diff --git a/RISE-V2G-EVCC/EVCCConfig.properties b/RISE-V2G-EVCC/EVCCConfig.properties
index 8c977d1..ff74488 100644
--- a/RISE-V2G-EVCC/EVCCConfig.properties
+++ b/RISE-V2G-EVCC/EVCCConfig.properties
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ RequestedPaymentOption =
 # - DC_extended
 # - DC_combo_core
 # - DC_unique
-RequestedEnergyTransferMode = 
+RequestedEnergyTransferMode = DC_core
 
 
 # XML representation of messages
diff --git a/RISE-V2G-EVCC/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/evcc/transportLayer/StatefulTransportLayerClient.java b/RISE-V2G-EVCC/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/evcc/transportLayer/StatefulTransportLayerClient.java
index 0b3ca99..7280f8e 100644
--- a/RISE-V2G-EVCC/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/evcc/transportLayer/StatefulTransportLayerClient.java
+++ b/RISE-V2G-EVCC/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/evcc/transportLayer/StatefulTransportLayerClient.java
@@ -54,7 +54,16 @@ public abstract class StatefulTransportLayerClient  extends Observable implement
 		try {
 			setBytesReadFromInputStream(getInStream().read(getV2gTPHeader()));
 		} catch (IOException e) {
-			
+			/* 
+			 * If there are no bytes buffered on the socket, or all buffered bytes have been consumed by read, 
+			 * then all subsequent calls to read will throw an IOException.
+			 */
+			stopAndNotify("IOExeption occurred while trying to read the header of the incoming message. "
+							+ "Maybe timeout occurred?", e);
+			return false;
+		} catch (NullPointerException e2) {
+			stopAndNotify("NullPointerException occurred while trying to read the header of the incoming message", e2);
+			return false;
 		}
 	
 		if (getBytesReadFromInputStream() < 0) {
diff --git a/RISE-V2G-Shared/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/shared/messageHandling/MessageHandler.java b/RISE-V2G-Shared/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/shared/messageHandling/MessageHandler.java
index 310f0ab..6a5f014 100644
--- a/RISE-V2G-Shared/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/shared/messageHandling/MessageHandler.java
+++ b/RISE-V2G-Shared/src/main/java/org/eclipse/risev2g/shared/messageHandling/MessageHandler.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class MessageHandler {
 		byte[] encodedEXI = getExiCodec().encodeEXI(jaxbObject, false);
 		
 		// For test purposes you can log the byte array
-//		getLogger().debug("Encoded EXI byte array: " + ByteUtils.toStringFromByteArray(encodedEXI));
+//		getLogger().debug("Encoded EXI byte array: " + ByteUtils.toHexString(encodedEXI));
 		
 		return encodedEXI;
 	}