diff --git a/devtools/restart_state/main.go b/devtools/restart_state/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3068a38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/restart_state/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+
+	"git.defalsify.org/vise.git/logging"
+	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/config"
+	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/initializers"
+	"git.grassecon.net/urdt/ussd/internal/storage"
+)
+
+var (
+	logg      = logging.NewVanilla()
+	scriptDir = path.Join("services", "registration")
+)
+
+func init() {
+	initializers.LoadEnvVariables()
+}
+
+func main() {
+	config.LoadConfig()
+
+	var dbDir string
+	var sessionId string
+	var database string
+
+	flag.StringVar(&sessionId, "session-id", "075xx2123", "session id")
+	flag.StringVar(&database, "db", "gdbm", "database to be used")
+	flag.StringVar(&dbDir, "dbdir", ".state", "database dir to read from")
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "SessionId", sessionId)
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "Database", database)
+
+	resourceDir := scriptDir
+	menuStorageService := storage.NewMenuStorageService(dbDir, resourceDir)
+
+	err := menuStorageService.EnsureDbDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	pe, err := menuStorageService.GetPersister(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	// initialize the persister
+
+	// get the state
+
+	// restart the state
+
+	// persist the state
+
+	// exit
+
+	st := pe.GetState()
+
+	if st == nil {
+		logg.ErrorCtxf(ctx, "state fail in devtool", "state", st)
+		fmt.Errorf("cannot get state")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+
+	st.Restart()
+
+	os.Exit(1)
+}
diff --git a/internal/handlers/ussd/menuhandler.go b/internal/handlers/ussd/menuhandler.go
index 0b8ea64..f509ff4 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/ussd/menuhandler.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/ussd/menuhandler.go
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ func (h *Handlers) Init(ctx context.Context, sym string, input []byte) (resource
 	h.st = h.pe.GetState()
 	h.ca = h.pe.GetMemory()
 
+	if len(input) == 0 {
+		// move to the top node
+		h.st.Code = []byte{}
+	}
+
 	sessionId, _ := ctx.Value("SessionId").(string)
 	flag_admin_privilege, _ := h.flagManager.GetFlag("flag_admin_privilege")
 
diff --git a/internal/http/server.go b/internal/http/server.go
index 3ea0159..a6239c4 100644
--- a/internal/http/server.go
+++ b/internal/http/server.go
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ var (
 type DefaultRequestParser struct {
 }
 
-
-func(rp *DefaultRequestParser) GetSessionId(rq any) (string, error) {
+func (rp *DefaultRequestParser) GetSessionId(rq any) (string, error) {
 	rqv, ok := rq.(*http.Request)
 	if !ok {
 		return "", handlers.ErrInvalidRequest
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ func(rp *DefaultRequestParser) GetSessionId(rq any) (string, error) {
 	return v, nil
 }
 
-func(rp *DefaultRequestParser) GetInput(rq any) ([]byte, error) {
+func (rp *DefaultRequestParser) GetInput(rq any) ([]byte, error) {
 	rqv, ok := rq.(*http.Request)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, handlers.ErrInvalidRequest
@@ -53,25 +52,24 @@ func ToSessionHandler(h handlers.RequestHandler) *SessionHandler {
 	}
 }
 
-func(f *SessionHandler) writeError(w http.ResponseWriter, code int, err error) {
+func (f *SessionHandler) writeError(w http.ResponseWriter, code int, err error) {
 	s := err.Error()
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Length", strconv.Itoa(len(s)))
 	w.WriteHeader(code)
-	_, err = w.Write([]byte{})
+	_, err = w.Write([]byte(s))
 	if err != nil {
 		logg.Errorf("error writing error!!", "err", err, "olderr", s)
 		w.WriteHeader(500)
 	}
-	return 
 }
 
-func(f *SessionHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+func (f *SessionHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	var code int
 	var err error
 	var perr error
 
 	rqs := handlers.RequestSession{
-		Ctx: req.Context(),
+		Ctx:    req.Context(),
 		Writer: w,
 	}