diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/LPCUSB/USB_SENSOR_STREAM.c b/gyro_board/src/usb/LPCUSB/USB_SENSOR_STREAM.c
index 09d9205..99218cf 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/LPCUSB/USB_SENSOR_STREAM.c
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/LPCUSB/USB_SENSOR_STREAM.c
@@ -286,10 +286,7 @@
   USBHwEPWrite(ISOC_IN_EP, (unsigned char *)&usbPacket, sizeof(usbPacket));
 }
 
-void vUSBTask(void *pvParameters) {
-  portTickType xLastFlashTime;
-
-  (void) pvParameters;
+void usb_init(void) {
   DBG("Initialising USB stack\n");
 
   xRxedChars = xQueueCreate(usbRXBUFFER_LEN, sizeof(char));
@@ -329,20 +326,6 @@
   DBG("Connecting to USB bus\n");
   USBHwConnect(TRUE);
 
-  xLastFlashTime = xTaskGetTickCount();
-
-  vTaskDelayUntil(&xLastFlashTime, 1000 / portTICK_RATE_MS * 100);
-
-  //USBHwAllowConnect();
-  // echo any character received (do USB stuff in interrupt)
-  for (;;) {
-    //  c = VCOM_getchar();
-    //  if (c != EOF) {
-    //    // Echo character back with INCREMENT_ECHO_BY offset, so for example if
-    //    // INCREMENT_ECHO_BY is 1 and 'A' is received, 'B' will be echoed back.
-    //    VCOM_putchar(c + INCREMENT_ECHO_BY);
-    //  }
-    vTaskDelayUntil(&xLastFlashTime, 1000 / portTICK_RATE_MS);
-  }
+  // Enable USB.  The PC has probably disconnected it now.
+  USBHwAllowConnect();
 }
-
diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/ParTest.c b/gyro_board/src/usb/ParTest.c
index 0404edf..fa979cd 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/ParTest.c
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/ParTest.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
         GPIO2->FIODIR |= partstFIO1_BITS;
 
         /* Start will all LEDs off. */
-        GPIO2->FIOCLR = partstFIO1_BITS;
+        GPIO2->FIOSET = partstFIO1_BITS;
 }
 /*-----------------------------------------------------------*/
 
diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/encoder.c b/gyro_board/src/usb/encoder.c
index 6c4999c..205f44e 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/encoder.c
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/encoder.c
@@ -475,9 +475,15 @@
 }
 
 void fillSensorPacket(struct DataStruct *packet) {
-  packet->gyro_angle = gyro_output.angle;
-  packet->old_gyro_reading = gyro_output.last_reading_bad;
-  packet->bad_gyro = gyro_output.gyro_bad;
+  if (gyro_output.initialized) {
+    packet->gyro_angle = gyro_output.angle;
+    packet->old_gyro_reading = gyro_output.last_reading_bad;
+    packet->bad_gyro = gyro_output.gyro_bad;
+  } else {
+    packet->gyro_angle = 0;
+    packet->old_gyro_reading = 1;
+    packet->bad_gyro = 0;
+  }
 
   packet->dip_switch0 = dip_switch(0);
   packet->dip_switch1 = dip_switch(1);
diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.c b/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.c
index d52a698..866e890 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.c
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.c
@@ -46,12 +46,13 @@
   }
   uint16_t low_value = spi_read();
   gyro_disable_csel();
-  if (__builtin_parity(low_value) != 1) {
-    printf("low value 0x%"PRIx16" parity error\n", high_value);
+  uint32_t r = high_value << 16 | low_value;
+  if (__builtin_parity(r) != 1) {
+    printf("low value 0x%"PRIx16" parity error (r=%"PRIx32")\n", low_value, r);
     *parity_error = 1;
   }
 
-  return high_value << 16 | low_value;
+  return r;
 }
 
 // Returns all of the non-data bits in the "header" except the parity from
@@ -184,6 +185,56 @@
 }
 
 static portTASK_FUNCTION(gyro_read_task, pvParameters) {
+  // Connect power and clock.
+  SC->PCONP |= PCONP_PCSSP0;
+  SC->PCLKSEL1 &= ~(3 << 10);
+  SC->PCLKSEL1 |= 1 << 10;
+
+  // Set up SSEL.
+  // It's is just a GPIO pin because we're the master (it would be special if we
+  // were a slave).
+  gyro_disable_csel();
+  GPIO0->FIODIR |= 1 << 16;
+  PINCON->PINSEL1 &= ~(3 << 0);
+  PINCON->PINSEL1 |= 0 << 0;
+
+  // Set up MISO0 and MOSI0.
+  PINCON->PINSEL1 &= ~(3 << 2 | 3 << 4);
+  PINCON->PINSEL1 |= 2 << 2 | 2 << 4;
+
+  // Set up SCK0.
+  PINCON->PINSEL0 &= ~(3 << 30);
+  PINCON->PINSEL0 |= (2 << 30);
+
+  // Make sure it's disabled.
+  SSP0->CR1 = 0;
+  SSP0->CR0 =
+      0xF /* 16 bit transfer */ |
+      0 << 4 /* SPI mode */ |
+      0 << 6 /* CPOL = 0 */ |
+      0 << 7 /* CPHA = 0 */;
+  // 14 clocks per cycle.  This works out to a ~7.2MHz bus.
+  // The gyro is rated for a maximum of 8.08MHz.
+  SSP0->CPSR = 14;
+  // Finally, enable it.
+  // This has to be done after we're done messing with everything else.
+  SSP0->CR1 |= 1 << 1;
+
+  if (gyro_setup()) {
+    printf("gyro setup failed. deleting task\n");
+    gyro_output.angle = 0;
+    gyro_output.last_reading_bad = gyro_output.gyro_bad = 1;
+    gyro_output.initialized = 1;
+    vTaskDelete(NULL);
+    return;
+  } else {
+    gyro_output.initialized = 1;
+  }
+
+  gyro_output.angle = 0;
+  gyro_output.last_reading_bad = 1;  // until we're started up
+  gyro_output.gyro_bad = 0;
+
   // How many times per second to read the gyro value.
   static const int kGyroReadFrequency = 200;
   // How many times per second to flash the LED.
@@ -288,53 +339,7 @@
 }
 
 void gyro_init(void) {
-  // Connect power and clock.
-  SC->PCONP |= PCONP_PCSSP0;
-  SC->PCLKSEL1 &= ~(3 << 10);
-  SC->PCLKSEL1 |= 1 << 10;
-
-  // Set up SSEL.
-  // It's is just a GPIO pin because we're the master (it would be special if we
-  // were a slave).
-  gyro_disable_csel();
-  GPIO0->FIODIR |= 1 << 16;
-  PINCON->PINSEL1 &= ~(3 << 0);
-  PINCON->PINSEL1 |= 0 << 0;
-
-  // Set up MISO0 and MOSI0.
-  PINCON->PINSEL1 &= ~(3 << 2 | 3 << 4);
-  PINCON->PINSEL1 |= 2 << 2 | 2 << 2;
-
-  // Set up SCK0.
-  PINCON->PINSEL0 &= ~(3 << 30);
-  PINCON->PINSEL0 |= (2 << 30);
-
-  // Make sure it's disabled.
-  SSP0->CR1 = 0;
-  SSP0->CR0 =
-      0xF /* 16 bit transfer */ |
-      0 << 4 /* SPI mode */ |
-      0 << 6 /* CPOL = 0 */ |
-      0 << 7 /* CPHA = 0 */;
-  // 14 clocks per cycle.  This works out to a ~7.2MHz bus.
-  // The gyro is rated for a maximum of 8.08MHz.
-  SSP0->CPSR = 14;
-  // Set it to master mode.
-  SSP0->CR1 |= 1 << 2;
-  // Finally, enable it.
-  // This has to be done after we're done messing with everything else.
-  SSP0->CR1 |= 1 << 1;
-
-  if (gyro_setup()) {
-    printf("gyro setup failed. not starting task\n");
-    gyro_output.angle = 0;
-    gyro_output.last_reading_bad = gyro_output.gyro_bad = 1;
-    return;
-  }
-
-  gyro_output.angle = 0;
-  gyro_output.last_reading_bad = 1;  // until we're started up
-  gyro_output.gyro_bad = 0;
+  gyro_output.initialized = 0;
 
   xTaskCreate(gyro_read_task, (signed char *) "gyro",
               configMINIMAL_STACK_SIZE + 100, NULL,
diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.h b/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.h
index 7b9521e..2c74aad 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.h
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/gyro.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   int64_t angle;
   int last_reading_bad;
   int gyro_bad;
+  int initialized;
 };
 // This gets updated in a portENTER_CRITICAL/portEXIT_CRITICAL() block so all of
 // the values will be in sync.
diff --git a/gyro_board/src/usb/main.c b/gyro_board/src/usb/main.c
index 4a5eca4..3ac21c8 100644
--- a/gyro_board/src/usb/main.c
+++ b/gyro_board/src/usb/main.c
@@ -39,10 +39,7 @@
 #include "CAN.h"
 #include "gyro.h"
 
-/*
- * The task that handles the USB stack.
- */
-extern void vUSBTask(void *pvParameters);
+extern void usb_init(void);
 
 // Sets up (and connects) PLL0.
 // The CPU will be running at 100 MHz with a 12 MHz clock input when this is
@@ -162,11 +159,6 @@
 int main(void) {
   setup_hardware();
 
-  /* Create the USB task. */
-  xTaskCreate(vUSBTask, (signed char *) "USB",
-              configMINIMAL_STACK_SIZE + 1020, (void *) NULL,
-              tskIDLE_PRIORITY + 3, NULL);
-
   digital_init();
 
   analog_init();
@@ -175,11 +167,10 @@
 
   gyro_init();
 
-  // Enable USB.  The PC has probably disconnected it now.
-  USBHwAllowConnect();
-
   initCAN();
 
+  usb_init();
+
   // Start the scheduler.
   vTaskStartScheduler();