Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -82,17 +82,16 @@
 			 (rmt:setup-ulex alldat))))
     (ulex:connect ulexdat dbfname dbtype)))
 
 ;; setup the remote calls
 (define (rmt:setup-ulex alldat)
-  (let* ((new-ulexdat (ulex:setup))) ;; establish connection to ulex
-    (alldat-ulexdat-set! alldat new-ulexdat)
-    (let ((udata (alldat-ulexdat alldat)))
-      ;; register all needed procs
-      (ulex:register-handler udata 'ping common:get-full-version)
-      (ulex:register-handler udata 'login common:get-full-version) ;; force setup of the connection
-      new-ulexdat)))
+  (let* ((udata (ulex:setup))) ;; establish connection to ulex
+    (alldat-ulexdat-set! alldat udata)
+    ;; register all needed procs
+    (ulex:register-handler udata 'ping common:get-full-version)  ;; override ping with get-full-version
+    (ulex:register-handler udata 'login common:get-full-version) ;; force setup of the connection
+    udata))
 
 ;; set up a connection to the current owner of the dbfile associated with rid
 ;; then send the query to that dbfile owner and wait for a response.
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected

Index: ulex/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex/ulex.scm
+++ ulex/ulex.scm
@@ -67,10 +67,11 @@
 	  (udat-captain-port-set!    udata port)
 	  (udat-captain-pid-set!     udata pid)
 	  (if (ping udata (conc ipaddr ":" port))
 	      udata
 	      (begin
+		(print "Found unreachable captain at " ipaddr ":" port ", removing pkt")
 		(remove-captain-pkt udata captn)
 		(setup))))
 	(begin
 	  (setup-as-captain udata)  ;; this saves the thread to captain-thread and starts the thread
 	  (setup)))
@@ -80,12 +81,12 @@
 (define (connect udata dbfname dbtype)
   udata)
 
 (define (ping udata host-port)
   (let* ((cookie (make-cookie udata))
-	 (res (send-receive udata host-port 'ping "just pinging" (conc (current-seconds)))))
-    (print "got res=" res)
+	 (res (send-receive udata host-port 'ping "just pinging" (conc (current-seconds)) timeout: 1)))
+    ;; (print "got res=" res)
     (equal? res cookie)
     ))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; network utilities
@@ -310,12 +311,11 @@
   (if (start-server-find-port udata) ;; puts the server in udata
       (if (create-captain-pkt udata)
 	  (let* ((th (make-thread (lambda ()
 				    (ulex-handler udata)) "Captain handler")))
 	    (udat-handler-thread-set! udata th)
-	    (thread-start! th)
-	    udata)
+	    (thread-start! th))
 	  #f)
       #f))
 
 (define (get-peer-dat udata host-port #!optional (hostname #f)(pid #f))
   (let* ((pdat (or (hash-table-ref/default (udat-outgoing-conns udata) host-port #f)
@@ -366,22 +366,24 @@
 	#f))) ;; #f means failed to connect and send
 
 ;; send a request to the given host-port and register a mailbox in udata
 ;; wait for the mailbox data and return it
 ;;
-(define (send-receive udata host-port handler qrykey data #!key (hostname #f)(pid #f)(params '()))
+(define (send-receive udata host-port handler qrykey data #!key (hostname #f)(pid #f)(params '())(timeout 20))
   (let ((mbox      (make-mailbox))
 	(mbox-time (current-milliseconds))
 	(mboxes    (udat-mboxes udata)))
     (hash-table-set! mboxes qrykey mbox)
     (if (send udata host-port handler qrykey data hostname: hostname pid: pid params: params)
-	(let* ((mbox-timeout-secs    20)
+	(let* ((mbox-timeout-secs    timeout)
 	       (mbox-timeout-result 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
 	       (res                  (mailbox-receive! mbox mbox-timeout-secs mbox-timeout-result))
 	       (mbox-receive-time    (current-milliseconds)))
 	  (hash-table-delete! mboxes qrykey)
-	  res)
+	  (if (eq? res 'MBOX_TIMEOUT)
+	      #f
+	      res))
 	#f))) ;; #f means failed to communicate
 
 (define (add-to-work-queue udata peer-dat handlerkey qrykey data)
   (let ((wdat (make-work peer-dat: peer-dat handlerkey: handlerkey qrykey: qrykey data: data)))
     (if (udat-busy udata)