diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e459c3b06..194c15806 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ set(PROJECT_VERSION_STRING ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR}.${P
 
 # todo: add version header
 
+if ("${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" STREQUAL "Debug")
+  add_definitions (-D_DEBUG=1 -O0 -g)
+endif()
+
 #-------------------
 # setup deps
 #-------------------
diff --git a/extra/ccm_bridge/config.txt b/extra/ccm_bridge/config.txt
index 19125c657..a88bff857 100644
--- a/extra/ccm_bridge/config.txt
+++ b/extra/ccm_bridge/config.txt
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@
 # 
 
 IP_PREFIX=192.168.13.
-CASSANDRA_VERSION=1.2.5
+CASSANDRA_VERSION=1.2.8
 
 # Addresses MUST be in IP form
 
 # Amazon 
 # SSH_HOST=54.224.125.58
-SSH_HOST=127.0.0.1
+SSH_HOST=192.168.13.1
 SSH_PORT=22
-SSH_USERNAME=!mc
-SSH_PASSWORD=passpass
+SSH_USERNAME=user
+SSH_PASSWORD=password
 
 #
 # Use NO or YES for binary options
diff --git a/include/cql/cql_builder.hpp b/include/cql/cql_builder.hpp
index 21a1e9eeb..d02caa07d 100644
--- a/include/cql/cql_builder.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/cql_builder.hpp
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ class cql_pooling_options_t
 class cql_policies_t {
 public:
     cql_policies_t() :
-        _load_balancing_policy(new cql_round_robin_policy_t()),
+        _load_balancing_policy(default_load_balancing_policy()),
         _reconnection_policy(
             new cql_exponential_reconnection_policy_t(
                 boost::posix_time::seconds(1), // base dealy:
@@ -288,6 +288,21 @@ class cql_policies_t {
         return _retry_policy;
     }
 
+    static boost::shared_ptr<cql_load_balancing_policy_t>
+            default_load_balancing_policy()
+            {
+                boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
+                boost::shared_ptr<cql_load_balancing_policy_t> retVal = _default_load_balancing_policy;
+                return retVal;
+            }
+
+    static void
+            default_load_balancing_policy(boost::shared_ptr<cql_load_balancing_policy_t> policy)
+            {
+                boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
+                _default_load_balancing_policy  = policy;
+            }
+
 private:
     friend class cql_configuration_t;
 
@@ -301,6 +316,10 @@ class cql_policies_t {
     boost::shared_ptr<cql_load_balancing_policy_t>  _load_balancing_policy;
     boost::shared_ptr<cql_reconnection_policy_t>    _reconnection_policy;
     boost::shared_ptr<cql_retry_policy_t>           _retry_policy;
+
+    static boost::shared_ptr<cql_load_balancing_policy_t> _default_load_balancing_policy;
+
+    static boost::mutex _mutex;
 };
 
 class cql_configuration_t
diff --git a/include/cql/cql_cluster.hpp b/include/cql/cql_cluster.hpp
index 43a4ffba5..ab0a53a2c 100644
--- a/include/cql/cql_cluster.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/cql_cluster.hpp
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ class CQL_EXPORT cql_cluster_t: boost::noncopyable {
     virtual boost::shared_ptr<cql_metadata_t>
     metadata() const = 0;
 
+    // refresh hosts. generally managed internally, but if a host is stuck on having
+    // datacenter or rack with the initialized but unset value "unknown", then this
+    // call may be able to fix it.
+    virtual void refresh_hosts() = 0;
+
     virtual inline
     ~cql_cluster_t() { }
 };
diff --git a/include/cql/cql_host.hpp b/include/cql/cql_host.hpp
index 8fed53361..663d87de4 100644
--- a/include/cql/cql_host.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/cql_host.hpp
@@ -44,16 +44,27 @@ namespace cql {
             return _endpoint;
         }
 
-		inline const std::string&
+		inline const std::string
         datacenter() const
         {
-            return _datacenter;
+            boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
+            std::string retVal = _datacenter.c_str();  // dont share buffer across threads
+            return retVal;
         }
 
-		inline const std::string&
+        // avoid string allocation
+        inline bool in_datacenter(const std::string& datacenter) const
+        {
+            boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
+            return _datacenter == datacenter;
+        }
+
+		inline const std::string
 		rack() const
         {
-            return _rack;
+            boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
+            std::string retVal = _rack.c_str();  // dont share buffer across threads
+            return retVal;
         }
 
 		bool
@@ -90,6 +101,7 @@ namespace cql {
 		boost::posix_time::ptime                       _next_up_time;
 		boost::shared_ptr<cql_reconnection_policy_t>   _reconnection_policy;
 		boost::shared_ptr<cql_reconnection_schedule_t> _reconnection_schedule;
+        mutable boost::mutex                           _mutex;
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/include/cql/internal/cql_cluster_impl.hpp b/include/cql/internal/cql_cluster_impl.hpp
index 1aee8e8dc..3fd8a1752 100644
--- a/include/cql/internal/cql_cluster_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/internal/cql_cluster_impl.hpp
@@ -191,6 +191,14 @@ class cql_cluster_impl_t :
         return _metadata;
     }
 
+    virtual void refresh_hosts() 
+    {
+        if (_control_connection)
+        {
+            _control_connection->refresh_hosts();
+        }
+    }
+
     friend class cql_metadata_t;
 
 private:
diff --git a/include/cql/internal/cql_connection_impl.hpp b/include/cql/internal/cql_connection_impl.hpp
index 4635cbe0a..3822bc9df 100644
--- a/include/cql/internal/cql_connection_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/internal/cql_connection_impl.hpp
@@ -1068,17 +1068,23 @@ class cql_connection_impl_t : public cql::cql_connection_t
     inline void
     check_transport_err(const boost::system::error_code& err)
     {
-        if (!_closing && !_transport->lowest_layer().is_open()) {
-            _ready = false;
-            _defunct = true;
-        }
+        try
+        {
+            if (!_closing && !_transport->lowest_layer().is_open()) {
+                _ready = false;
+                _defunct = true;
+            }
 
-        if (_connect_errback && !_closing) {
-            cql::cql_error_t e;
-            e.transport = true;
-            e.code = err.value();
-            e.message = err.message();
-            _connect_errback(*this, e);
+            if (_connect_errback && !_closing) {
+                cql::cql_error_t e;
+                e.transport = true;
+                e.code = err.value();
+                e.message = err.message();
+                _connect_errback(*this, e);
+            }
+        } catch (std::exception& ex)
+        {
+            std::cout << "in check_transport_err caught: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/include/cql/internal/cql_control_connection.hpp b/include/cql/internal/cql_control_connection.hpp
index bc9d33601..ff1b75d80 100644
--- a/include/cql/internal/cql_control_connection.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/internal/cql_control_connection.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ class cql_control_connection_t :
     virtual
     ~cql_control_connection_t();
 
+    bool
+    refresh_hosts();
+
 private:
 
     void
@@ -60,9 +63,6 @@ class cql_control_connection_t :
     setup_control_connection(
         bool refresh_only = false);
 
-    bool
-    refresh_hosts();
-
     void
     reconnection_callback(
         const boost::system::error_code& err);
diff --git a/include/cql/internal/cql_promise.hpp b/include/cql/internal/cql_promise.hpp
index d2320df28..52c8236cd 100644
--- a/include/cql/internal/cql_promise.hpp
+++ b/include/cql/internal/cql_promise.hpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class cql_promise_t {
     {
         boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(*_mutex);
         if (!*_value_set) {
+            *_value_set = true;
             _promise->set_value(value);
             return true;
         }
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ class cql_promise_t {
     {
         boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(*_mutex);
         if (!*_value_set) {
+            *_value_set = true;
             _promise->set_exception(exception);
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/src/cql/cql_builder.cpp b/src/cql/cql_builder.cpp
index 407492f59..a69fbc1b7 100644
--- a/src/cql/cql_builder.cpp
+++ b/src/cql/cql_builder.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 #include "cql/cql_builder.hpp"
 #include "cql/internal/cql_util.hpp"
 
+boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_load_balancing_policy_t> 
+   cql::cql_policies_t::_default_load_balancing_policy(new cql::cql_round_robin_policy_t());
+boost::mutex cql::cql_policies_t::_mutex;
+
 cql::cql_builder_t&
 cql::cql_builder_t::add_contact_point(
     const ::boost::asio::ip::address& address)
diff --git a/src/cql/cql_host.cpp b/src/cql/cql_host.cpp
index f8b71f0f4..dfa1123b6 100644
--- a/src/cql/cql_host.cpp
+++ b/src/cql/cql_host.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ cql::cql_host_t::set_location_info(
 	const std::string& datacenter,
 	const std::string& rack )
 {
+    boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> lock(_mutex);
 	_datacenter = datacenter;
 	_rack = rack;
 }
diff --git a/src/cql/internal/cql_session_impl.cpp b/src/cql/internal/cql_session_impl.cpp
index a7b4cbe66..2f327f922 100644
--- a/src/cql/internal/cql_session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/cql/internal/cql_session_impl.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,42 @@
 #include "cql/internal/cql_socket.hpp"
 #include "cql/internal/cql_connection_impl.hpp"
 
+namespace
+{
+    class endless_dump_t
+    {
+    public:
+
+        void store_connection(boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_connection_t> bad_conn,
+                              boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_promise_t<cql::cql_future_connection_t> > promise)
+        {
+            MyLock lock(_mutex);
+            if (bad_conn)
+            {
+                bad_conn->close();
+                _bad_conns.push_back(bad_conn_data(bad_conn, promise));
+            }
+        }
+
+    private:
+        typedef boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> MyLock;
+        boost::mutex _mutex;
+        struct bad_conn_data
+        {
+            bad_conn_data( boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_connection_t> conn,
+                           boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_promise_t<cql::cql_future_connection_t> > promise)
+                : _conn(conn),
+                  _promise(promise)
+            {
+            }
+
+            boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_connection_t> _conn;
+            boost::shared_ptr<cql::cql_promise_t<cql::cql_future_connection_t> > _promise;
+        };
+        std::list< bad_conn_data > _bad_conns;
+    };
+    endless_dump_t endless_dump;
+}
 
 cql::cql_session_impl_t::cql_session_impl_t(
     const cql_session_callback_info_t&      callbacks,
@@ -227,9 +263,9 @@ cql::cql_session_impl_t::allocate_connection(
 
     if (shared_future.get().error.is_err()) {
         decrease_connection_counter(host);
+        endless_dump.store_connection(connection, promise);
         throw cql_connection_allocation_error(
                 ("Error when connecting to host: " + host->endpoint().to_string()).c_str());
-        connection.reset();
     }
 
     return connection;
@@ -320,6 +356,8 @@ cql::cql_session_impl_t::connect(
             continue;
         }
 
+        boost::recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock(_mutex);
+
         cql_endpoint_t host_address = host->endpoint();
         tried_hosts->push_back(host_address);
         cql_connections_collection_t* connections = add_to_connection_pool(host_address);