diff --git a/collectd.py b/collectd.py
index 2fee145..5e51de6 100644
--- a/collectd.py
+++ b/collectd.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("collectd")
 
-SEND_INTERVAL = 10      # seconds
 MAX_PACKET_SIZE = 1024  # bytes
 
 PLUGIN_TYPE = "gauge"
@@ -37,6 +36,14 @@
 VALUE_GAUGE    = 1
 VALUE_DERIVE   = 2
 VALUE_ABSOLUTE = 3
+
+VALUE_LOOKUP = {
+    'counter':  VALUE_COUNTER,
+    'gauge':    VALUE_GAUGE,
+    'derive':   VALUE_DERIVE,
+    'absolute': VALUE_ABSOLUTE,
+}
+
 VALUE_CODES = {
     VALUE_COUNTER:  "!Q",
     VALUE_GAUGE:    "<d",
@@ -52,10 +59,14 @@ def pack_string(type_code, string):
     return struct.pack("!HH", type_code, 5 + len(string)) + string + "\0"
 
 def pack_value(name, value):
+    value_type = VALUE_LOOKUP[PLUGIN_TYPE]
+    value_fmt = VALUE_CODES[value_type]
+
     return "".join([
         pack(TYPE_TYPE_INSTANCE, name),
         struct.pack("!HHH", TYPE_VALUES, 15, 1),
-        struct.pack("<Bd", VALUE_GAUGE, value)
+        struct.pack("<B", value_type),
+        struct.pack(value_fmt, value)
     ])
 
 def pack(id, value):
@@ -68,19 +79,19 @@ def pack(id, value):
     else:
         raise AssertionError("invalid type code " + str(id))
 
-def message_start(when=None, host=socket.gethostname(), plugin_inst="", plugin_name="any"):
+def message_start(when=None, host=socket.gethostname(), plugin_inst="", plugin_name="any", send_interval=10):
     return "".join([
         pack(TYPE_HOST, host),
         pack(TYPE_TIME, when or time.time()),
         pack(TYPE_PLUGIN, plugin_name),
         pack(TYPE_PLUGIN_INSTANCE, plugin_inst),
         pack(TYPE_TYPE, PLUGIN_TYPE),
-        pack(TYPE_INTERVAL, SEND_INTERVAL)
+        pack(TYPE_INTERVAL, send_interval)
     ])
 
-def messages(counts, when=None, host=socket.gethostname(), plugin_inst="", plugin_name="any"):
+def messages(counts, when=None, host=socket.gethostname(), plugin_inst="", plugin_name="any", send_interval=10):
     packets = []
-    start = message_start(when, host, plugin_inst, plugin_name)
+    start = message_start(when, host, plugin_inst, plugin_name, send_interval)
     parts = [pack(name, count) for name,count in counts.items()]
     parts = [p for p in parts if len(start) + len(p) <= MAX_PACKET_SIZE]
     if parts:
@@ -158,7 +169,7 @@ class Connection(object):
     @synchronized
     def __new__(cls, hostname = socket.gethostname(),
                      collectd_host = "localhost", collectd_port = 25826,
-                     plugin_inst = "", plugin_name = "any"):
+                     plugin_inst = "", plugin_name = "any", send_interval=10):
         id = (hostname, collectd_host, collectd_port, plugin_inst, plugin_name)
         if id in cls.instances:
             return cls.instances[id]
@@ -169,7 +180,7 @@ def __new__(cls, hostname = socket.gethostname(),
     
     def __init__(self, hostname = socket.gethostname(),
                        collectd_host = "localhost", collectd_port = 25826,
-                       plugin_inst = "", plugin_name = "any"):
+                       plugin_inst = "", plugin_name = "any", send_interval=10):
         if "_counters" not in self.__dict__:
             self._lock = RLock()
             self._counters = {}
@@ -177,6 +188,7 @@ def __init__(self, hostname = socket.gethostname(),
             self._plugin_name = plugin_name
             self._hostname = hostname
             self._collectd_addr = (collectd_host, collectd_port)
+            self._send_interval = send_interval
     
     @synchronized
     def __getattr__(self, name):
@@ -208,7 +220,7 @@ def take_snapshots():
 def send_stats(raise_on_empty = False):
     try:
         when, stats, conn = snaps.get(timeout = 0.1)
-        for message in messages(stats, when, conn._hostname, conn._plugin_inst, conn._plugin_name):
+        for message in messages(stats, when, conn._hostname, conn._plugin_inst, conn._plugin_name, conn._send_interval):
             sock.sendto(message, conn._collectd_addr)
     except Empty:
         if raise_on_empty:
@@ -232,7 +244,7 @@ def wrapped():
     t.start()
 
 single_start = Semaphore()
-def start_threads():
+def start_threads(send_interval=10):
     assert single_start.acquire(blocking = False)
-    daemonize(take_snapshots, sleep_for = SEND_INTERVAL)
+    daemonize(take_snapshots, sleep_for = send_interval)
     daemonize(send_stats)