diff --git a/hio/lib/fcgi-cli.c b/hio/lib/fcgi-cli.c
index bf572b9..de854ce 100644
--- a/hio/lib/fcgi-cli.c
+++ b/hio/lib/fcgi-cli.c
@@ -118,9 +118,17 @@ static void sck_on_disconnect (hio_dev_sck_t* sck)
 	fcgic_sck_xtn_t* sck_xtn = hio_dev_sck_getxtn(sck);
 	hio_svc_fcgic_conn_t* conn = sck_xtn->conn;
 	
+	if (conn)
+	{
 /* TODO: arrange to create it again if the server is not closing... */
 /* if (.... ) */
-	make_connection_socket(conn); /* don't care about failure for now */
+printf ("DISCONNECT SOCKET .................. %p\n", sck);
+		if (sck->hio->stopreq == HIO_STOPREQ_NONE)
+		{
+			/* this may create a busy loop if the connection attempt fails repeatedly */
+			make_connection_socket(conn); /* don't care about failure for now */
+		}
+	}
 
 }
 
@@ -189,15 +197,20 @@ static int make_connection_socket (hio_svc_fcgic_conn_t* conn)
 
 	if (hio_dev_sck_connect(sck, &ci) <= -1)
 	{
-/* TODO: check if this tirggers on_disconnecT???/ */
-		hio_dev_sck_kill (sck);
+		/* immediate failure */
+		sck_xtn->conn = HIO_NULL; /* disassociate the socket from the fcgi connection object */
+		hio_dev_sck_halt (sck);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	printf ("MAKING CONNECTION %p %p\n", conn->dev, sck);
+
 if (conn->dev != HIO_NULL)
 {
 /* TODO: is this necessary???? */
-	hio_dev_sck_kill (conn->dev);
+	sck_xtn = hio_dev_sck_getxtn(conn->dev);
+	sck_xtn->conn = HIO_NULL;
+	hio_dev_sck_halt (conn->dev);
 	conn->dev = HIO_NULL;
 }
 
@@ -251,7 +264,13 @@ static void free_connections (hio_svc_fcgic_t* fcgic)
 	while (conn)
 	{
 		next = conn->next;
-		if (conn->dev) hio_dev_sck_kill (conn->dev);
+		if (conn->dev) 
+		{
+			struct fcgic_sck_xtn_t* sck_xtn;
+			sck_xtn = hio_dev_sck_getxtn(conn->dev);
+			sck_xtn->conn = HIO_NULL;
+			hio_dev_sck_halt (conn->dev);
+		}
 		hio_freemem (hio, conn->sess.ptr);
 		hio_freemem (hio, conn);
 		conn = next;
diff --git a/hio/lib/hio-http.h b/hio/lib/hio-http.h
index 55cd088..bba2866 100644
--- a/hio/lib/hio-http.h
+++ b/hio/lib/hio-http.h
@@ -312,7 +312,6 @@ HIO_EXPORT int hio_svc_htts_dofcgi (
 	const hio_skad_t* fcgis_addr
 );
 
-
 HIO_EXPORT int hio_svc_htts_dofile (
 	hio_svc_htts_t*  htts,
 	hio_dev_sck_t*   csck,
diff --git a/hio/lib/hio.c b/hio/lib/hio.c
index 8a3fcda..3a7b063 100644
--- a/hio/lib/hio.c
+++ b/hio/lib/hio.c
@@ -1038,6 +1038,7 @@ hio_dev_t* hio_dev_make (hio_t* hio, hio_oow_t dev_size, hio_dev_mth_t* dev_mth,
 	/* and place the new device object at the back of the active device list */
 	HIO_DEVL_APPEND_DEV (&hio->actdev, dev);
 	dev->dev_cap |= HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE;
+	HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Set ACTIVE on device %p\n", dev);
 
 	return dev;
 
@@ -1080,18 +1081,23 @@ static int kill_and_free_device (hio_dev_t* dev, int force)
 	HIO_ASSERT (hio, !(dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE));
 	HIO_ASSERT (hio, !(dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_HALTED));
 
+	HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Calling kill method on device %p\n", dev);
 	if (dev->dev_mth->kill(dev, force) <= -1) 
 	{
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Failure by kill method on device %p\n", dev);
+
 		if (force >= 2) goto free_device;
 
 		if (!(dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_ZOMBIE))
 		{
+			HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Set ZOMBIE on device %p for kill method failure\n", dev);
 			HIO_DEVL_APPEND_DEV (&hio->zmbdev, dev);
 			dev->dev_cap |= HIO_DEV_CAP_ZOMBIE;
 		}
 
 		return -1;
 	}
+	HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Success by kill method on device %p\n", dev);
 
 free_device:
 	if (dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_ZOMBIE)
@@ -1099,8 +1105,10 @@ free_device:
 		/* detach it from the zombie device list */
 		HIO_DEVL_UNLINK_DEV (dev);
 		dev->dev_cap &= ~HIO_DEV_CAP_ZOMBIE;
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Unset ZOMBIE on device %p\n", dev);
 	}
 
+	HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Freeing device %p\n", dev);
 	hio_freemem (hio, dev);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1161,6 +1169,15 @@ void hio_dev_kill (hio_dev_t* dev)
 		goto kill_device;
 	}
 
+	if (!(dev->dev_cap & (HIO_DEV_CAP_HALTED | HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE)))
+	{
+		/* neither HALTED nor ACTIVE set on the device.
+		 * a call to this function is probably made again from a
+		 * disconnect callback executed in kill_and_free_device() below ... */
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Duplicate kill on device %p\n", dev);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (dev->rtmridx != HIO_TMRIDX_INVALID)
 	{
 		hio_deltmrjob (hio, dev->rtmridx);
@@ -1185,12 +1202,14 @@ void hio_dev_kill (hio_dev_t* dev)
 		 * unlink it from the halted device list */
 		HIO_DEVL_UNLINK_DEV (dev);
 		dev->dev_cap &= ~HIO_DEV_CAP_HALTED;
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Unset HALTED on device %p\n", dev);
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		HIO_ASSERT (hio, dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE);
 		HIO_DEVL_UNLINK_DEV (dev);
 		dev->dev_cap &= ~HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE;
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Unset ACTIVE on device %p\n", dev);
 	}
 
 	hio_dev_watch (dev, HIO_DEV_WATCH_STOP, 0);
@@ -1223,15 +1242,17 @@ void hio_dev_halt (hio_dev_t* dev)
 
 	if (dev->dev_cap & HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE)
 	{
-		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - HALTING DEVICE %p\n", dev);
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Halting device %p\n", dev);
 
 		/* delink the device object from the active device list */
 		HIO_DEVL_UNLINK_DEV (dev);
 		dev->dev_cap &= ~HIO_DEV_CAP_ACTIVE;
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Unset ACTIVE on device %p\n", dev);
 
 		/* place it at the back of the halted device list */
 		HIO_DEVL_APPEND_DEV (&hio->hltdev, dev);
 		dev->dev_cap |= HIO_DEV_CAP_HALTED;
+		HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "MIO - Set HALTED on device %p\n", dev);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/hio/lib/hio.h b/hio/lib/hio.h
index 1f46bb5..27682b3 100644
--- a/hio/lib/hio.h
+++ b/hio/lib/hio.h
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ enum hio_dev_cap_t
 	HIO_DEV_CAP_RENEW_REQUIRED  = ((hio_bitmask_t)1 << 18),
 	HIO_DEV_CAP_WATCH_STARTED   = ((hio_bitmask_t)1 << 19),
 	HIO_DEV_CAP_WATCH_SUSPENDED = ((hio_bitmask_t)1 << 20),
-	HIO_DEV_CAP_WATCH_REREG_REQUIRED = ((hio_bitmask_t)1 << 21), 
+	HIO_DEV_CAP_WATCH_REREG_REQUIRED = ((hio_bitmask_t)1 << 21)
 };
 typedef enum hio_dev_cap_t hio_dev_cap_t;
 
diff --git a/hio/lib/sck.c b/hio/lib/sck.c
index 0841c7f..f9727d7 100644
--- a/hio/lib/sck.c
+++ b/hio/lib/sck.c
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ static int dev_sck_kill (hio_dev_t* dev, int force)
 	hio_t* hio = dev->hio;
 	hio_dev_sck_t* rdev = (hio_dev_sck_t*)dev;
 
+	HIO_DEBUG1 (hio, "SCK(%p) - being killed\n", rdev);
 #if 0
 	if (IS_STREAM(rdev))
 	{