diff --git a/Net/Gearman/Client.php b/Net/Gearman/Client.php
index 4a1585b8..651c7155 100644
--- a/Net/Gearman/Client.php
+++ b/Net/Gearman/Client.php
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ public function __call($func, array $args = array())
     protected function submitTask(Net_Gearman_Task $task)
     {
         switch ($task->type) {
+        case Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_LOW:
+            $type = 'submit_job_low';
+            break;
+        case Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_LOW_BACKGROUND:
+            $type = 'submit_job_low_bg';
+            break;
+        case Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_HIGH_BACKGROUND:
+            $type = 'submit_job_high_bg';
+            break;
         case Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_BACKGROUND:
             $type = 'submit_job_bg';
             break;
@@ -177,23 +186,56 @@ protected function submitTask(Net_Gearman_Task $task)
      * Run a set of tasks
      *
      * @param object $set A set of tasks to run
+     * @param int    $timeout Time in seconds for the socket timeout. Max is 10 seconds
      * 
      * @return void
      * @see Net_Gearman_Set, Net_Gearman_Task
      */
-    public function runSet(Net_Gearman_Set $set) 
+    public function runSet(Net_Gearman_Set $set, $timeout = null)
     {
         $totalTasks = $set->tasksCount;
         $taskKeys   = array_keys($set->tasks);
         $t          = 0;
 
+        if ($timeout !== null){
+            $socket_timeout = min(10, (int)$timeout);
+        } else {
+            $socket_timeout = 10;
+        }
+
         while (!$set->finished()) {
+
+            if ($timeout !== null) {
+
+                if (empty($start)) {
+
+                    $start = microtime(true);
+
+                } else {
+
+                    $now = microtime(true);
+
+                    if ($now - $start >= $timeout) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+
+            }
+
+
             if ($t < $totalTasks) {
                 $k = $taskKeys[$t];
                 $this->submitTask($set->tasks[$k]);
-                if ($set->tasks[$k]->type == Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_BACKGROUND) {
+                if ($set->tasks[$k]->type == Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_BACKGROUND ||
+                    $set->tasks[$k]->type == Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_HIGH_BACKGROUND ||
+                    $set->tasks[$k]->type == Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_LOW_BACKGROUND) {
+
                     $set->tasks[$k]->finished = true;
                     $set->tasksCount--;
+                } else {
+                    if($set->tasks[$k]->timeout !== null) {
+                        $started = microtime(true);
+                    }
                 }
 
                 $t++;
@@ -202,7 +244,7 @@ public function runSet(Net_Gearman_Set $set)
             $write  = null;
             $except = null;
             $read   = $this->conn;
-            socket_select($read, $write, $except, 10);
+            socket_select($read, $write, $except, $socket_timeout);
             foreach ($read as $socket) {
                 $resp = Net_Gearman_Connection::read($socket);
                 if (count($resp)) {
diff --git a/Net/Gearman/Connection.php b/Net/Gearman/Connection.php
index 1361c441..396eaf26 100644
--- a/Net/Gearman/Connection.php
+++ b/Net/Gearman/Connection.php
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ class Net_Gearman_Connection
         'submit_job' => array(7, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
         'submit_job_high' => array(21, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
         'submit_job_bg' => array(18, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
+        'submit_job_high_bg' => array(32, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
+        'submit_job_low' => array(33, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
+        'submit_job_low_bg' => array(34, array('func', 'uniq', 'arg')),
         'job_created' => array(8, array('handle')),
         'grab_job' => array(9, array()),
         'no_job' => array(10, array()),
@@ -148,16 +151,20 @@ static public function connect($host, $timeout = 2000)
         $start = microtime(true);
         do {
             $socket = socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, SOL_TCP);
-            @socket_connect($socket, $host, $port);
-            $errorCode = socket_last_error($socket);
-            
+            $socket_connected = @socket_connect($socket, $host, $port);
+            if($socket_connected){
             socket_set_nonblock($socket);
             socket_set_option($socket, SOL_TCP, 1, 1);
             $timeLeft = ((microtime(true) - $start) * 1000);
-        } while (!is_resource($socket) && $timeLeft < $timeout);
+            }
+        } while (!$socket_connected && $timeLeft < $timeout);
 
-        if ($errorCode == 111) {
-            throw new Net_Gearman_Exception("Can't connect to server");
+        if (!$socket_connected) {
+            $errno = socket_last_error($socket);
+            $errstr	= socket_strerror($errno);
+            throw new Net_Gearman_Exception(
+                "Can't connect to server ($errno: $errstr)"
+            );
         }
 
         self::$waiting[(int)$socket] = array();
@@ -225,8 +232,10 @@ static public function send($socket, $command, array $params = array())
         } while ($written < $cmdLength);
 
         if ($error === true) {
+            $errno = socket_last_error($socket);
+            $errstr	= socket_strerror($errno);
             throw new Net_Gearman_Exception(
-                'Could not write command to socket'
+                "Could not write command to socket ($errno: $errstr)"
             );
         }
     }
diff --git a/Net/Gearman/Task.php b/Net/Gearman/Task.php
index 95f8d4d1..5f687b26 100644
--- a/Net/Gearman/Task.php
+++ b/Net/Gearman/Task.php
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ class Net_Gearman_Task
      * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_NORMAL
      * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_BACKGROUND
      * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_HIGH
+     * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_HIGH_BACKGROUND
+     * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_LOW
+     * @see Net_Gearman_Task::JOB_LOW_BACKGROUND
      */
     public $type = self::JOB_NORMAL;
 
@@ -144,7 +147,28 @@ class Net_Gearman_Task
      *
      * @var integer JOB_HIGH
      */
-    const JOB_HIGH = 2;
+    const JOB_HIGH = 3;
+
+    /**
+     * High priority, background job
+     *
+     * @var integer JOB_HIGH
+     */
+    const JOB_HIGH_BACKGROUND = 4;
+
+    /**
+     * LOW priority job
+     *
+     * @var integer JOB_LOW
+     */
+    const JOB_LOW = 5;
+
+    /**
+     * Low priority, background job
+     *
+     * @var integer JOB_LOW_BACKGROUND
+     */
+    const JOB_LOW_BACKGROUND = 6;
 
     /**
      * Callback of type complete
@@ -184,7 +208,7 @@ class Net_Gearman_Task
      * Constructor
      *
      * @param string  $func Name of job to run
-     * @param array   $arg  List of arguments for job
+     * @param mixed   $arg  List of arguments for job
      * @param string  $uniq The unique id of the job 
      * @param integer $type Type of job to run task as
      *