diff --git a/host/source/inlprog.c b/host/source/inlprog.c
index 6a5cfae..26c5c89 100644
--- a/host/source/inlprog.c
+++ b/host/source/inlprog.c
@@ -13,14 +13,10 @@
 #include "dbg.h"
 
 #include "usb_operations.h"
-#include "usb_commands.h"
 #include "write_operations.h"
 
-
-// vendor requests also defined in firmware
-// TODO put in combined .h file for both host and fw
-//#define REQ_LED_ON  1
-//#define REQ_LED_OFF 2
+//TODO remove once commands removed from main
+#include "shared_usb_commands.h"
 
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) 
diff --git a/host/source/usb_operations.c b/host/source/usb_operations.c
index c24d8aa..e1073ad 100644
--- a/host/source/usb_operations.c
+++ b/host/source/usb_operations.c
@@ -1,20 +1,5 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <libusb.h>
-
-//uncomment to DEBUG this file alone
-//#define DEBUG
-//"make debug" to get DEBUG msgs on entire program
-#include "dbg.h"
-
 #include "usb_operations.h"
 
-//USB timeout
-#define SEC_5 5000
-
 //control transfer request types
 //uint8_t libusb_control_setup::bmRequestType
 //Request type.
diff --git a/host/source/usb_operations.h b/host/source/usb_operations.h
index c7b4bb0..41aba89 100644
--- a/host/source/usb_operations.h
+++ b/host/source/usb_operations.h
@@ -1,8 +1,19 @@
 #ifndef _usb_operations_h
 #define _usb_operations_h
 
-#include "usb_operations.h"
-#include "usb_commands.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <libusb.h>
+
+//uncomment to DEBUG this file alone
+//#define DEBUG
+//"make debug" to get DEBUG msgs on entire program
+#include "dbg.h"
+
+#include "shared_usb_commands.h"
 
 //control transfer request types
 //uint8_t libusb_control_setup::bmRequestType
diff --git a/host/source/write_operations.c b/host/source/write_operations.c
index 2dbb21f..91600bc 100644
--- a/host/source/write_operations.c
+++ b/host/source/write_operations.c
@@ -1,18 +1,4 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <assert.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-#include <libusb.h>
-
-//uncomment to DEBUG this file alone
-#define DEBUG
-//"make debug" to get DEBUG msgs on entire program
-#include "dbg.h"
-
 #include "write_operations.h"
-#include "usb_operations.h"
-#include "usb_commands.h"
 
 #define SIZE_NES_HEADER 16
 #define SIZE_PRG_BANK 16384
diff --git a/host/source/write_operations.h b/host/source/write_operations.h
index 201fbeb..892150a 100644
--- a/host/source/write_operations.h
+++ b/host/source/write_operations.h
@@ -1,7 +1,21 @@
 #ifndef _write_operations_h
 #define _write_operations_h
 
-#include "write_operations.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <libusb.h>
+
+#include "usb_operations.h"
+#include "shared_usb_commands.h"
+
+//uncomment to DEBUG this file alone
+#define DEBUG
+//"make debug" to get DEBUG msgs on entire program
+#include "dbg.h"
+
 
 int write_file( libusb_device_handle *usbhandle, char *filename, char *ines_mapper, char *board_config );
 
diff --git a/shared/shared_usb_commands.h b/shared/shared_usb_commands.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d7c453
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/shared_usb_commands.h
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#ifndef _shared_usb_commands_h
+#define _shared_usb_commands_h
+
+#define REQ_LED_ON  1
+#define REQ_LED_OFF 2
+
+#endif
diff --git a/shared/usb_commands.h b/shared/usb_commands.h
deleted file mode 100644
index c96b359..0000000
--- a/shared/usb_commands.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef _usb_commands_h
-#define _usb_commands_h
-
-#define REQ_LED_ON  1
-#define REQ_LED_OFF 2
-
-#endif