debug(ctx, "BEGIN\n");
        debug(ctx, "packet_type:     0x%08x (%u)\n", h->packet_type, h->packet_type);
-       debug(ctx, "direction:       0x%02hhx (%hhu)\n", h->direction, h->direction);
+       debug(ctx, "direction:       0x%02hhx (%hhu) (%s)\n", h->direction, h->direction,
+             h->direction == AM7XXX_DIRECTION_IN ? "IN" :
+             h->direction == AM7XXX_DIRECTION_OUT ? "OUT" :
+             "UNKNOWN");
        debug(ctx, "header_data_len: 0x%02hhx (%hhu)\n", h->header_data_len, h->header_data_len);
        debug(ctx, "unknown2:        0x%02hhx (%hhu)\n", h->unknown2, h->unknown2);
        debug(ctx, "unknown3:        0x%02hhx (%hhu)\n", h->unknown3, h->unknown3);
 
        unserialize_header(dev->buffer, h);
 
-       debug_dump_header(dev->ctx, h);
-
        if (h->direction == AM7XXX_DIRECTION_IN) {
                ret = 0;
        } else {
                ret = -EINVAL;
        }
 
+       debug_dump_header(dev->ctx, h);
+
 out:
        return ret;
 }
 
        debug_dump_header(dev->ctx, h);
 
+       /* For symmetry with read_header() we should check here for
+        * h->direction == AM7XXX_DIRECTION_OUT but we just ensure that in all
+        * the callers and save some cycles here.
+        */
+
        serialize_header(h, dev->buffer);
+
        ret = send_data(dev, dev->buffer, AM7XXX_HEADER_WIRE_SIZE);
        if (ret < 0)
                error(dev->ctx, "failed to send data\n");
                return NULL;
        }
 
-       devices_list = &(ctx->devices_list);
-
        new_device = malloc(sizeof(*new_device));
        if (new_device == NULL) {
                fatal("cannot allocate a new device (%s)\n", strerror(errno));
 
        new_device->ctx = ctx;
 
+       devices_list = &(ctx->devices_list);
+
        if (*devices_list == NULL) {
                *devices_list = new_device;
        } else {