diff --git a/logserver.cpp b/logserver.cpp
index bb0b1fe..8d26cb6 100644
--- a/logserver.cpp
+++ b/logserver.cpp
@@ -440,6 +440,11 @@ void * thread_work_fn( void * args)
         //step 1: read the opcode
         uint8_t opcode;
         ssize_t n = read(*(item->data->workitem), &opcode, sizeof(uint8_t));
+        if(n == 0) {
+        	opcode = logserver::OP_DONE;
+        	n = sizeof(uint8_t);
+        	printf("Obsolescent client closed connection uncleanly\n");
+        }
         assert( n == sizeof(uint8_t));
         assert( opcode < logserver::OP_INVALID );
 
diff --git a/test/check_tcpclient.cpp b/test/check_tcpclient.cpp
index a5c637b..ae05455 100644
--- a/test/check_tcpclient.cpp
+++ b/test/check_tcpclient.cpp
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@
 #undef begin
 #undef end
 
+
+static char * svrname = "localhost";
+static int svrport = 32432;
+
 void insertProbeIter(size_t NUM_ENTRIES)
 {
     srand(1000);
-    std::string servername = "sherpa4";
-    int serverport = 32432;
+    std::string servername = svrname; //"sherpa4";
+    int serverport = svrport; //32432;
 
     double delete_freq = .05;
     double update_freq = .15;
@@ -140,7 +144,8 @@ void insertProbeIter(size_t NUM_ENTRIES)
         gettimeofday(&ti_st,0);        
 
         //send the data
-        sendTuple(servername, serverport, logserver::OP_INSERT, newtuple);
+        datatuple * ret = sendTuple(servername, serverport, logserver::OP_INSERT, newtuple);
+        assert(ret);
         
         gettimeofday(&ti_end,0);
         insert_time += tv_to_double(ti_end) - tv_to_double(ti_st);
@@ -217,8 +222,14 @@ void insertProbeIter(size_t NUM_ENTRIES)
 
 /** @test
  */
-int main()
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
+	if(argc > 1) {
+		svrname = argv[1];
+	}
+	if(argc > 2) {
+		svrport = atoi(argv[2]);
+	}
     //insertProbeIter(25000);
     insertProbeIter(100000);
     /*
diff --git a/test/check_util.h b/test/check_util.h
index 46d4414..47ee15b 100644
--- a/test/check_util.h
+++ b/test/check_util.h
@@ -162,13 +162,14 @@ datatuple * sendTuple(std::string & servername, int serverport, uint8_t opcode,
 
     if (sockfd < 0)
     {
-        printf("ERROR opening socket.\n");
+        perror("ERROR opening socket.\n");
         return 0;
     }
 
     server = gethostbyname(servername.c_str());
     if (server == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr,"ERROR, no such host as %s\n", servername.c_str());
+        close(sockfd);
         exit(0);
     }
 
@@ -182,7 +183,8 @@ datatuple * sendTuple(std::string & servername, int serverport, uint8_t opcode,
     /* connect: create a connection with the server */
     if (connect(sockfd, (sockaddr*) &serveraddr, sizeof(serveraddr)) < 0)
     {
-        printf("ERROR connecting\n");
+    	perror("ERROR connecting\n");
+        close(sockfd);
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -206,6 +208,8 @@ datatuple * sendTuple(std::string & servername, int serverport, uint8_t opcode,
     uint8_t rcode;
     n = read(sockfd, (byte*) &rcode, sizeof(uint8_t));
 
+    datatuple * ret;
+
     if(rcode == logserver::OP_SENDING_TUPLE)
     {
         datatuple *rcvdtuple = (datatuple*)malloc(sizeof(datatuple));
@@ -227,14 +231,15 @@ datatuple * sendTuple(std::string & servername, int serverport, uint8_t opcode,
             logserver::readfromsocket(sockfd, (byte*) rcvdtuple->data, *rcvdtuple->datalen);
         }
 
-        close(sockfd);
-        return rcvdtuple;
+        ret = rcvdtuple;
+    } else if(rcode == logserver::OP_SUCCESS) {
+       	ret = &tuple;
+    } else {
+    	ret = 0;
     }
-    else
-        assert(rcode == logserver::OP_SUCCESS);
 
     close(sockfd);
-    return 0;
+    return ret;
 }