diff --git a/apps/csys/lib/application.ex b/apps/csys/lib/application.ex
index f945ffd..f1fdc6a 100644
--- a/apps/csys/lib/application.ex
+++ b/apps/csys/lib/application.ex
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 defmodule Scopes.CSys.Application do
   use Application
 
+  alias Scopes.Core.Environ
+  alias Scopes.Core.Program
   alias Scopes.Util
 
   require Logger
@@ -10,9 +12,9 @@ defmodule Scopes.CSys.Application do
   @impl true
   def start(type, args) do
     IO.puts("Hello CSys")
-    Logger.info(Util.show [type, args])
+    Logger.info(Util.show [type, args, self()])
     children = [
-      {Scopes.Core.Environ, init: []},
+      {Environ, [Program.prepare_basic(), Program.init_recursive_1()]},
       Scopes.CSys.Server.Endpoint
     ]
     opts = [strategy: :one_for_one, name: Scopes.CSys.Supervisor]
diff --git a/config/test.exs b/config/test.exs
index 5185143..3bbc3a4 100644
--- a/config/test.exs
+++ b/config/test.exs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import Config
 
 config :logger, :default_handler, 
-  level: System.get_env("SCOPES_LOG_LEVEL", "info") |> String.to_atom,
+  level: System.get_env("SCOPES_LOG_LEVEL", "notice") |> String.to_atom,
   config: [
     file: ~c"test/log/scopes_test.log"
   ]
diff --git a/lib/core/core.ex b/lib/core/core.ex
index 865138f..3b80acf 100644
--- a/lib/core/core.ex
+++ b/lib/core/core.ex
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ defmodule Scopes.Core do
   end
 
   def notify(msg, scope) do
+    Logger.info(Util.show [msg])
     Actor.send(env(scope), msg)
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/core/environ.ex b/lib/core/environ.ex
index 988f46d..2ede5b7 100644
--- a/lib/core/environ.ex
+++ b/lib/core/environ.ex
@@ -5,34 +5,29 @@ defmodule Scopes.Core.Environ do
   alias Scopes.Core.Actor
   alias Scopes.Core.Shape
 
+  require Logger
+
   defmodule State do
     defstruct [cells: %{}, init_seq: []]
   end
 
-  def child_spec(opts) do
-    %{id: __MODULE__, 
-      start: {__MODULE__, :start_link, opts}}
-  end
-
-  def start_link(opts \\ []) do
-    #IO.inspect(opts)
-    Registry.start_link(keys: :unique, name: @cell_registry)
-    zero_spec = opts[:zero_spec]
-    if zero_spec do
-      setup(zero_spec, opts[:init_seq] || [])
-    end
-  end
-
   def cells(), do: @cell_registry
 
+  def child_spec(opts) do
+    %{id: __MODULE__, 
+      start: {__MODULE__, :setup, opts}}
+  end
+
   def setup({state, proc}, init_seq, proc_env \\ &proc_env/2) do
+    Registry.start_link(keys: :unique, name: cells())
     env_scope = {%State{init_seq: init_seq}, proc_env, [], self()}
     env = Core.neuron(env_scope)
     Actor.register(env, cells(), {:env, :c00})
     msg = Shape.create([:csys, :zero], data: %{addr: [:csys, :c00, "0-0"]})
     scope = {state, proc, [], env}
     Core.create(msg, scope)
-    env
+    #{:ok, env}
+    :ignore
   end
 
   def proc_env(msg, scope = {state, _proc, _syns, env}) do
@@ -59,10 +54,24 @@ defmodule Scopes.Core.Environ do
     state1 = %State{cells: cells, init_seq: seq}
     Core.update({state1, proc, syns, env})
     if step do
+      Process.sleep(1)
       step.(state1)
     end
   end
 
+  # accessing cell registry
+
+  def get_cell(addr) do
+    data = Registry.lookup(cells(), addr)
+    if data do
+      [{cell, _val}] = data
+      cell
+    else
+      Logger.warning "No cell found at address #{inspect(addr)}!"
+      nil
+    end
+  end
+
   # accessing cell registry via state.cells
 
   def get_cell(state, [dom, cat, item]) do
diff --git a/test/core/core_test.exs b/test/core/core_test.exs
index 12db1fb..503d916 100644
--- a/test/core/core_test.exs
+++ b/test/core/core_test.exs
@@ -17,12 +17,9 @@ defmodule Scopes.CoreTest do
 
   describe "core-basic:" do
     test "minimal-b1" do
-      Environ.start_link(
-        zero_spec: Program.prepare_basic(),
-        init_seq: Program.init_seq_b1())
-      #env = Environ.setup(Program.prepare_basic(), Program.init_seq_b1())
-      Process.sleep(50)
-      [{env, _val}] = Registry.lookup(Environ.cells(), {:env, :c00})
+      Environ.setup(Program.prepare_basic(), Program.init_seq_b1())
+      Process.sleep(10)
+      env = Environ.get_cell({:env, :c00})
       Environ.forward_value(env, [:csys, :c00, "0-0"], 0)
       assert 0 = receive_data().value
       Environ.forward_value(env, [:csys, :s01, "1-0"], 1)
@@ -31,18 +28,18 @@ defmodule Scopes.CoreTest do
       Environ.forward_value(env, [:csys, :s01, "1-1"], 3)
       assert receive_data().value in [2, 3]
       assert receive_data().value in [2, 3]
-      refute_receive msg, 30, "unhandled message(s): #{inspect(msg)}"
+      refute_receive msg, 10, "unhandled message(s): #{inspect(msg)}"
     end
 
     test "recursive-1" do
-      Environ.start_link()
-      env = Environ.setup(Program.prepare_basic(), Program.init_recursive_1())
-      Process.sleep(50)
+      Environ.setup(Program.prepare_basic(), Program.init_recursive_1())
+      Process.sleep(10)
+      env = Environ.get_cell({:env, :c00})
       Environ.forward_value(env, [:csys, :s01, "1-1"], 42)
       assert receive_data().value == 42
       Environ.forward_value(env, [:csys, :s01, "1-1"], 47)
       assert receive_data().value == 5
-      refute_receive msg, 30, "unhandled message(s): #{inspect(msg)}"
+      refute_receive msg, 10, "unhandled message(s): #{inspect(msg)}"
     end
   end
 end