diff --git a/examples/consumer.js b/examples/consumer.js
index 798728c..9598c12 100644
--- a/examples/consumer.js
+++ b/examples/consumer.js
@@ -1,17 +1,31 @@
-var kestrel = require('../');
+'use strict';
+
+var kestrel = require('..');
 
 var consumer = new kestrel.kestrelConsumer( 'test', {
-    connectionType: kestrel.connectionType.ROUND_ROBIN,
-    servers: ['127.0.0.1:22133']
+  connectionType: kestrel.connectionType.ROUND_ROBIN,
+  servers: ['127.0.0.1:22133']
 });
 
-function consumed(message){
-    console.log('Consumed Message:');
-    console.dir(message);
+var counter = 0;
+
+function consumed(message,cb){
+  console.log('Consumed Message:');
+  console.dir(message);
+
+  if(counter++>1){
+    //produce failure;
+    return process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  if(cb){
+    cb();
+  }
 }
 
-consumer.consume( consumed );
+consumer.consume( {reliable:true}, consumed );
+//unreliable still possible as before: consumer.consume( consumed );
 
 setTimeout( function(){
-    consumer.stopConsuming();
+  consumer.stopConsuming();
 }, 6000);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/producer.js b/examples/producer.js
index 91efc72..b2979a4 100644
--- a/examples/producer.js
+++ b/examples/producer.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+'use strict';
+
 var kestrel = require('../');
 
 
@@ -16,13 +18,15 @@ producer.on('stored', function(stored){
 
 //lets input some data
 var interval = setInterval( function(){
-    producer.send( (new Date().getTime()) + ' - New Message', function(err){
-      if(err){
-        console.log("ERR",err);
-      } else {
-        console.log("STORED");
-      }
-    } );
+  var message = (new Date().getTime()) + ' - New Message';
+
+  producer.send( message , function(err){
+    if(err){
+      console.log('ERR',err);
+    } else {
+      console.log('STORED:' + message);
+    }
+  } );
 }, 100);
 
 
diff --git a/lib/kestrelClient.js b/lib/kestrelClient.js
index cf894a1..b7b4392 100644
--- a/lib/kestrelClient.js
+++ b/lib/kestrelClient.js
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@ var kestrel = function( options ){
 
   this._settings = {
     servers: ['127.0.0.1:22133'],
-    connectionType: types.ROUND_ROBIN
+    connectionType: types.ROUND_ROBIN,
+    reconnect: false,
+    reconnectDelay: 200
   };
   this._currentConnection = 0;
   this._connections = [];
+  this._openConnection = null;
 
   if( options instanceof Object ){
     for( var key in options ){
@@ -65,8 +68,15 @@ function _createConnection(port, host, self){
   var connection = net.connect(port,host);
 
   connection.on('error', function(err){
-    console.dir(err);
+    self._openConnection = null;
+    self.emit('error', err);
+    if(self._settings.reconnect){      
+      setTimeout(function(){
+        self.connect();
+      },self._settings.reconnectDelay);
+    }
   });
+
   connection.on('data', function(data){
     _handleData(data,self);
     self.emit('data', data);
@@ -77,7 +87,8 @@ function _createConnection(port, host, self){
 
 function _handleData(data, self){
   data = data.toString();
-
+  console.log(data.substr(0,20)+'...')
+  
   if( data.match('STORED\r\n') ){
     self.emit('stored', true);
     if(self._pendingSetCallback){
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ kestrel.prototype.set = function( queue, value, lifetime, callback){
 
 kestrel.prototype.get = function(queue, timeout){
   var command = 'GET ' + queue;
-  
+
   timeout = parseInt(timeout,10);
   if( timeout > 0 ){
     command += '/t='+timeout;
@@ -245,6 +256,35 @@ kestrel.prototype.get = function(queue, timeout){
   return this;
 };
 
+
+kestrel.prototype.getNextOpen = function(queue, timeout){
+  var command = 'GET ' + queue;
+
+  timeout = parseInt(timeout,10);
+  if( timeout > 0 ){
+    command += '/t='+timeout;
+  }
+  
+  var connection = this._openConnection;
+
+  if(connection) {
+    command += '/close';
+  } else {
+    connection = this._getConnection();
+    this._openConnection = connection;
+  }
+
+  command += '/open';
+
+  if( connection ){
+    connection.write(command + '\r\n');
+  }
+
+  return this;
+};
+
+
+
 kestrel.prototype.delete = function(queue){
   //delete given queue
   var connection = this._getConnection();
diff --git a/lib/kestrelConsumer.js b/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
index 4324763..d728d5d 100644
--- a/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
+++ b/lib/kestrelConsumer.js
@@ -18,12 +18,20 @@ var consumer = function( queue, options ){
   var self = this;
 
   this._client.on('message', function(message){
-    if( typeof self._callback == 'function' ){
-      self._callback(message);
-    }
+    if(self._consume){
 
-    if( self._consume ){
-      self.get(self._timeout);
+      if(self._consume.reliable){
+        self._callback(message, function(err){
+          if(err){
+            self.stopConsuming();
+          } else {
+            self._consumeNextMessage();
+          }
+        });
+      } else {
+        self._callback(message);
+        self._consumeNextMessage();        
+      }
     }
 
     self.emit('message', message);
@@ -38,25 +46,54 @@ var consumer = function( queue, options ){
 util.inherits(consumer,ee2);
 
 consumer.prototype.get = function( timeout ){
-    this._client.get(this._queue, timeout);
+  this._client.get(this._queue, timeout);
+};
+
+consumer.prototype.getNextOpen = function( timeout ){
+  this._client.getNextOpen(this._queue, timeout);
 };
 
-consumer.prototype.consume = function( callback ){
+consumer.prototype.consume = function( options, callback ){
+  
+  if(typeof(options) == 'function'){
+    callback = options;
+    options = {
+      reliable: false
+    };
+  }
+
+  if(!options){
+    throw new Error('options must be an object or left out');
+  }
+
+  if(!callback){
+    throw new Error('callback to consume messages required');
+  }
+
   if(!this._client){
     this._client = client(this._options);
     this.client.connect();
   }
-  if( typeof(callback) == 'function' ){
-    this._callback = callback;
+
+  this._callback = callback;
+  this._consume = options;
+
+  this._consumeNextMessage();
+};
+
+consumer.prototype._consumeNextMessage = function(){  
+  if(this._consume.reliable){
+    this.getNextOpen(this._timeout);
+  } else {
+    this.get(this._timeout);
   }
-  this._consume = true;
-  this.get(this._timeout);
 };
 
 consumer.prototype.stopConsuming = function(){
   this._consume = false;
   this._client.close();
   this._client = null;
+  this.emit('stop');
 };
 
 module.exports = consumer;