diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/jotomo/ruffyscripter/commands/PumpState.java b/app/src/main/java/de/jotomo/ruffyscripter/commands/PumpState.java
index 47260dc5f7..c8ff08a130 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/jotomo/ruffyscripter/commands/PumpState.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/jotomo/ruffyscripter/commands/PumpState.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ public class PumpState {
     public int tbrPercent = -1;
     public double tbrRate = -1;
     public int tbrRemainingDuration = -1;
-    public boolean isErrorOrWarning = false;
     public String errorMsg;
 
     public PumpState tbrActive(boolean tbrActive) {
@@ -34,11 +33,6 @@ public class PumpState {
         return this;
     }
 
-    public PumpState isErrorOrWarning(boolean isErrorOrWarning) {
-        this.isErrorOrWarning = isErrorOrWarning;
-        return this;
-    }
-
     public PumpState errorMsg(String errorMsg) {
         this.errorMsg = errorMsg;
         return this;
@@ -51,7 +45,6 @@ public class PumpState {
                 ", tbrPercent=" + tbrPercent +
                 ", tbrRate=" + tbrRate +
                 ", tbrRemainingDuration=" + tbrRemainingDuration +
-                ", isErrorOrWarning=" + isErrorOrWarning +
                 ", errorMsg=" + errorMsg +
                 ", timestamp=" + timestamp +
                 '}';
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboFragment.java
index e00838fc0e..e759b44ba3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboFragment.java
@@ -99,28 +99,20 @@ public class ComboFragment extends Fragment implements View.OnClickListener {
             activity.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
+                    status.setText(getPlugin().statusSummary);
                     PumpState ps = getPlugin().pumpState;
-                    status.setText(getPlugin().isBusy() ? "Busy" : "Idle");
-                    if (getPlugin() != null && ps != null) {
-                        boolean tbrActive = ps.tbrPercent != -1 && ps.tbrPercent != 100;
-                        if (tbrActive) {
-                            tbrPercentage.setText("" + ps.tbrPercent + "%");
-                            tbrDurationRemaining.setText("" + ps.tbrRemainingDuration + " min");
-                            tbrRate.setText("" + ps.tbrRate + " U/h");
-                        } else {
-                            tbrPercentage.setText("");
-                            tbrDurationRemaining.setText("");
-                            tbrRate.setText("");
-                        }
-                        errorMsg.setText(ps.errorMsg != null ? ps.errorMsg : "");
-                        lastUpdate.setText(ps.timestamp.toLocaleString());
+                    boolean tbrActive = ps.tbrPercent != -1 && ps.tbrPercent != 100;
+                    if (tbrActive) {
+                        tbrPercentage.setText("" + ps.tbrPercent + "%");
+                        tbrDurationRemaining.setText("" + ps.tbrRemainingDuration + " min");
+                        tbrRate.setText("" + ps.tbrRate + " U/h");
                     } else {
-                        tbrPercentage.setText("");
-                        tbrRate.setText("");
+                        tbrPercentage.setText("Default basal rate running");
                         tbrDurationRemaining.setText("");
-                        errorMsg.setText("");
-                        lastUpdate.setText("");
+                        tbrRate.setText("" + getPlugin().getBaseBasalRate() + " U/h");
                     }
+                    errorMsg.setText(ps.errorMsg != null ? ps.errorMsg : "");
+                    lastUpdate.setText(ps.timestamp.toLocaleString());
                 }
             });
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboPlugin.java b/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboPlugin.java
index 85a2203d07..ae1328c680 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboPlugin.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/info/nightscout/androidaps/plugins/PumpCombo/ComboPlugin.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.ServiceConnection;
 import android.os.IBinder;
 import android.os.SystemClock;
+import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.support.annotation.Nullable;
 
 import com.squareup.otto.Subscribe;
@@ -58,10 +59,11 @@ public class ComboPlugin implements PluginBase, PumpInterface {
     private Date lastCmdTime = new Date(0);
     private ServiceConnection mRuffyServiceConnection;
 
-    @Nullable
-    volatile PumpState pumpState;
+    @NonNull
+    volatile PumpState pumpState = new PumpState();
 
-    volatile String statusSummary = "No state received yet";
+    @NonNull
+    volatile String statusSummary = "Initializing";
 
     private static PumpEnactResult OPERATION_NOT_SUPPORTED = new PumpEnactResult();
 
@@ -308,40 +310,30 @@ public class ComboPlugin implements PluginBase, PumpInterface {
 
     // TODO if there was some clue as to what refreshDataFromPump would do with the data ...
     // that method calls NSUpload.uploadDeviceStatus(); in VirtualPump ...
-    public PumpState fetchPumpState() {
-        CommandResult commandResult = runCommand(new NoOpCommand());
-        if (commandResult.success) {
-            pumpState = commandResult.state;
-            return commandResult.state;
-        } else {
-            return new PumpState().errorMsg("Failure reading state from pump: " + commandResult.message);
-        }
+    void fetchPumpState() {
+        runCommand(new NoOpCommand());
     }
 
     private CommandResult runCommand(Command command) {
-        CommandResult commandResult;
-        try {
-            statusSummary = "Busy running " + command;
-            pumpState = null;
-            MainApp.bus().post(new EventComboPumpUpdateGUI());
-            commandResult = ruffyScripter.runCommand(command);
-            if (commandResult.success && commandResult.state != null) {
-                pumpState = commandResult.state;
-            }
-            return commandResult;
-        } finally {
-            lastCmdTime = new Date();
+        statusSummary = "Busy running command: " + command;
+        MainApp.bus().post(new EventComboPumpUpdateGUI());
+
+        CommandResult commandResult = ruffyScripter.runCommand(command);
+        log.debug("RuffyScripter returned from command invocation, result: " + commandResult);
+
+        lastCmdTime = new Date();
+        if (commandResult.success) {
             statusSummary = "Idle";
-            PumpState ps = pumpState;
-            if (ps != null) {
-                if (ps.errorMsg != null) {
-                    statusSummary = "Error: " + ps.errorMsg;
-                } else if (ps.isErrorOrWarning) {
-                    statusSummary = "Error: pump is in error mode, please check pump display";
-                }
+            pumpState = commandResult.state;
+        } else {
+            // TODO this is where we want to raise a noisily-vibrating alarm
+            statusSummary = "Command failed: " + command;
+            if (commandResult.message != null) {
+                pumpState.errorMsg = commandResult.message;
             }
-            MainApp.bus().post(new EventComboPumpUpdateGUI());
         }
+        MainApp.bus().post(new EventComboPumpUpdateGUI());
+        return commandResult;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -436,6 +428,8 @@ public class ComboPlugin implements PluginBase, PumpInterface {
     // cache as much as possible - every time we interact with the pump it vibrates at the end
     @Override
     public JSONObject getJSONStatus() {
+        /// TODO not doing that just yet
+        if (1==1) return null;
         JSONObject pump = new JSONObject();
         JSONObject status = new JSONObject();
         JSONObject extended = new JSONObject();