-extern int jbus_callj(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, const char *query, void (*onresp)(int, struct json_object *, void *), void *data);
-extern int jbus_call(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, struct json_object *query, void (*onresp)(int, struct json_object *response, void *), void *data);
+/* verbs for the clients */
+extern int jbus_call_ss(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, const char *query, void (*onresp)(int, const char *, void *), void *data);
+extern int jbus_call_js(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, struct json_object *query, void (*onresp)(int, const char *, void *), void *data);
+extern int jbus_call_sj(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, const char *query, void (*onresp)(int, struct json_object *, void *), void *data);
+extern int jbus_call_jj(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, struct json_object *query, void (*onresp)(int, struct json_object *, void *), void *data);
+
+extern char *jbus_call_ss_sync(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, const char *query);
+extern char *jbus_call_js_sync(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, struct json_object *query);
+extern struct json_object *jbus_call_sj_sync(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, const char *query);
+extern struct json_object *jbus_call_jj_sync(struct jbus *jbus, const char *method, struct json_object *query);
+
+extern int jbus_on_signal_s(struct jbus *jbus, const char *name, void (*onsignal)(const char *));
+extern int jbus_on_signal_j(struct jbus *jbus, const char *name, void (*onsignal)(struct json_object *));