if v.IsRepeated {
+			end += "(repeated) "
+		}
+		if v.HasSort {
+			end += "(sort) "
+		}
+		if v.HasUnique {
+			end += "(unique) "
+		}
+		log.Printf("\t%s %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType, end)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/protoParse.go b/protoParse.go
index 832601d..173dd6f 100644
--- a/protoParse.go
+++ b/protoParse.go
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@ func (pb *Files) hasPluralMessage(f *File) error {
 			// nope, not this line
 			continue
 		}
-		// found the matching message
-		f.Bases = f.parseForMessage(line)
 
 		line = scanner.Text()
 		fields := strings.Fields(line)
@@ -75,24 +73,19 @@ func (pb *Files) protoParse(f *File) error {
 
 	// parse the proto file for message struct names
 	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(data), "\n") {
-		base := cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(f.Filebase)
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "message ") {
 			curmsg = f.parseForMessage(line)
-			prefix := "message " + base + " {" // only look for this for now
-			if strings.HasPrefix(line, prefix) {
-				f.Base = curmsg
-				f.MsgNames = append(f.MsgNames, curmsg)
-			} else {
-				f.MsgNames = append(f.MsgNames, curmsg)
-			}
 		}
+		// this logic isn't right. find end of message with more bravado
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "}") {
 			curmsg = nil
 		}
 		if curmsg == nil {
+			// log.Info("curmsg == nil", line)
 			// can't contiue on nil below here
 			continue
 		}
+		// log.Info("curmsg != nil", line)
 
 		parts := strings.Fields(line)
 		msgvar := parseMsgVar(line)
@@ -151,16 +144,31 @@ func parseMsgVar(line string) *MsgVar {
 }
 
 // looks for mutex and marshal entries
-func (f *File) parseForMessage(line string) *MsgName {
+func (pf *File) parseForMessage(line string) *MsgName {
 	fields := strings.Fields(line)
-	if fields[0] != "message" {
+	if len(fields) == 0 || fields[0] != "message" {
 		return nil
 	}
+	var msg *MsgName
+	msg = new(MsgName)
+
+	base := cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(pf.Filebase)
+	prefix := "message " + base + "s {" // only look for this for now
+	if strings.HasPrefix(line, prefix) {
+		pf.Bases = msg
+	} else {
+		prefix := "message " + base + " {" // only look for this for now
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, prefix) {
+			pf.Base = msg
+		} else {
+			pf.MsgNames = append(pf.MsgNames, msg)
+		}
+	}
+
 	msgName := cases.Title(language.English, cases.NoLower).String(fields[1])
 	log.Info("found messge:", msgName)
-	msg := new(MsgName)
 	msg.Name = msgName
-	msg.Lockname = f.Filebase + "Mu" // this should be lowercase. do not export the Mutex
+	msg.Lockname = pf.Filebase + "Mu" // this should be lowercase. do not export the Mutex
 
 	if strings.Contains(line, "`autogenpb:mutex`") {
 		msg.DoMutex = true
diff --git a/protoc.go b/protoc.go
index a390abd..f8297bc 100644
--- a/protoc.go
+++ b/protoc.go
@@ -86,18 +86,6 @@ func (pb *Files) protocBuild(f *File) error {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		/*
-			start := "type " + names["Bases"] + " struct {"
-			if strings.HasSuffix(line, start) {
-				found = true
-				log.Info("FOUND line:", line)
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tsync.RWMutex // auto-added by go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb")
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
-			}
-		*/
 	}
 
 	cmd = append(cmd, f.Filename)
diff --git a/sort.go b/sort.go
index e10f1b1..8e4fda9 100644
--- a/sort.go
+++ b/sort.go
@@ -45,15 +45,16 @@ func (pb *Files) makeNewSortfile(pf *File) error {
 	pf.findFunc(wFind)
 
 	// attempt to add sort functions for pf.Base
-	pf.processMessage(pf.Base, wSort, wFind)
+	pf.processMessage(pf.Bases, wSort, wFind)
+	// pf.processMessage(pf.Base, wSort, wFind)
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (pf *File) processMessage(msg *MsgName, wSort, wFind io.Writer) error {
-	log.Printf("%s\n", msg.Name)
+	log.Printf("ADDING FIND AND SORT FOR MESSAGE %s WITH %+v\n", msg.Name, msg.Vars)
 	for _, v := range msg.Vars {
 		if !v.IsRepeated {
-			// log.Printf("\tSKIP %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType)
+			log.Printf("\tSKIP %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType)
 			continue
 		}
 		if err := pf.addSortByMsg(msg, v, wSort, wFind); err != nil {
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ func (pf *File) processMessage(msg *MsgName, wSort, wFind io.Writer) error {
 }
 
 func (pf *File) addSortByMsg(parent *MsgName, find *MsgVar, wSort, wFind io.Writer) error {
-	// log.Printf("\tLOOK HERE: %s %s\n", find.VarName, find.VarType)
+	log.Printf("\tLOOK HERE: %s %s\n", find.VarName, find.VarType)
 	var found *MsgName
 	for _, msg := range pf.MsgNames {
 		if msg.Name == find.VarType {
@@ -108,22 +109,3 @@ func (pf *File) addSortByMsg(parent *MsgName, find *MsgVar, wSort, wFind io.Writ
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (pf *File) printMsgTable() {
-	for _, msg := range pf.MsgNames {
-		log.Printf("%s\n", msg.Name)
-		for _, v := range msg.Vars {
-			var end string
-			if v.IsRepeated {
-				end += "(repeated) "
-			}
-			if v.HasSort {
-				end += "(sort) "
-			}
-			if v.HasUnique {
-				end += "(unique) "
-			}
-			log.Printf("\t%s %s %s\n", v.VarName, v.VarType, end)
-		}
-	}
-}