diff --git a/mio/bin/t04.c b/mio/bin/t04.c
index c6c4db3..894c1bc 100644
--- a/mio/bin/t04.c
+++ b/mio/bin/t04.c
@@ -115,12 +115,9 @@ oops:
 }
 #endif
 
-
-
-
-
 static void on_result (mio_svc_marc_t* svc, mio_oow_t sid, mio_svc_marc_rcode_t rcode, void* data, void* qctx)
 {
+static int x = 0;
 	switch (rcode)
 	{
 		case MIO_SVC_MARC_RCODE_ROW:
@@ -131,6 +128,15 @@ static void on_result (mio_svc_marc_t* svc, mio_oow_t sid, mio_svc_marc_rcode_t
 //		else if (x == 1)
 //			printf ("%s %s %s %s %s\n", row[0], row[1], row[2], row[3], row[4]);
 		//printf ("GOT ROW\n");
+#if 0
+x++;
+if (x == 1)
+{
+printf ("BLOCKING PACKET...........................\n");
+system ("/sbin/iptables -I OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j REJECT");
+system ("/sbin/iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --sport 3306 -j REJECT");
+}
+#endif
 			break;
 		}
 
@@ -157,11 +163,21 @@ static void handle_signal (int sig)
 static void send_test_query (mio_t* mio, const mio_ntime_t* now, mio_tmrjob_t* job)
 {
 	mio_svc_marc_t* marc = (mio_svc_marc_t*)job->ctx;
+	mio_bch_t buf[256];
+	mio_bch_t tmp[256];
+	int len;
 
 	if (mio_svc_mar_querywithbchars(marc, 0, MIO_SVC_MARC_QTYPE_SELECT, "SHOW STATUS", 11, on_result, MIO_NULL) <= -1)
 	{
 		MIO_INFO1 (mio, "FAILED TO SEND QUERY - %js\n", mio_geterrmsg(mio));
 	}
+
+	mio_svc_mar_escapebchars (marc, "wild", 4, tmp);
+	len = snprintf(buf, MIO_COUNTOF(buf), "SELECT name, content FROM records WHERE name like '%%%s%%'", tmp);
+	if (mio_svc_mar_querywithbchars(marc, 1, MIO_SVC_MARC_QTYPE_SELECT, buf, len, on_result, MIO_NULL) <= -1)
+	{
+		MIO_INFO1 (mio, "FAILED TO SEND QUERY - %js\n", mio_geterrmsg(mio));
+	}
 }
 
 static int schedule_timer_job_after (mio_t* mio, const mio_ntime_t* fire_after, mio_tmrjob_handler_t handler, void* ctx)
@@ -187,6 +203,7 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	mio_t* mio = MIO_NULL;
 	mio_svc_marc_t* marc;
 	mio_svc_marc_connect_t ci;
+/*	mio_svc_marc_tmout_t tmout;*/
 
 	if (argc != 6)
 	{
@@ -208,7 +225,13 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 	ci.password = argv[4];
 	ci.dbname = argv[5];
 
-	marc = mio_svc_marc_start(mio, &ci);
+/* timeout not implemented  yet in the mardiab device and services 
+	MIO_INIT_NTIME (&tmout.c, 2,  0);
+	MIO_INIT_NTIME (&tmout.r, -1,  0);
+	MIO_INIT_NTIME (&tmout.w, -1,  0);
+*/
+
+	marc = mio_svc_marc_start(mio, &ci, MIO_NULL);
 	if (!marc)
 	{
 		printf ("Cannot start a mariadb client service\n");
diff --git a/mio/lib/mar-cli.c b/mio/lib/mar-cli.c
index 2ea85fa..806f24c 100644
--- a/mio/lib/mar-cli.c
+++ b/mio/lib/mar-cli.c
@@ -37,8 +37,13 @@ struct mio_svc_marc_t
 {
 	MIO_SVC_HEADER;
 
-	mio_svc_marc_connect_t ci;
 	int stopping;
+	int tmout_set;
+
+	mio_svc_marc_connect_t ci;
+	mio_svc_marc_tmout_t tmout;
+
+	MYSQL* edev;
 
 	struct
 	{
@@ -78,25 +83,31 @@ struct dev_xtn_t
 };
 
 
-mio_svc_marc_t* mio_svc_marc_start (mio_t* mio, const mio_svc_marc_connect_t* ci)
+mio_svc_marc_t* mio_svc_marc_start (mio_t* mio, const mio_svc_marc_connect_t* ci, const mio_svc_marc_tmout_t* tmout)
 {
 	mio_svc_marc_t* marc = MIO_NULL;
 
 	marc = (mio_svc_marc_t*)mio_callocmem(mio, MIO_SIZEOF(*marc));
 	if (MIO_UNLIKELY(!marc)) goto oops;
 
+	marc->edev = mysql_init(MIO_NULL);
+	if (MIO_UNLIKELY(!marc->edev)) goto oops;
+
 	marc->mio = mio;
 	marc->svc_stop = mio_svc_marc_stop;
 	marc->ci = *ci;
+	if (tmout) 
+	{
+		marc->tmout = *tmout;
+		marc->tmout_set = 1;
+	}
 
 	MIO_SVCL_APPEND_SVC (&mio->actsvc, (mio_svc_t*)marc);
 	return marc;
 
 oops:
-	if (marc)
-	{
-		mio_freemem (mio, marc);
-	}
+	if (marc->edev) mysql_close (marc->edev);
+	if (marc) mio_freemem (mio, marc);
 	return MIO_NULL;
 }
 
@@ -114,10 +125,11 @@ void mio_svc_marc_stop (mio_svc_marc_t* marc)
 	mio_freemem (mio, marc->sess.ptr);
 
 	MIO_SVCL_UNLINK_SVC (marc);
+
+	mysql_close (marc->edev);
 	mio_freemem (mio, marc);
 }
 
-
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 static sess_qry_t* make_session_query (mio_t* mio, mio_svc_marc_qtype_t qtype, const mio_bch_t* qptr, mio_oow_t qlen, void* qctx, mio_svc_marc_on_result_t on_result)
@@ -325,6 +337,12 @@ static mio_dev_mar_t* alloc_device (mio_svc_marc_t* marc, sess_t* sess)
 	dev_xtn_t* xtn;
 
 	MIO_MEMSET (&mi, 0, MIO_SIZEOF(mi));
+	if (marc->tmout_set)
+	{
+		mi.flags = MIO_DEV_MAR_USE_TMOUT;
+		mi.tmout = marc->tmout;
+	}
+
 	mi.on_connect = mar_on_connect;
 	mi.on_disconnect = mar_on_disconnect;
 	mi.on_query_started = mar_on_query_started;
@@ -351,7 +369,7 @@ static sess_t* get_session (mio_svc_marc_t* marc, mio_oow_t sid)
 	if (sid >= marc->sess.capa)
 	{
 		sess_t* tmp;
-		mio_oow_t newcapa;
+		mio_oow_t newcapa, i;
 
 		newcapa = marc->sess.capa + 16;
 		if (newcapa <= sid) newcapa = sid + 1;
@@ -361,20 +379,19 @@ static sess_t* get_session (mio_svc_marc_t* marc, mio_oow_t sid)
 		if (MIO_UNLIKELY(!tmp)) return MIO_NULL;
 
 		MIO_MEMSET (&tmp[marc->sess.capa], 0, MIO_SIZEOF(sess_t) * (newcapa - marc->sess.capa));
+		for (i = marc->sess.capa; i < newcapa; i++)
+		{
+			tmp[i].svc = marc;
+			tmp[i].sid = i;
+		}
 
 		marc->sess.ptr = tmp;
 		marc->sess.capa = newcapa;
+	}
 
-		sess = &marc->sess.ptr[sid];
-		sess->svc = marc;
-		sess->sid = sid;
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		sess = &marc->sess.ptr[sid];
-		MIO_ASSERT (mio, sess->sid == sid);
-		MIO_ASSERT (mio, sess->svc == marc);
-	}
+	sess = &marc->sess.ptr[sid];
+	MIO_ASSERT (mio, sess->sid == sid);
+	MIO_ASSERT (mio, sess->svc == marc);
 
 	if (!sess->dev)
 	{
@@ -465,3 +482,8 @@ int mio_svc_mar_querywithbchars (mio_svc_marc_t* marc, mio_oow_t sid, mio_svc_ma
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+mio_oow_t mio_svc_mar_escapebchars (mio_svc_marc_t* marc, const mio_bch_t* qptr, mio_oow_t qlen, mio_bch_t* buf)
+{
+	return mysql_real_escape_string(marc->edev, buf, qptr, qlen);
+}
diff --git a/mio/lib/mar.c b/mio/lib/mar.c
index 685a2f9..4897866 100644
--- a/mio/lib/mar.c
+++ b/mio/lib/mar.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include <mariadb/mysql.h>
 #include <mariadb/errmsg.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
 
 /* ========================================================================= */
 
@@ -58,6 +59,25 @@ static int dev_mar_make (mio_dev_t* dev, void* ctx)
 		mysql_options(rdev->hnd, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT, &x);
 	}
 
+#if 0
+/* TOOD: timeout not implemented...
+ * timeout can't be implemented using the mysql timeout options in the nonblocking mode.
+ * i must create a timeer jobs for these */
+	if (mi->flags & MIO_DEV_MAR_USE_TMOUT)
+	{
+		unsigned int tmout;
+
+		tmout = mi->tmout.c.sec; /* mysql supports the granularity of seconds only */
+		if (tmout >= 0) mysql_options(rdev->hnd, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, &tmout);
+
+		tmout = mi->tmout.r.sec;
+		if (tmout >= 0) mysql_options(rdev->hnd, MYSQL_OPT_READ_TIMEOUT, &tmout);
+
+		tmout = mi->tmout.w.sec;
+		if (tmout >= 0) mysql_options(rdev->hnd, MYSQL_OPT_WRITE_TIMEOUT, &tmout);
+	}
+#endif
+
 	rdev->dev_cap = MIO_DEV_CAP_IN | MIO_DEV_CAP_OUT | MIO_DEV_CAP_VIRTUAL; /* mysql_init() doesn't create a socket. so no IO is possible at this point */
 	rdev->on_read = mi->on_read;
 	rdev->on_write = mi->on_write;
@@ -78,16 +98,31 @@ static int dev_mar_kill (mio_dev_t* dev, int force)
 
 	/* if rdev->connected is 0 at this point, 
 	 * the underlying socket of this device is down */
-	if (rdev->on_disconnect) rdev->on_disconnect (rdev);
+	if (MIO_LIKELY(rdev->on_disconnect)) rdev->on_disconnect (rdev);
+
+	/* hack */
+	if (!rdev->broken) 
+	{
+		/* mysql_free_result() blocks if not all rows have been read.
+		 * mysql_close() also blocks to transmit COM_QUIT,
+		 * in this context, it is not appropriate to call 
+		 * mysql_free_result_start()/mysql_free_result_cont() and
+		 * mysql_close_start()/mysql_close_cont().
+		 * let me just call shutdown on the underlying socket to work around this issue.
+		 * as a result, mysql_close() will be unable to send COM_QUIT but will return fast
+		 */
+		shutdown (mysql_get_socket(rdev->hnd), SHUT_RDWR);
+	}
 
 	if (rdev->res)
 	{
 		mysql_free_result (rdev->res);
 		rdev->res = MIO_NULL;
 	}
+
 	if (rdev->hnd)
 	{
-		mysql_close (rdev->hnd);
+		mysql_close (rdev->hnd); 
 		rdev->hnd = MIO_NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -138,17 +173,20 @@ static void start_fetch_row (mio_dev_mar_t* rdev)
 	int status;
 
 	status = mysql_fetch_row_start(&row, rdev->res);
+
 	MIO_DEV_MAR_SET_PROGRESS (rdev, MIO_DEV_MAR_ROW_FETCHING);
 	if (status)
 	{
-		/* row fetched */
-		rdev->row_fetched = 0;
+printf ("fetch_row_start not fetched %d\n", status);
+		/* row not fetched */
+		rdev->row_fetched_deferred = 0;
 		watch_mysql (rdev, status);
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		/* row fetched - don't handle it immediately here */
-		rdev->row_fetched = 1;
+printf ("fetch_row_start returning %d %p \n", status, row);
+		rdev->row_fetched_deferred = 1;
 		rdev->row_wstatus = status;
 		rdev->row = row;
 		watch_mysql (rdev, MYSQL_WAIT_READ | MYSQL_WAIT_WRITE);
@@ -447,10 +485,10 @@ static int dev_evcb_mar_ready (mio_dev_t* dev, int events)
 			int status;
 			MYSQL_ROW row;
 
-			if (rdev->row_fetched)
+			if (rdev->row_fetched_deferred)
 			{
 				row = (MYSQL_ROW)rdev->row;
-				rdev->row_fetched = 0;
+				rdev->row_fetched_deferred = 0;
 
 				if (!row)
 				{
@@ -462,8 +500,9 @@ static int dev_evcb_mar_ready (mio_dev_t* dev, int events)
 				}
 
 				MIO_DEV_MAR_SET_PROGRESS (rdev, MIO_DEV_MAR_ROW_FETCHED);
-				if (rdev->on_row_fetched) rdev->on_row_fetched (rdev, row);
+				if (MIO_LIKELY(rdev->on_row_fetched)) rdev->on_row_fetched (rdev, row);
 
+printf ("CALLING sTARTING FFETCH ROW %p \n", row);
 				if (row) start_fetch_row (rdev);
 			}
 			else
@@ -471,8 +510,10 @@ static int dev_evcb_mar_ready (mio_dev_t* dev, int events)
 				/* TODO: if rdev->res is MIO_NULL, error.. */
 				status = mysql_fetch_row_cont(&row, rdev->res, events_to_mysql_wstatus(events));
 
+printf ("FETCH_ROW -> %d  %p\n", status, row);
 				if (!status)
 				{
+					/* row is available */
 					if (!row) 
 					{
 						/* the last row has been received - cleanup before invoking the callback */
@@ -484,12 +525,13 @@ static int dev_evcb_mar_ready (mio_dev_t* dev, int events)
 					}
 
 					MIO_DEV_MAR_SET_PROGRESS (rdev, MIO_DEV_MAR_ROW_FETCHED);
-					if (rdev->on_row_fetched) rdev->on_row_fetched (rdev, row);
+					if (MIO_LIKELY(rdev->on_row_fetched)) rdev->on_row_fetched (rdev, row);
 
 					if (row) start_fetch_row (rdev); /* arrange to fetch the next row */
 				}
 				else
 				{
+					/* no row is available */
 					watch_mysql (rdev, status);
 				}
 			}
@@ -539,3 +581,8 @@ int mio_dev_mar_fetchrows (mio_dev_mar_t* dev)
 	return mio_dev_ioctl((mio_dev_t*)dev, MIO_DEV_MAR_FETCH_ROW, MIO_NULL);
 }
 
+mio_oow_t mio_dev_mar_escapebchars (mio_dev_mar_t* dev, const mio_bch_t* qstr, mio_oow_t qlen, mio_bch_t* buf)
+{
+	mio_dev_mar_t* rdev = (mio_dev_mar_t*)dev;
+	return mysql_real_escape_string (rdev->hnd, buf, qstr, qlen);
+}
diff --git a/mio/lib/mio-mar.h b/mio/lib/mio-mar.h
index 4b1ff2d..72d7690 100644
--- a/mio/lib/mio-mar.h
+++ b/mio/lib/mio-mar.h
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ struct mio_dev_mar_t
 	unsigned int connected: 1;
 	unsigned int connected_deferred: 1;
 	unsigned int query_started_deferred: 1;
-	//unsigned int query_started: 1;
-	unsigned int row_fetched: 1;
+	/*unsigned int query_started: 1;*/
+	unsigned int row_fetched_deferred: 1;
 	unsigned int broken: 1;
 	mio_syshnd_t broken_syshnd;
 
@@ -107,14 +107,24 @@ struct mio_dev_mar_t
 
 enum mio_dev_mar_make_flag_t
 {
-	MIO_DEV_MAR_UNUSED_YET = (1 << 0)
+	MIO_DEV_MAR_USE_TMOUT = (1 << 0)
 };
 typedef enum mio_dev_mar_make_flag_t mio_dev_mar_make_flag_t;
 
+
+typedef struct mio_dev_mar_tmout_t mio_dev_mar_tmout_t;
+struct mio_dev_mar_tmout_t
+{
+	mio_ntime_t c;
+	mio_ntime_t r;
+	mio_ntime_t w;
+};
+
 typedef struct mio_dev_mar_make_t mio_dev_mar_make_t;
 struct mio_dev_mar_make_t
 {
 	int flags;
+	mio_dev_mar_tmout_t tmout;
 	mio_dev_mar_on_write_t on_write; /* mandatory */
 	mio_dev_mar_on_read_t on_read; /* mandatory */
 	mio_dev_mar_on_connect_t on_connect; /* optional */
@@ -146,6 +156,7 @@ typedef enum mio_dev_mar_ioctl_cmd_t mio_dev_mar_ioctl_cmd_t;
 
 typedef struct mio_svc_marc_t mio_svc_marc_t;
 typedef mio_dev_mar_connect_t mio_svc_marc_connect_t;
+typedef mio_dev_mar_tmout_t mio_svc_marc_tmout_t;
 
 enum mio_svc_marc_qtype_t
 {
@@ -162,7 +173,6 @@ enum mio_svc_marc_rcode_t
 };
 typedef enum mio_svc_marc_rcode_t mio_svc_marc_rcode_t;
 
-
 struct mio_svc_marc_dev_error_t
 {
 	int mar_errcode;
@@ -178,6 +188,7 @@ typedef void (*mio_svc_marc_on_result_t) (
 	void*                qctx
 );
 
+
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -233,7 +244,8 @@ static MIO_INLINE void mio_dev_mar_halt (mio_dev_mar_t* mar) { mio_dev_halt ((mi
 
 MIO_EXPORT mio_svc_marc_t* mio_svc_marc_start (
 	mio_t*                        mio,
-	const mio_svc_marc_connect_t* ci
+	const mio_svc_marc_connect_t* ci,
+	const mio_svc_marc_tmout_t*   tmout
 );
 
 MIO_EXPORT void mio_svc_marc_stop (
@@ -246,7 +258,6 @@ static MIO_INLINE mio_t* mio_svc_marc_getmio(mio_svc_marc_t* svc) { return mio_s
 #       define mio_svc_marc_getmio(svc) mio_svc_getmio(svc)
 #endif
 
-
 MIO_EXPORT int mio_svc_mar_querywithbchars (
 	mio_svc_marc_t*            marc,
 	mio_oow_t                  sid,
@@ -257,6 +268,13 @@ MIO_EXPORT int mio_svc_mar_querywithbchars (
 	void*                      qctx
 );
 
+MIO_EXPORT mio_oow_t mio_dev_mar_escapebchars (
+	mio_dev_mar_t*     dev,
+	const mio_bch_t*   qstr,
+	mio_oow_t          qlen,
+	mio_bch_t*         buf
+);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif