diff --git a/lib/src/Client.cc b/lib/src/Client.cc
index 7da175d..cc04a55 100644
--- a/lib/src/Client.cc
+++ b/lib/src/Client.cc
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ int Client::sendRequest(Request *request)
 
   unsigned char *buffer = request->toWireFormat();
   int numBytesSent = this->connection->write(request->size(), buffer);
-  if (numBytesSent == Connection::WRITE_ERROR) { E("Client::sendRequest():write error:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); return numBytesSent; }
+  if (numBytesSent == Connection::WRITE_ERROR) {
+    E("Client::sendRequest():write error:" << strerror(errno) << "\n");
+    delete this->connection; this->connection = NULL;
+    return numBytesSent;
+  }
   D(cout.flush() << "Client::sendRequest():request sent:numBytes:" << numBytesSent << "\n";)
   return numBytesSent;
 }
@@ -126,13 +130,23 @@ ResponseClass *Client::receiveResponse()
 
   int netValueSize = -1;
   int numBytesReceived = this->connection->read(sizeof(int), (unsigned char *)(&netValueSize));
-  if (numBytesReceived == Connection::READ_ERROR) { E("Client::receiveResponse():read error on size:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); return NULL; }
+  if (numBytesReceived == Connection::READ_ERROR || numBytesReceived == Connection::END_OF_CONNECTION_ERROR)
+  {
+    E("Client::receiveResponse():read error on size:" << strerror(errno) << "\n");
+    delete this->connection; this->connection = NULL;
+    return NULL;
+  }
   int hostValueSize = ntohl(netValueSize);
   D(cout.flush() << "Client::receiveResponse():incoming response:size:" << hostValueSize << "\n";)
   unsigned char *buffer = new unsigned char[hostValueSize+sizeof(int)]; // add space for int32 size
   memcpy(buffer, &netValueSize, sizeof(int));
   numBytesReceived = this->connection->read(hostValueSize, buffer + sizeof(int));
-  if (numBytesReceived == Connection::READ_ERROR) { E("Client::receiveResponse():read error on body:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); return NULL; }
+  if (numBytesReceived == Connection::READ_ERROR || numBytesReceived == Connection::END_OF_CONNECTION_ERROR)
+  {
+    E("Client::receiveResponse():read error on body:" << strerror(errno) << "\n");
+    delete this->connection; this->connection = NULL;
+    return NULL;
+  }
   return new ResponseClass(buffer, true); // true specfies delete buffer on ~Response()
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/Connection.cc b/lib/src/Connection.cc
index 598e479..4cc730e 100644
--- a/lib/src/Connection.cc
+++ b/lib/src/Connection.cc
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const int Connection::DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE;
 const int Connection::SOCKET_UNINITIALIZED;
 const int Connection::OPEN_CONNECTION_ERROR;
 const int Connection::READ_ERROR;
+const int Connection::END_OF_CONNECTION_ERROR;
 const int Connection::WRITE_ERROR;
 
 Connection::Connection(string host, int port)
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ int Connection::read(int numBytes, unsigned char* buffer)
   while (numBytesReceived < numBytes)
   {
     int rcvd = (int)::recv(this->socketFd, p, (size_t)(numBytes-numBytesReceived), flags);
-    if (rcvd == READ_ERROR) { E("Connection::read():error:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); break; }
+    if (rcvd == READ_ERROR || rcvd == END_OF_CONNECTION_ERROR) {E("Connection::read():error:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); break; }
     p += rcvd;
     numBytesReceived += rcvd;
     D(cout.flush() << "--------------Connection::read(" << numBytes << "):read " << rcvd << " bytes\n";)
@@ -155,7 +156,10 @@ int Connection::write(int numBytes, unsigned char* buffer)
 {
   D(cout.flush() << "--------------Connection::write(" << numBytes << ")\n";)
 
-    int flags = 0;
+  // MSG_NOSIGNAL (since Linux 2.2)
+  // The local end has been "shut down" on a connection oriented socket. In this case the process will also receive a SIGPIPE unless MSG_NOSIGNAL is set.
+  
+  int flags = MSG_NOSIGNAL;
   int numBytesSent = (int)::send(this->socketFd, (const void*)buffer, (ssize_t)numBytes, flags);
   if (numBytesSent == WRITE_ERROR) { E("Connection::write():error:" << strerror(errno) << "\n"); }
   D(cout.flush() << "--------------Connection::write(" << numBytes << "):wrote " << numBytesSent << "bytes\n";)
diff --git a/lib/src/Connection.h b/lib/src/Connection.h
index 8c7d26a..e9237f0 100644
--- a/lib/src/Connection.h
+++ b/lib/src/Connection.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class Connection
     static const int SOCKET_UNINITIALIZED = -1;
     static const int OPEN_CONNECTION_ERROR = -1;
     static const int READ_ERROR = -1;
+    static const int END_OF_CONNECTION_ERROR = 0;
     static const int WRITE_ERROR = -1;
 
     Connection(std::string host, int port);
diff --git a/lib/src/Request.cc b/lib/src/Request.cc
index cc114f9..6648fcb 100644
--- a/lib/src/Request.cc
+++ b/lib/src/Request.cc
@@ -58,6 +58,17 @@ Request::Request(short int apiKey, short int apiVersion, int correlationId, stri
   this->clientId = clientId;
 }
 
+Request::Request(short int apiKey, short int apiVersion, int correlationId, string clientId, long bufferSize) : RequestOrResponse(bufferSize)
+{
+  D(cout.flush() << "--------------Request(params)\n";)
+
+  this->apiKey = apiKey;
+  this->apiVersion = apiVersion;
+  this->correlationId = correlationId;
+  this->clientId = clientId;
+}
+
+
 unsigned char* Request::toWireFormat(bool updatePacketSize)
 {
   unsigned char* buffer = this->RequestOrResponse::toWireFormat(false);
diff --git a/lib/src/Request.h b/lib/src/Request.h
index e6efba8..e1d2fb9 100644
--- a/lib/src/Request.h
+++ b/lib/src/Request.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ class Request : public RequestOrResponse
 
     Request(unsigned char *buffer, bool releaseBuffer = false);
     Request(short int apiKey, short int apiVersion, int correlationId, std::string clientId);
+    Request(short int apiKey, short int apiVersion, int correlationId, std::string clientId, long bufferSize);
 
     unsigned char* toWireFormat(bool updatePacketSize = true);
     int getWireFormatSize(bool includePacketSize = true);
diff --git a/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.cc b/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.cc
index f5d6aaf..fb00d49 100644
--- a/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.cc
+++ b/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.cc
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ RequestOrResponse::RequestOrResponse() : WireFormatter()
   D(cout.flush() << "--------------RequestOrResponse(params)\n";)
 }
 
+RequestOrResponse::RequestOrResponse(long bufferSize) : WireFormatter()
+{
+  this->packet = new Packet(bufferSize);
+
+  D(cout.flush() << "--------------RequestOrResponse(params)\n";)
+}
+
 RequestOrResponse::~RequestOrResponse()
 {
   delete this->packet;
diff --git a/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.h b/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.h
index 54221ef..a661197 100644
--- a/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.h
+++ b/lib/src/RequestOrResponse.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class RequestOrResponse : public WireFormatter, public PacketWriter
   public:
 
     RequestOrResponse();
+    RequestOrResponse(long bufferSize);
     RequestOrResponse(unsigned char *buffer, bool releaseBuffer = false);
     ~RequestOrResponse();
 
diff --git a/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.cc b/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.cc
index 99c6f12..524981b 100644
--- a/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.cc
+++ b/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.cc
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ namespace LibKafka {
     this->produceTopicArray = produceTopicArray;
     this->releaseArrays = releaseArrays;
   }
+  
+  ProduceRequest::ProduceRequest(int correlationId, std::string clientId, short int requiredAcks, int timeout, int produceTopicArraySize, TopicNameBlock<ProduceMessageSet>** produceTopicArray, long bufferSize, bool releaseArrays) : Request(ApiConstants::PRODUCE_REQUEST_KEY, ApiConstants::API_VERSION, correlationId, clientId, bufferSize)
+  {
+    D(cout.flush() << "--------------ProduceRequest(params)\n";)
+
+    this->requiredAcks = requiredAcks;
+    this->timeout = timeout;
+    this->produceTopicArraySize = produceTopicArraySize;
+    this->produceTopicArray = produceTopicArray;
+    this->releaseArrays = releaseArrays;
+  }
+
 
   ProduceRequest::~ProduceRequest()
   {
diff --git a/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.h b/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.h
index b0d8403..876808f 100644
--- a/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.h
+++ b/lib/src/produce/ProduceRequest.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class ProduceRequest : public Request
 
     ProduceRequest(unsigned char *buffer, bool releaseBuffer = false);
     ProduceRequest(int correlationId, std::string clientId, short int requiredAcks, int timeout, int produceTopicArraySize, TopicNameBlock<ProduceMessageSet> **produceTopicArray, bool releaseArrays = false);
+    ProduceRequest(int correlationId, std::string clientId, short int requiredAcks, int timeout, int produceTopicArraySize, TopicNameBlock<ProduceMessageSet> **produceTopicArray, long bufferSize, bool releaseArrays = false);
     ~ProduceRequest();
 
     unsigned char* toWireFormat(bool updatePacketSize = true);