diff --git a/examples/consumer.js b/examples/consumer.js
index 9598c12..c417faf 100644
--- a/examples/consumer.js
+++ b/examples/consumer.js
@@ -13,13 +13,19 @@ function consumed(message,cb){
   console.log('Consumed Message:');
   console.dir(message);
 
-  if(counter++>1){
-    //produce failure;
+  var errorConsumingMessage = null;
+  counter++;
+
+  if(counter==2){
+    errorConsumingMessage = new Error('oops');
+  }
+  else if(counter==5){
+    //simulate failure by never answering;
     return process.exit(1);
   }
 
   if(cb){
-    cb();
+    cb(errorConsumingMessage);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/kestrelClient.js b/lib/kestrelClient.js
index beedf01..7a44a64 100644
--- a/lib/kestrelClient.js
+++ b/lib/kestrelClient.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function _createConnection(port, host, self){
 
 function _handleData(data, self){
   data = data.toString();
-  
+
   if( data.match('STORED\r\n') ){
     self.emit('stored', true);
     if(self._pendingSetCallback){
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ kestrel.prototype.set = function( queue, value, lifetime, callback){
   }
 
   var command = 'SET ' + queue + ' 0 ' + lifetime + ' ';
-  command += Buffer.byteLength(value, 'utf8') + '\r\n' + value + '\r\n';
+  command += Buffer.byteLength(value, 'utf8') + '\r\n';
 
   var connection = this._getConnection();
   if( connection ){
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ kestrel.prototype.set = function( queue, value, lifetime, callback){
       this._pendingSetCallback = callback;
     }
     connection.write(command);
+    connection.write(value);
+    connection.write('\r\n');
   } else {
     if(callback){
       callback('No connection');
diff --git a/lib/kestrelConsumer.js b/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
index fa5d047..8c8c2b9 100644
--- a/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
+++ b/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
@@ -1,29 +1,41 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var client = require('./kestrelClient.js');
+var KestrelClient = require('./kestrelClient.js');
 var ee2 = require('eventemitter2').EventEmitter2;
 var util = require('util');
 
 
 var consumer = function( queue, options ){
   this._queue = queue;
-  this._options = new client(options);
-  this._client = new client(options);
-  this._client.connect();
-
+  this._options = options;
+  
   this._callback = null;
   this._consume = false;
   this._timeout = 3000;
 
-  var self = this;
+  this._client = connectToClient(this);
+
+  ee2.call(this);
+};
+util.inherits(consumer,ee2);
+
+function connectToClient(self){
+
+  var client = new KestrelClient(self._options);
+  client.connect();
 
-  this._client.on('message', function(message){
+  client.on('message', function(message){
     if(self._consume){
 
       if(self._consume.reliable){
         self._callback(message, function(err){
           if(err){
-            self.stopConsuming();
+            var consumeOptions = self._consume;
+            var consumeCallback = self._callback;
+
+            self.stopConsuming(function(){
+              self.consume(consumeOptions,consumeCallback);
+            });
           } else {
             self._consumeNextMessage();
           }
@@ -37,13 +49,12 @@ var consumer = function( queue, options ){
     self.emit('message', message);
   });
 
-  this._client.on('empty', function(){
+  client.on('empty', function(){
     self.get(self._timeout);
   });
 
-  ee2.call(this);
-};
-util.inherits(consumer,ee2);
+  return client;
+}
 
 consumer.prototype.get = function( timeout ){
   this._client.get(this._queue, timeout);
@@ -71,8 +82,7 @@ consumer.prototype.consume = function( options, callback ){
   }
 
   if(!this._client){
-    this._client = client(this._options);
-    this.client.connect();
+    this._client = connectToClient(this);
   }
 
   this._callback = callback;
@@ -89,11 +99,17 @@ consumer.prototype._consumeNextMessage = function(){
   }
 };
 
-consumer.prototype.stopConsuming = function(){
-  this._consume = false;
-  this._client.close();
-  this._client = null;
-  this.emit('stop');
+consumer.prototype.stopConsuming = function(cb){
+  if(this._consume){
+    this._consume = false;
+    this._client.close();
+    this._client = null;
+    this.emit('stop');    
+  }
+
+  if(cb){
+    cb();
+  }
 };
 
 module.exports = consumer;