diff --git a/send_requests.bash b/send_requests.bash
index 726461b..06cda7f 100755
--- a/send_requests.bash
+++ b/send_requests.bash
@@ -7,20 +7,21 @@ if [[ "${TRACE-0}" == "1" ]]; then set -o xtrace; fi
 RATE_CHANGE_FACTOR=$1
 IFS=" " read -r -a OPTS <<< $2
 URL=${OPTS[0]}; METHOD=${OPTS[1]}; RATE=${OPTS[2]}; BODY=${OPTS[3]}
-SLEEP_TIME=$(expr 60 / $RATE / $RATE_CHANGE_FACTOR)
+SLEEP_TIME=$(perl -e "print 60.0 / $RATE / $RATE_CHANGE_FACTOR")
 
-until false
-do
-  curl --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
-       --data $BODY \
-       -X $METHOD \
-       -s $URL \
-       -o /dev/null
+send_req () {
+  COMMAND="curl -X $METHOD --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data '$BODY' -s '$URL' -o /dev/null"
+  eval $COMMAND
   if [ $? -eq 0 ]
   then
     printf '%s' "."
   else
     printf '%s' "x"
   fi
+}
+until false
+do
+  send_req &
   sleep $SLEEP_TIME
 done
+