diff --git a/include/libhttp.h b/include/libhttp.h
index a4df8953..afcbed0a 100644
--- a/include/libhttp.h
+++ b/include/libhttp.h
@@ -904,8 +904,8 @@ LIBHTTP_API int				httplib_atomic_inc( volatile int *addr );
 LIBHTTP_API int				httplib_base64_encode( const unsigned char *src, int src_len, char *dst, int dst_len );
 LIBHTTP_API unsigned			httplib_check_feature( unsigned feature );
 LIBHTTP_API int				httplib_closedir( DIR *dir );
-LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size );
-LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client_secure( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size );
+LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl );
+LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client_secure( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options );
 LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size, const char *path, const char *origin, httplib_websocket_data_handler data_func, httplib_websocket_close_handler close_func, void *user_data );
 LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_context *	httplib_create_client_context( const struct httplib_callbacks *callbacks, const struct httplib_option_t *options );
 LIBHTTP_API void			httplib_cry( enum debug_level_t debug_level, const struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_connection *conn, PRINTF_FORMAT_STRING(const char *fmt), ...) PRINTF_ARGS(4, 5);
diff --git a/src/httplib_connect_client.c b/src/httplib_connect_client.c
index 01e69a5a..8ddbaabb 100644
--- a/src/httplib_connect_client.c
+++ b/src/httplib_connect_client.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include "httplib_ssl.h"
 #include "httplib_string.h"
 
-static struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl, char *ebuf, size_t ebuf_len );
+static struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl );
 
 /*
  * struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_secure( struct httplib_context_*ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client options, char *error buffer, size_t error_buffer_size );
@@ -40,20 +40,20 @@ static struct httplib_connection *	httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_c
  * information, or NULL if an error occured.
  */
 
-LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_secure( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size ) {
+LIBHTTP_API struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_secure( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options ) {
 
-	return httplib_connect_client_impl( ctx, client_options, 1, error_buffer, error_buffer_size );
+	return httplib_connect_client_impl( ctx, client_options, true );
 
 }  /* httplib_connect_client_secure */
 
 /*
- * struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size );
+ * struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl );
  *
  * The function httplib_connect_client() connects to a remote server as a client
  * with the options of the connection provided as parameters.
  */
 
-struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *error_buffer, size_t error_buffer_size ) {
+struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl ) {
 
 	struct httplib_client_options opts;
 
@@ -61,20 +61,20 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client( struct httplib_context *ctx,
 	opts.host = host;
 	opts.port = port;
 
-	return httplib_connect_client_impl( ctx, &opts, use_ssl, error_buffer, error_buffer_size );
+	return httplib_connect_client_impl( ctx, &opts, use_ssl );
 
 }  /* httplib_connect_client */
 
 
 
 /*
- * static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl, char *ebuf, size_t ebuf_len );
+ * static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl );
  *
  * The function httplib_connect_client_impl() is the background function doing the
  * heavy lifting to make connections as a client to remote servers.
  */
 
-static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl, char *ebuf, size_t ebuf_len ) {
+static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_context *ctx, const struct httplib_client_options *client_options, int use_ssl ) {
 
 	struct httplib_connection *conn;
 	SOCKET sock;
@@ -85,18 +85,18 @@ static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_co
 
 	if ( ctx == NULL ) return NULL;
 
-	if ( ! XX_httplib_connect_socket( client_options->host, client_options->port, use_ssl, ebuf, ebuf_len, &sock, &sa ) ) return NULL;
+	if ( ! XX_httplib_connect_socket( ctx, client_options->host, client_options->port, use_ssl, &sock, &sa ) ) return NULL;
 	
 	if ( (conn = httplib_calloc( 1, sizeof(*conn) + MAX_REQUEST_SIZE )) == NULL ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "calloc(): %s", httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): calloc(): %s", __func__, __LINE__, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
 		closesocket( sock );
 	}
 #ifndef NO_SSL
 	
 	else if ( use_ssl  &&  (conn->client_ssl_ctx = SSL_CTX_new(SSLv23_client_method())) == NULL ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "SSL_CTX_new error" );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): SSL_CTX_new error", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		closesocket( sock );
 		conn = httplib_free( conn );
 	}
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_co
 		conn->client.sock = sock;
 		conn->client.lsa  = sa;
 
-		if ( getsockname( sock, psa, &len ) != 0 ) httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s: getsockname() failed: %s", __func__, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
+		if ( getsockname( sock, psa, &len ) != 0 ) httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): getsockname() failed: %s", __func__, __LINE__, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
 
 		conn->client.has_ssl = (use_ssl) ? true : false;
 		httplib_pthread_mutex_init( &conn->mutex, &XX_httplib_pthread_mutex_attr );
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_co
 
 				if ( ! XX_httplib_ssl_use_pem_file( ctx, client_options->client_cert ) ) {
 
-					XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "Can not use SSL client certificate" );
+					httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): can not use SSL client certificate", __func__, __LINE__ );
 					SSL_CTX_free( conn->client_ssl_ctx );
 					closesocket( sock );
 					conn = httplib_free( conn );
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ static struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_client_impl( struct httplib_co
 
 			if ( ! XX_httplib_sslize( conn, conn->client_ssl_ctx, SSL_connect ) ) {
 
-				XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "SSL connection error" );
+				httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): SSL connection error", __func__, __LINE__ );
 				SSL_CTX_free( conn->client_ssl_ctx );
 				closesocket( sock );
 				conn = httplib_free( conn );
diff --git a/src/httplib_connect_socket.c b/src/httplib_connect_socket.c
index 1cf42363..5e30ccf2 100644
--- a/src/httplib_connect_socket.c
+++ b/src/httplib_connect_socket.c
@@ -41,26 +41,26 @@
  * has been established.
  */
 
-bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *ebuf, size_t ebuf_len, SOCKET *sock, union usa *sa ) {
+bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, SOCKET *sock, union usa *sa ) {
 
 	int ip_ver;
 	char error_string[ERROR_STRING_LEN];
 
+	if ( ctx == NULL ) return false;
+
 	ip_ver = 0;
 	*sock  = INVALID_SOCKET;
 	memset( sa, 0, sizeof(*sa) );
 
-	if ( ebuf_len > 0 ) *ebuf = 0;
-
 	if ( host == NULL ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "%s", "NULL host" );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): NULL host", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	if ( port < 0  ||  ! XX_httplib_is_valid_port( (unsigned)port) ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "%s", "invalid port" );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): invalid port", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *e
 
 	if ( use_ssl  &&  SSLv23_client_method == NULL ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "%s", "SSL is not initialized" );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): SSL is not initialized", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		return false;
 	}
 #else  /* NO_SSL */
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *e
 
 	if ( ip_ver == 0 ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "%s", "host not found" );
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): host not found", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *e
 
 	if ( *sock == INVALID_SOCKET ) {
 
-		XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "socket(): %s", httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
-		return 0;
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): socket(): %s", __func__, __LINE__, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	XX_httplib_set_close_on_exec( *sock );
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ bool XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *e
 	 * Not connected
 	 */
 
-	XX_httplib_snprintf( NULL, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "connect(%s:%d): %s", host, port, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
+	httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): connect(%s:%d): %s", __func__, __LINE__, host, port, httplib_error_string( ERRNO, error_string, ERROR_STRING_LEN ) );
 	closesocket( *sock );
 	*sock = INVALID_SOCKET;
 
diff --git a/src/httplib_connect_websocket_client.c b/src/httplib_connect_websocket_client.c
index 823d824e..46ef7c30 100644
--- a/src/httplib_connect_websocket_client.c
+++ b/src/httplib_connect_websocket_client.c
@@ -43,7 +43,13 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_cont
 	static const char *magic = "x3JJHMbDL1EzLkh9GBhXDw==";
 	const char *handshake_req;
 
-	conn = NULL;
+	if ( ctx == NULL ) return NULL;
+
+	if ( ctx->status != CTX_STATUS_TERMINATED ) {
+
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_CRASH, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): client context not in terminated state", __func__, __LINE__ );
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	if ( origin != NULL ) handshake_req = "GET %s HTTP/1.1\r\n"
 		                "Host: %s\r\n"
@@ -67,22 +73,15 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_cont
 	 */
 
 	conn = httplib_download( ctx, host, port, use_ssl, error_buffer, error_buffer_size, handshake_req, path, host, magic, origin );
+	if ( conn == NULL ) {
 
-	/*
-	 * Connection object will be null if something goes wrong
-	 */
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, NULL, "%s (%u): Init of download failed", __func__, __LINE__ );
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
-	if ( conn == NULL  ||  strcmp( conn->request_info.request_uri, "101" ) ) {
+	if ( strcmp( conn->request_info.request_uri, "101" ) ) {
 
-		if ( ! *error_buffer ) {
-
-			/*
-			 * if there is a connection, but it did not return 101,
-			 * error_buffer is not yet set
-			 */
-
-			XX_httplib_snprintf( conn, NULL, error_buffer, error_buffer_size, "Unexpected server reply" );
-		}
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): unexpected server reply \"%s\"", __func__, __LINE__, conn->request_info.request_uri );
 
 		conn = httplib_free( conn );
 		return NULL;
@@ -95,6 +94,8 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_cont
 
 	if ( ctx->workerthreadids == NULL ) {
 
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): out of memory allocating worker thread IDs", __func__, __LINE__ );
+
 		ctx->num_threads = 0;
 		ctx->user_data   = NULL;
 		conn             = httplib_free( conn );
@@ -106,6 +107,8 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_cont
 
 	if ( thread_data == NULL ) {
 
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): out of memory allocating thread data", __func__, __LINE__ );
+
 		ctx->workerthreadids = httplib_free( ctx->workerthreadids );
 		ctx->num_threads     = 0;
 		ctx->user_data       = NULL;
@@ -127,11 +130,13 @@ struct httplib_connection *httplib_connect_websocket_client( struct httplib_cont
 
 	if ( XX_httplib_start_thread_with_id( XX_httplib_websocket_client_thread, thread_data, ctx->workerthreadids) != 0 ) {
 
+		httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%u): thread failed to start", __func__, __LINE__ );
+
 		thread_data          = httplib_free( thread_data          );
 		ctx->workerthreadids = httplib_free( ctx->workerthreadids );
+		conn                 = httplib_free( conn                 );
 		ctx->num_threads     = 0;
 		ctx->user_data       = NULL;
-		conn                 = httplib_free( conn );
 
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/httplib_create_client_context.c b/src/httplib_create_client_context.c
index 8501dbf1..a91d54c3 100644
--- a/src/httplib_create_client_context.c
+++ b/src/httplib_create_client_context.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ struct httplib_context *httplib_create_client_context( const struct httplib_call
 
 	ctx->callbacks.exit_context = exit_callback;
 	ctx->ctx_type               = CTX_TYPE_CLIENT;
+	ctx->status                 = CTX_STATUS_TERMINATED;
 
 	return ctx;
 
diff --git a/src/httplib_destroy_client_context.c b/src/httplib_destroy_client_context.c
index e7d30885..f16edd81 100644
--- a/src/httplib_destroy_client_context.c
+++ b/src/httplib_destroy_client_context.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ void httplib_destroy_client_context( struct httplib_context *ctx ) {
 
 	XX_httplib_free_config_options( ctx );
 
-	ctx = httplib_free( ctx );
+	ctx->workerthreadids = httplib_free( ctx->workerthreadids );
+	ctx                  = httplib_free( ctx );
 
 }  /* httplib_destroy_client_context */
diff --git a/src/httplib_download.c b/src/httplib_download.c
index e618ddbc..0c52ce31 100644
--- a/src/httplib_download.c
+++ b/src/httplib_download.c
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ struct httplib_connection * httplib_download( struct httplib_context *ctx, const
 	va_start( ap, fmt );
 	ebuf[0] = '\0';
 
-	conn = httplib_connect_client( ctx, host, port, use_ssl, ebuf, ebuf_len );
+	conn = httplib_connect_client( ctx, host, port, use_ssl );
 
 	if ( conn != NULL ) {
 
 		i = XX_httplib_vprintf( conn, fmt, ap );
 
-		if (i <= 0) XX_httplib_snprintf( conn, NULL, ebuf, ebuf_len, "%s", "Error sending request" );
+		if ( i <= 0 ) httplib_cry( DEBUG_LEVEL_ERROR, ctx, conn, "%s (%d): error sending request", __func__, __LINE__ );
 		
 		else {
 			XX_httplib_getreq( conn, ebuf, ebuf_len, &reqerr );
@@ -67,11 +67,13 @@ struct httplib_connection * httplib_download( struct httplib_context *ctx, const
 		}
 	}
 
+	else i = 0;
+
 	/*
 	 * if an error occured, close the connection
 	 */
 
-	if ( ebuf[0] != '\0'  &&  conn != NULL ) {
+	if ( i <= 0  &&  conn != NULL ) {
 
 		httplib_close_connection( conn );
 		conn = NULL;
diff --git a/src/httplib_main.h b/src/httplib_main.h
index 73d981ba..58ff40e2 100644
--- a/src/httplib_main.h
+++ b/src/httplib_main.h
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ void			XX_httplib_close_all_listening_sockets( struct httplib_context *ctx );
 void			XX_httplib_close_connection( struct httplib_connection *conn );
 void			XX_httplib_close_socket_gracefully( struct httplib_connection *conn );
 int WINCDECL		XX_httplib_compare_dir_entries( const void *p1, const void *p2 );
-bool			XX_httplib_connect_socket( const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, char *ebuf, size_t ebuf_len, SOCKET *sock, union usa *sa );
+bool			XX_httplib_connect_socket( struct httplib_context *ctx, const char *host, int port, int use_ssl, SOCKET *sock, union usa *sa );
 void			XX_httplib_construct_etag( char *buf, size_t buf_len, const struct file *filep );
 int			XX_httplib_consume_socket( struct httplib_context *ctx, struct socket *sp, int thread_index );
 void			XX_httplib_delete_file( struct httplib_connection *conn, const char *path );
diff --git a/src/httplib_websocket_client_thread.c b/src/httplib_websocket_client_thread.c
index 8db756d6..0dca836d 100644
--- a/src/httplib_websocket_client_thread.c
+++ b/src/httplib_websocket_client_thread.c
@@ -39,24 +39,24 @@ LIBHTTP_THREAD XX_httplib_websocket_client_thread( void *data ) {
 	struct websocket_client_thread_data *cdata;
 
 	cdata = data;
+	if ( cdata == NULL  ||  cdata->conn == NULL  ||  cdata->conn->ctx == NULL ) return LIBHTTP_THREAD_RETNULL;
+
+	cdata->conn->ctx->status = CTX_STATUS_RUNNING;
 
 	XX_httplib_set_thread_name( "ws-client" );
 
-	if ( cdata->conn->ctx != NULL ) {
-
-		/*
-		 * 3 indicates a websocket client thread
-		 * TODO: check if conn->ctx can be set
-		 */
-
-		if ( cdata->conn->ctx->callbacks.init_thread != NULL ) cdata->conn->ctx->callbacks.init_thread( cdata->conn->ctx, 3 );
-	}
+	if ( cdata->conn->ctx->callbacks.init_thread != NULL ) cdata->conn->ctx->callbacks.init_thread( cdata->conn->ctx, 3 );
 
 	XX_httplib_read_websocket( cdata->conn, cdata->data_handler, cdata->callback_data );
 
 	if ( cdata->close_handler != NULL ) cdata->close_handler( cdata->conn, cdata->callback_data );
 
-	cdata = httplib_free( cdata );
+	cdata->conn->ctx->workerthreadids = httplib_free( cdata->conn->ctx->workerthreadids );
+	cdata->conn                       = httplib_free( cdata->conn                       );
+	cdata                             = httplib_free( cdata                             );
+	cdata->conn->ctx->user_data       = NULL;
+	cdata->conn->ctx->num_threads     = 0;
+	cdata->conn->ctx->status          = CTX_STATUS_TERMINATED;
 
 	return LIBHTTP_THREAD_RETNULL;