diff --git a/lib/hcl-s.c b/lib/hcl-s.c
index 861cf2f..3af30e0 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-s.c
+++ b/lib/hcl-s.c
@@ -1639,7 +1639,6 @@ int hcl_server_proto_handle_request (hcl_server_proto_t* proto)
 				HCL_LOG0 (proto->hcl, SERVER_LOGMASK_ERROR, "Unexpected EOF without .END\n");
 				return -1;
 			}
-
 			/* drop connection silently */
 			return 0;
 
@@ -2193,7 +2192,6 @@ static void purge_all_workers (hcl_server_t* server, hcl_server_worker_state_t w
 		{
 			zap_worker_in_server (server, worker);
 			worker->claimed = 1;
-
 			if (worker->sck >= 0) shutdown (worker->sck, SHUT_RDWR);
 		}
 		pthread_mutex_unlock (&server->worker_mutex);
@@ -2367,6 +2365,10 @@ static int setup_listeners (hcl_server_t* server, const hcl_bch_t* addrs)
 		fcv = fcntl(srv_fd, F_GETFD, 0);
 		if (fcv >= 0) fcntl(srv_fd, F_SETFD, fcv | O_CLOEXEC);
 	#endif
+	#if defined(O_NONBLOCK)
+		fcv = fcntl(srv_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
+		if (fcv >= 0) fcntl(srv_fd, F_SETFL, fcv | O_NONBLOCK);
+	#endif
 
 		if (bind(srv_fd, (struct sockaddr*)&srv_addr, srv_len) == -1)
 		{
@@ -2492,6 +2494,13 @@ int hcl_server_start (hcl_server_t* server, const hcl_bch_t* addrs)
 				{
 					if (server->stopreq) break; /* normal termination requested */
 					if (errno == EINTR) continue; /* interrupted but no termination requested */
+				#if defined(EWOULDBLOCK) && defined(EAGAIN) && (EWOULDBLOCK != EAGAIN)
+					if (errno == EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EAGAIN) continue;
+				#elif defined(EWOULDBLOCK)
+					if (errno == EWOULDBLOCK) continue;
+				#elif defined(EAGAIN)
+					if (errno == EAGAIN) continue;
+				#endif
 
 					set_err_with_syserr (server, errno, "unable to accept worker on server socket %d", evp->data.fd);
 					xret = -1;
diff --git a/lib/main-c.c b/lib/main-c.c
index fe1f103..cce9044 100644
--- a/lib/main-c.c
+++ b/lib/main-c.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
@@ -537,13 +538,32 @@ static int handle_request (hcl_client_t* client, const char* ipaddr, const char*
 	sck = socket (sckfam, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (sck <= -1) 
 	{
-		fprintf (stderr, "cannot create a socket for %s\n", ipaddr);
+		fprintf (stderr, "cannot create a socket for %s - %s\n", ipaddr, strerror(errno));
 		goto oops;
 	}
 
+	if (sckfam == AF_INET)
+	{
+		struct sockaddr_in anyaddr;
+		int opt = 1;
+		setsockopt(sck, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, (char *)&opt, sizeof(opt));
+		memset (&anyaddr, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(anyaddr));
+		anyaddr.sin_family = sckfam;
+		bind(sck, (struct sockaddr *)&anyaddr, scklen);
+	}
+	else if (sckfam == AF_INET6)
+	{
+		struct sockaddr_in6 anyaddr;
+		int opt = 1;
+		setsockopt(sck, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, (char *)&opt, sizeof(opt));
+		memset (&anyaddr, 0, HCL_SIZEOF(anyaddr));
+		anyaddr.sin6_family = sckfam;
+		bind(sck, (struct sockaddr *)&anyaddr, scklen);
+	}
+
 	if (connect(sck, (struct sockaddr*)&sckaddr, scklen) <= -1)
 	{
-		fprintf (stderr, "cannot connect to %s\n", ipaddr);
+		fprintf (stderr, "cannot connect to %s - %s\n", ipaddr, strerror(errno));
 		goto oops;
 	}
 
@@ -633,6 +653,17 @@ static int handle_request (hcl_client_t* client, const char* ipaddr, const char*
 	}
 
 /* TODO: we can check if the buffer has all been consumed. if not, there is trailing garbage.. */
+
+	/*shutdown (sck, (shut_wr_after_req? SHUT_RD: SHUT_RDWR));*/
+	if (!shut_wr_after_req) shutdown (sck, SHUT_RDWR);
+
+	/*{
+		struct linger linger;
+		linger.l_onoff = 1;
+		linger.l_linger = 0;
+		setsockopt (sck, SOL_SOCKET, SO_LINGER, (char *) &linger, sizeof(linger));
+	}*/
+
 	close (sck);
 	return 0;