diff --git a/hio/lib/err.c b/hio/lib/err.c
index e300923..2e813aa 100644
--- a/hio/lib/err.c
+++ b/hio/lib/err.c
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ static hio_ooch_t errstr_20[] = {'I', '/', 'O', ' ', 'e', 'r', 'r', 'o', 'r', '\
 static hio_ooch_t errstr_21[] = {'e', 'n', 'c', 'o', 'd', 'i', 'n', 'g', ' ', 'c', 'o', 'n', 'v', 'e', 'r', 's', 'i', 'o', 'n', ' ', 'e', 'r', 'r', 'o', 'r', '\0' };
 static hio_ooch_t errstr_22[] = {'i', 'n', 's', 'u', 'f', 'f', 'i', 'c', 'i', 'e', 'n', 't', ' ', 'd', 'a', 't', 'a', ' ', 'f', 'o', 'r', ' ', 'e', 'n', 'c', 'o', 'd', 'i', 'n', 'g', ' ', 'c', 'o', 'n', 'v', 'e', 'r', 's', 'i', 'o', 'n', '\0' };
 static hio_ooch_t errstr_23[] = {'b', 'u', 'f', 'f', 'e', 'r', ' ', 'f', 'u', 'l', 'l', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_24[] = {'c', 'o', 'n', 'n', 'e', 'c', 't', 'i', 'o', 'n', ' ', 'r', 'e', 'f', 'u', 's', 'e', 'd', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_25[] = {'c', 'o', 'n', 'n', 'e', 'c', 't', 'i', 'o', 'n', ' ', 'r', 'e', 's', 'e', 't', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_26[] = {'n', 'o', ' ', 'c', 'a', 'p', 'a', 'b', 'i', 'l', 'i', 't', 'y', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_27[] = {'t', 'i', 'm', 'e', 'd', ' ', 'o', 'u', 't', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_28[] = {'n', 'o', ' ', 'r', 'e', 's', 'p', 'o', 'n', 's', 'e', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_29[] = {'u', 'n', 'a', 'b', 'l', 'e', ' ', 't', 'o', ' ', 'm', 'a', 'k', 'e', ' ', 'd', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_30[] = {'d', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', ' ', 'e', 'r', 'r', 'o', 'r', '\0' };
-static hio_ooch_t errstr_31[] = {'d', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', ' ', 'h', 'a', 'n', 'g', '-', 'u', 'p', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_24[] = {'n', 'o', 't', ' ', 'c', 'o', 'n', 'n', 'e', 'c', 't', 'e', 'd', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_25[] = {'c', 'o', 'n', 'n', 'e', 'c', 't', 'i', 'o', 'n', ' ', 'r', 'e', 'f', 'u', 's', 'e', 'd', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_26[] = {'c', 'o', 'n', 'n', 'e', 'c', 't', 'i', 'o', 'n', ' ', 'r', 'e', 's', 'e', 't', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_27[] = {'n', 'o', ' ', 'c', 'a', 'p', 'a', 'b', 'i', 'l', 'i', 't', 'y', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_28[] = {'t', 'i', 'm', 'e', 'd', ' ', 'o', 'u', 't', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_29[] = {'n', 'o', ' ', 'r', 'e', 's', 'p', 'o', 'n', 's', 'e', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_30[] = {'u', 'n', 'a', 'b', 'l', 'e', ' ', 't', 'o', ' ', 'm', 'a', 'k', 'e', ' ', 'd', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_31[] = {'d', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', ' ', 'e', 'r', 'r', 'o', 'r', '\0' };
+static hio_ooch_t errstr_32[] = {'d', 'e', 'v', 'i', 'c', 'e', ' ', 'h', 'a', 'n', 'g', '-', 'u', 'p', '\0' };
 static hio_ooch_t* errstr[] =
 {
 	errstr_0, errstr_1, errstr_2, errstr_3, errstr_4,
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ static hio_ooch_t* errstr[] =
 	errstr_15, errstr_16, errstr_17, errstr_18, errstr_19,
 	errstr_20, errstr_21, errstr_22, errstr_23, errstr_24,
 	errstr_25, errstr_26, errstr_27, errstr_28, errstr_29,
-	errstr_30, errstr_31
+	errstr_30, errstr_31, errstr_32
 };
 
 
diff --git a/hio/lib/hio.h b/hio/lib/hio.h
index 0f79dd0..50d5642 100644
--- a/hio/lib/hio.h
+++ b/hio/lib/hio.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ enum hio_errnum_t
 	HIO_EECMORE,  /**< insufficient data for encoding conversion */
 	HIO_EBUFFULL, /**< buffer full */
 
+	HIO_ENOTCON,  /**< not connected */
 	HIO_ECONRF,   /**< connection refused */
 	HIO_ECONRS,   /**< connection reset */
 	HIO_ENOCAPA,  /**< no capability */
diff --git a/hio/lib/mar.c b/hio/lib/mar.c
index 6b69c77..bea5ebf 100644
--- a/hio/lib/mar.c
+++ b/hio/lib/mar.c
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ static int dev_mar_ioctl (hio_dev_t* dev, int cmd, void* arg)
 
 						watch_mysql (rdev, 0);
 						hio_dev_mar_halt (rdev); /* i can't keep this device alive regardless of the caller's post-action */
-						hio_seterrbfmt (hio, HIO_ESYSERR, "%js", prev_errmsg);
+						hio_seterrbfmt (hio, HIO_ENOTCON, "%js", prev_errmsg);
 					}
 					return -1;
 				}
@@ -491,6 +491,12 @@ static int dev_evcb_mar_ready (hio_dev_t* dev, int events)
 
 						if (err == CR_SERVER_LOST || err == CR_SERVER_GONE_ERROR)
 						{
+							/*
+							preserving the error information here isn't very useful because 
+							the info won't survive until on_disconnect() is called...
+							hio_seterrbfmt (hio, HIO_ENOTCON, "%hs", mysql_error(rdev->hnd));
+							*/
+
 							rdev->broken = 1;
 							rdev->broken_syshnd = syshnd;
 							watch_mysql (rdev, 0);