diff --git a/brmdoor_nfc.config.sample b/brmdoor_nfc.config.sample
index b2bdfb6..ce73959 100644
--- a/brmdoor_nfc.config.sample
+++ b/brmdoor_nfc.config.sample
@@ -48,8 +48,19 @@ reconnect_delay = 300
 # There is no point in enabling this if you disabled IRC
 # Still has one bug - python-irc won't retrieve properly topic
 # enabled - True/False
-# status_file - file in sysfs that contains 1 or 0 defining the state of button
-# open_value - which value in status_file respresents the switch being in "OPEN" position, 1 character
+# status_file - file that contains value of the button, may end with newline (you probably want something in /sys fs)
+# open_value - which value in status_file respresents the switch being in "OPEN" position
+#
+# Note: for use with Raspberry Pi, to read from GPIO in sysfs, you need to enable the PIN in input mode before starting
+# this daemon, e.g. with GPIO 11 as an example (note that there are 2 numbering PIN schemes):
+#    #!/bin/bash
+#    export PIN=11
+#
+#    if [ '!' -d /sys/class/gpio/gpio$PIN ]; then
+#        echo $PIN > /sys/class/gpio/export
+#        echo in > /sys/class/gpio/gpio$PIN/direction
+#    fi
+
 enabled = False
 status_file = /sys/class/gpio/gpio11/value
 open_value = 1
diff --git a/brmdoor_nfc_daemon.py b/brmdoor_nfc_daemon.py
index aef578f..b8dc330 100755
--- a/brmdoor_nfc_daemon.py
+++ b/brmdoor_nfc_daemon.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import threading
 import irc.client
 import ssl
 import Queue
-import re
 
 from binascii import hexlify
 from functools import partial
@@ -138,9 +137,6 @@ class NFCScanner(object):
                 sys.exit(2)
             except Exception:
                 logging.exception("Exception in main unlock thread")
-            logging.info("Request topic")
-            channelPrefixMap[self.ircThread.channels[0]] = "OPEN |"
-            self.ircThread.getTopic(self.ircThread.channels[0])
 
     def sendIrcMessage(self, msg):
         """
@@ -349,9 +345,8 @@ class OpenSwitchThread(threading.Thread):
         lastStatus = None #Some random value so that first time it will be registered as change
         while True:
             try:
-                switchFile = open(self.statusFile)
-                status = switchFile.read(1)
-                switchFile.close()
+                with open(self.statusFile) as switchFile:
+                    status = switchFile.read().rstrip()
                 if status != lastStatus:
                     logging.info("Open switch status changed, new status: %s", status)
                     lastStatus = status
@@ -361,18 +356,16 @@ class OpenSwitchThread(threading.Thread):
                         strStatus = "CLOSED |"
 
                     if self.ircThread.connected:
-                        with self.ircThread.threadLock:
-                            for channel in self.ircThread.channels:
-                                #TODO: getTopic always returns None, the problem is in implementenation
-                                topic = self.ircThread.getTopic(channel)
-                                if not topic or not re.match(r"^\s*(OPEN|CLOSED) \|", topic):
-                                    newTopic = strStatus
-                                else:
-                                    newTopic = re.sub(r"^\s*(OPEN|CLOSED) \|", strStatus, topic)
-                                self.ircThread.setTopic(channel, newTopic)
+                        for channel in self.ircThread.channels:
+                            logging.info("Request topic for channel %s with intention to change it, prefix %s",
+                                         channel, strStatus)
+                            channelPrefixMap[channel] = strStatus
+                            self.ircThread.getTopic(channel)
             except (IOError, OSError):
-                logging.exception("Could not read switch status")
-                pass #silently ignore non-existent file and other errors, otherwise it'd spam log
+                logging.debug("Could not read switch status file %s", self.statusFile)
+                e = threading.Event()
+                e.wait(timeout=5)
+                pass #just log the error, but don't spam IRC
             except Exception:
                 logging.exception("Exception in open switch thread")
             e = threading.Event()