diff --git a/src/proxy.cpp b/src/proxy.cpp
index f4fdf071..a28030a3 100644
--- a/src/proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/proxy.cpp
@@ -76,8 +76,15 @@ int zmq::proxy (
         { control_, 0, ZMQ_POLLIN, 0 }
     };
     int qt_poll_items = (control_ ? 3 : 2);
-    enum {suspend, resume, terminate} state = resume;
-    while (state != terminate) {
+
+    //  Proxy can be in these three states
+    enum {
+        active,
+        paused,
+        terminated
+    } state = active;
+
+    while (state != terminated) {
         //  Wait while there are either requests or replies to process.
         rc = zmq_poll (&items [0], qt_poll_items, -1);
         if (unlikely (rc < 0))
@@ -85,46 +92,45 @@ int zmq::proxy (
 
         //  Process a control command if any
         if (control_ && items [2].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
-			rc = control_->recv (&msg, 0);
-			if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-				return -1;
+            rc = control_->recv (&msg, 0);
+            if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                return -1;
 
-			moresz = sizeof more;
-			rc = control_->getsockopt (ZMQ_RCVMORE, &more, &moresz);
-			if (unlikely (rc < 0) || more)
-				return -1;
+            moresz = sizeof more;
+            rc = control_->getsockopt (ZMQ_RCVMORE, &more, &moresz);
+            if (unlikely (rc < 0) || more)
+                return -1;
 
-			//  Copy message to capture socket if any
-			if (capture_) {
-				msg_t ctrl;
-				rc = ctrl.init ();
-				if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-					return -1;
-				rc = ctrl.copy (msg);
-				if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-					return -1;
-				rc = capture_->send (&ctrl, 0);
-				if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-					return -1;
-			}
-
-			// process control command
-			int size = msg.size();
-			char* message = (char*) malloc(size + 1);
-			memcpy(message, msg.data(), size);
-			message[size] = '\0';
-			if (size == 8 && !memcmp(message, "SUSPEND", 8))
-				state = suspend;
-			else if (size == 7 && !memcmp(message, "RESUME", 7))
-				state = resume;
-			else if (size == 10 && !memcmp(message, "TERMINATE", 10))
-				state = terminate;
-			else
-				fprintf(stderr, "Warning : \"%s\" bad command received by proxy\n", message); // prefered compared to "return -1"
-			free (message);
+            //  Copy message to capture socket if any
+            if (capture_) {
+                msg_t ctrl;
+                rc = ctrl.init ();
+                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                    return -1;
+                rc = ctrl.copy (msg);
+                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                    return -1;
+                rc = capture_->send (&ctrl, 0);
+                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                    return -1;
+            }
+            if (msg.size () == 6 && memcmp (msg.data (), "PAUSE", 6) == 0)
+                state = paused;
+            else
+            if (msg.size () == 7 && memcmp (msg.data (), "RESUME", 7) == 0)
+                state = active;
+            else
+            if (msg.size () == 10 && memcmp (msg.data (), "TERMINATE", 10) == 0)
+                state = terminated;
+            else {
+                //  This is an API error, we should assert
+                puts ("E: invalid command sent to proxy");
+                assert (false);
+            }
         }
         //  Process a request
-        if (state == resume && items [0].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
+        if (state == active
+        &&  items [0].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
             while (true) {
                 rc = frontend_->recv (&msg, 0);
                 if (unlikely (rc < 0))
@@ -156,38 +162,38 @@ int zmq::proxy (
             }
         }
         //  Process a reply
-        if (state == resume && items [1].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
+        if (state == active
+        &&  items [1].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
             while (true) {
                 rc = backend_->recv (&msg, 0);
-                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-                    return -1;
+            if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                return -1;
 
-                moresz = sizeof more;
-                rc = backend_->getsockopt (ZMQ_RCVMORE, &more, &moresz);
-                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-                    return -1;
+            moresz = sizeof more;
+            rc = backend_->getsockopt (ZMQ_RCVMORE, &more, &moresz);
+            if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                return -1;
 
-                //  Copy message to capture socket if any
-                if (capture_) {
-                    msg_t ctrl;
-                    rc = ctrl.init ();
-                    if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-                        return -1;
-                    rc = ctrl.copy (msg);
-                    if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-                        return -1;
-                    rc = capture_->send (&ctrl, more? ZMQ_SNDMORE: 0);
-                    if (unlikely (rc < 0))
-                        return -1;
-                }
-                rc = frontend_->send (&msg, more? ZMQ_SNDMORE: 0);
+            //  Copy message to capture socket if any
+            if (capture_) {
+                msg_t ctrl;
+                rc = ctrl.init ();
                 if (unlikely (rc < 0))
                     return -1;
-                if (more == 0)
-                    break;
+                rc = ctrl.copy (msg);
+                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                    return -1;
+                rc = capture_->send (&ctrl, more? ZMQ_SNDMORE: 0);
+                if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                    return -1;
+            }
+            rc = frontend_->send (&msg, more? ZMQ_SNDMORE: 0);
+            if (unlikely (rc < 0))
+                return -1;
+            if (more == 0)
+                break;
             }
         }
-
     }
     return 0;
 }