diff --git a/misc/sim/treesim.go b/misc/sim/treesim.go
index f4cd75f..a62f9ff 100644
--- a/misc/sim/treesim.go
+++ b/misc/sim/treesim.go
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@ import "os"
 import "strings"
 import "strconv"
 import "time"
-import "log"
 
 import "runtime"
 import "runtime/pprof"
 import "flag"
 
+import "github.com/gologme/log"
+
 import . "github.com/yggdrasil-network/yggdrasil-go/src/yggdrasil"
+import . "github.com/yggdrasil-network/yggdrasil-go/src/crypto"
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
diff --git a/src/util/util.go b/src/util/util.go
index 45be3b1..df15ff2 100644
--- a/src/util/util.go
+++ b/src/util/util.go
@@ -56,3 +56,23 @@ func TimerStop(t *time.Timer) bool {
 	}
 	return true
 }
+
+// Run a blocking function with a timeout.
+// Returns true if the function returns.
+// Returns false if the timer fires.
+// The blocked function remains blocked--the caller is responsible for somehow killing it.
+func FuncTimeout(f func(), timeout time.Duration) bool {
+	success := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(success)
+		f()
+	}()
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+	defer TimerStop(timer)
+	select {
+	case <-success:
+		return true
+	case <-timer.C:
+		return false
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/core.go b/src/yggdrasil/core.go
index 2e23dd1..0443328 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/core.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/core.go
@@ -125,11 +125,15 @@ func (c *Core) addPeerLoop() {
 // UpdateConfig updates the configuration in Core and then signals the
 // various module goroutines to reconfigure themselves if needed
 func (c *Core) UpdateConfig(config *config.NodeConfig) {
+	c.log.Infoln("Reloading configuration...")
+
 	c.configMutex.Lock()
 	c.configOld = c.config
 	c.config = *config
 	c.configMutex.Unlock()
 
+	errors := 0
+
 	components := []chan chan error{
 		c.admin.reconfigure,
 		c.searches.reconfigure,
@@ -148,9 +152,16 @@ func (c *Core) UpdateConfig(config *config.NodeConfig) {
 		response := make(chan error)
 		component <- response
 		if err := <-response; err != nil {
-			c.log.Println(err)
+			c.log.Errorln(err)
+			errors++
 		}
 	}
+
+	if errors > 0 {
+		c.log.Warnln(errors, "modules reported errors during configuration reload")
+	} else {
+		c.log.Infoln("Configuration reloaded successfully")
+	}
 }
 
 // GetBuildName gets the current build name. This is usually injected if built
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index ad4b1fa..6fc7687 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -91,11 +92,16 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	meta.link = *myLinkPub
 	metaBytes := meta.encode()
 	// TODO timeouts on send/recv (goroutine for send/recv, channel select w/ timer)
-	err := intf.msgIO._sendMetaBytes(metaBytes)
+	var err error
+	if !util.FuncTimeout(func() { err = intf.msgIO._sendMetaBytes(metaBytes) }, 30*time.Second) {
+		return errors.New("timeout on metadata send")
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	metaBytes, err = intf.msgIO._recvMetaBytes()
+	if !util.FuncTimeout(func() { metaBytes, err = intf.msgIO._recvMetaBytes() }, 30*time.Second) {
+		return errors.New("timeout on metadata recv")
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -109,8 +115,8 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 		return errors.New("failed to connect: wrong version")
 	}
 	// Check if we're authorized to connect to this key / IP
-	if !intf.force && !intf.link.core.peers.isAllowedEncryptionPublicKey(&meta.box) {
-		intf.link.core.log.Debugf("%s connection to %s forbidden: AllowedEncryptionPublicKeys does not contain key %s",
+	if !intf.incoming && !intf.force && !intf.link.core.peers.isAllowedEncryptionPublicKey(&meta.box) {
+		intf.link.core.log.Warnf("%s connection to %s forbidden: AllowedEncryptionPublicKeys does not contain key %s",
 			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), intf.info.remote, hex.EncodeToString(meta.box[:]))
 		intf.msgIO.close()
 		return nil
@@ -162,8 +168,6 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	themString := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", themAddrString, intf.info.remote)
 	intf.link.core.log.Infof("Connected %s: %s, source %s",
 		strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
-	defer intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
-		strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
 	// Start the link loop
 	go intf.peer.linkLoop()
 	// Start the writer
@@ -216,8 +220,8 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 				case signalReady <- struct{}{}:
 				default:
 				}
-				intf.link.core.log.Debugf("Sending packet to %s: %s, source %s",
-					strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+				//intf.link.core.log.Debugf("Sending packet to %s: %s, source %s",
+				//	strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -225,26 +229,32 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 	// Used to enable/disable activity in the switch
 	signalAlive := make(chan bool, 1) // True = real packet, false = keep-alive
 	defer close(signalAlive)
+	ret := make(chan error, 1) // How we signal the return value when multiple goroutines are involved
 	go func() {
 		var isAlive bool
 		var isReady bool
 		var sendTimerRunning bool
 		var recvTimerRunning bool
-		recvTime := 6 * time.Second // TODO set to ReadTimeout from the config, reset if it gets changed
+		recvTime := 6 * time.Second     // TODO set to ReadTimeout from the config, reset if it gets changed
+		closeTime := 2 * switch_timeout // TODO or maybe this makes more sense for ReadTimeout?...
 		sendTime := time.Second
 		sendTimer := time.NewTimer(sendTime)
 		defer util.TimerStop(sendTimer)
 		recvTimer := time.NewTimer(recvTime)
 		defer util.TimerStop(recvTimer)
+		closeTimer := time.NewTimer(closeTime)
+		defer util.TimerStop(closeTimer)
 		for {
-			intf.link.core.log.Debugf("State of %s: %s, source %s :: isAlive %t isReady %t sendTimerRunning %t recvTimerRunning %t",
-				strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local,
-				isAlive, isReady, sendTimerRunning, recvTimerRunning)
+			//intf.link.core.log.Debugf("State of %s: %s, source %s :: isAlive %t isReady %t sendTimerRunning %t recvTimerRunning %t",
+			//	strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local,
+			//	isAlive, isReady, sendTimerRunning, recvTimerRunning)
 			select {
 			case gotMsg, ok := <-signalAlive:
 				if !ok {
 					return
 				}
+				util.TimerStop(closeTimer)
+				closeTimer.Reset(closeTime)
 				util.TimerStop(recvTimer)
 				recvTimerRunning = false
 				isAlive = true
@@ -299,6 +309,14 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 			case <-recvTimer.C:
 				// We haven't received anything, so assume there's a problem and don't return this node to the switch until they start responding
 				isAlive = false
+			case <-closeTimer.C:
+				// We haven't received anything in a really long time, so things have died at the switch level and then some...
+				// Just close the connection at this point...
+				select {
+				case ret <- errors.New("timeout"):
+				default:
+				}
+				intf.msgIO.close()
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -309,7 +327,13 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 			intf.peer.handlePacket(msg)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			if err != io.EOF {
+				select {
+				case ret <- err:
+				default:
+				}
+			}
+			break
 		}
 		select {
 		case signalAlive <- len(msg) > 0:
@@ -317,5 +341,15 @@ func (intf *linkInterface) handler() error {
 		}
 	}
 	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-	return nil
+	// Remember to set `err` to something useful before returning
+	select {
+	case err = <-ret:
+		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s; error: %s",
+			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local, err)
+	default:
+		err = nil
+		intf.link.core.log.Infof("Disconnected %s: %s, source %s",
+			strings.ToUpper(intf.info.linkType), themString, intf.info.local)
+	}
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/router.go b/src/yggdrasil/router.go
index 99e6982..6acd473 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/router.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/router.go
@@ -66,19 +66,36 @@ func (r *router) init(core *Core) {
 	r.reconfigure = make(chan chan error, 1)
 	r.addr = *address.AddrForNodeID(&r.core.dht.nodeID)
 	r.subnet = *address.SubnetForNodeID(&r.core.dht.nodeID)
-	in := make(chan []byte, 32) // TODO something better than this...
+	in := make(chan []byte, 1) // TODO something better than this...
 	p := r.core.peers.newPeer(&r.core.boxPub, &r.core.sigPub, &crypto.BoxSharedKey{}, "(self)", nil)
-	p.out = func(packet []byte) {
-		// This is to make very sure it never blocks
-		select {
-		case in <- packet:
-			return
-		default:
-			util.PutBytes(packet)
-		}
-	}
+	p.out = func(packet []byte) { in <- packet }
 	r.in = in
-	r.out = func(packet []byte) { p.handlePacket(packet) } // The caller is responsible for go-ing if it needs to not block
+	out := make(chan []byte, 32)
+	go func() {
+		for packet := range out {
+			p.handlePacket(packet)
+		}
+	}()
+	out2 := make(chan []byte, 32)
+	go func() {
+		// This worker makes sure r.out never blocks
+		// It will buffer traffic long enough for the switch worker to take it
+		// If (somehow) you can send faster than the switch can receive, then this would use unbounded memory
+		// But crypto slows sends enough that the switch should always be able to take the packets...
+		var buf [][]byte
+		for {
+			buf = append(buf, <-out2)
+			for len(buf) > 0 {
+				select {
+				case bs := <-out2:
+					buf = append(buf, bs)
+				case out <- buf[0]:
+					buf = buf[1:]
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	r.out = func(packet []byte) { out2 <- packet }
 	r.toRecv = make(chan router_recvPacket, 32)
 	recv := make(chan []byte, 32)
 	send := make(chan []byte, 32)
@@ -305,7 +322,6 @@ func (r *router) sendPacket(bs []byte) {
 			// Don't continue - drop the packet
 			return
 		}
-
 		sinfo.send <- bs
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/session.go b/src/yggdrasil/session.go
index cdabaf2..012af57 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/session.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/session.go
@@ -525,17 +525,36 @@ func (ss *sessions) resetInits() {
 // It handles calling the relatively expensive crypto operations.
 // It's also responsible for checking nonces and dropping out-of-date/duplicate packets, or else calling the function to update nonces if the packet is OK.
 func (sinfo *sessionInfo) doWorker() {
+	send := make(chan []byte, 32)
+	defer close(send)
+	go func() {
+		for bs := range send {
+			sinfo.doSend(bs)
+		}
+	}()
+	recv := make(chan *wire_trafficPacket, 32)
+	defer close(recv)
+	go func() {
+		for p := range recv {
+			sinfo.doRecv(p)
+		}
+	}()
 	for {
 		select {
 		case p, ok := <-sinfo.recv:
 			if ok {
-				sinfo.doRecv(p)
+				select {
+				case recv <- p:
+				default:
+					// We need something to not block, and it's best to drop it before we decrypt
+					util.PutBytes(p.Payload)
+				}
 			} else {
 				return
 			}
 		case bs, ok := <-sinfo.send:
 			if ok {
-				sinfo.doSend(bs)
+				send <- bs
 			} else {
 				return
 			}
@@ -625,8 +644,5 @@ func (sinfo *sessionInfo) doRecv(p *wire_trafficPacket) {
 	sinfo.updateNonce(&p.Nonce)
 	sinfo.time = time.Now()
 	sinfo.bytesRecvd += uint64(len(bs))
-	select {
-	case sinfo.core.router.toRecv <- router_recvPacket{bs, sinfo}:
-	default: // avoid deadlocks, maybe do this somewhere else?...
-	}
+	sinfo.core.router.toRecv <- router_recvPacket{bs, sinfo}
 }
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
index a2877eb..bf6b919 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/switch.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ type switchTable struct {
 	admin             chan func()                // Pass a lambda for the admin socket to query stuff
 	queues            switch_buffers             // Queues - not atomic so ONLY use through admin chan
 	queueTotalMaxSize uint64                     // Maximum combined size of queues
+	toRouter          chan []byte                // Packets to be sent to the router
 }
 
 // Minimum allowed total size of switch queues.
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ func (t *switchTable) init(core *Core) {
 	t.idleIn = make(chan switchPort, 1024)
 	t.admin = make(chan func())
 	t.queueTotalMaxSize = SwitchQueueTotalMinSize
+	t.toRouter = make(chan []byte, 1)
 }
 
 // Safely gets a copy of this node's locator.
@@ -215,7 +217,6 @@ func (t *switchTable) doMaintenance() {
 	defer t.mutex.Unlock() // Release lock when we're done
 	t.cleanRoot()
 	t.cleanDropped()
-	t.cleanPeers()
 }
 
 // Updates the root periodically if it is ourself, or promotes ourself to root if we're better than the current root or if the current root has timed out.
@@ -272,28 +273,6 @@ func (t *switchTable) forgetPeer(port switchPort) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Clean all unresponsive peers from the table, needed in case a peer stops updating.
-// Needed in case a non-parent peer keeps the connection open but stops sending updates.
-// Also reclaims space from deleted peers by copying the map.
-func (t *switchTable) cleanPeers() {
-	now := time.Now()
-	for port, peer := range t.data.peers {
-		if now.Sub(peer.time) > switch_timeout+switch_throttle {
-			// Longer than switch_timeout to make sure we don't remove a working peer because the root stopped responding.
-			delete(t.data.peers, port)
-			go t.core.peers.removePeer(port) // TODO figure out if it's safe to do this without a goroutine, or make it safe
-		}
-	}
-	if _, isIn := t.data.peers[t.parent]; !isIn {
-		// The root timestamp would probably time out before this happens, but better safe than sorry.
-		// We removed the current parent, so find a new one.
-		t.parent = 0
-		for _, peer := range t.data.peers {
-			t.unlockedHandleMsg(&peer.msg, peer.port, true)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 // Dropped is a list of roots that are better than the current root, but stopped sending new timestamps.
 // If we switch to a new root, and that root is better than an old root that previously timed out, then we can clean up the old dropped root infos.
 // This function is called periodically to do that cleanup.
@@ -570,23 +549,23 @@ func (t *switchTable) start() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Check if a packet should go to the self node
-// This means there's no node closer to the destination than us
-// This is mainly used to identify packets addressed to us, or that hit a blackhole
-func (t *switchTable) selfIsClosest(dest []byte) bool {
+// Return a map of ports onto distance, keeping only ports closer to the destination than this node
+// If the map is empty (or nil), then no peer is closer
+func (t *switchTable) getCloser(dest []byte) map[switchPort]int {
 	table := t.getTable()
 	myDist := table.self.dist(dest)
 	if myDist == 0 {
 		// Skip the iteration step if it's impossible to be closer
-		return true
+		return nil
 	}
+	closer := make(map[switchPort]int, len(table.elems))
 	for _, info := range table.elems {
 		dist := info.locator.dist(dest)
 		if dist < myDist {
-			return false
+			closer[info.port] = dist
 		}
 	}
-	return true
+	return closer
 }
 
 // Returns true if the peer is closer to the destination than ourself
@@ -639,26 +618,48 @@ func (t *switchTable) bestPortForCoords(coords []byte) switchPort {
 // Returns true if the packet has been handled somehow, false if it should be queued
 func (t *switchTable) handleIn(packet []byte, idle map[switchPort]struct{}) bool {
 	coords := switch_getPacketCoords(packet)
-	ports := t.core.peers.getPorts()
-	if t.selfIsClosest(coords) {
+	closer := t.getCloser(coords)
+	if len(closer) == 0 {
 		// TODO? call the router directly, and remove the whole concept of a self peer?
-		ports[0].sendPacket(packet)
+		t.toRouter <- packet
 		return true
 	}
 	table := t.getTable()
-	myDist := table.self.dist(coords)
 	var best *peer
-	bestDist := myDist
-	for port := range idle {
-		if to := ports[port]; to != nil {
-			if info, isIn := table.elems[to.port]; isIn {
-				dist := info.locator.dist(coords)
-				if !(dist < bestDist) {
-					continue
-				}
-				best = to
-				bestDist = dist
-			}
+	var bestDist int
+	var bestCoordLen int
+	ports := t.core.peers.getPorts()
+	for port, dist := range closer {
+		to := ports[port]
+		_, isIdle := idle[port]
+		coordLen := len(table.elems[port].locator.coords)
+		var update bool
+		switch {
+		case to == nil:
+			//nothing
+		case !isIdle:
+			//nothing
+		case best == nil:
+			update = true
+		case dist < bestDist:
+			update = true
+		case dist > bestDist:
+			//nothing
+		case coordLen < bestCoordLen:
+			update = true
+			/*
+				case coordLen > bestCoordLen:
+					//nothing
+				case port < best.port:
+					update = true
+			*/
+		default:
+			//nothing
+		}
+		if update {
+			best = to
+			bestDist = dist
+			bestCoordLen = coordLen
 		}
 	}
 	if best != nil {
@@ -697,7 +698,7 @@ func (b *switch_buffers) cleanup(t *switchTable) {
 		// Remove queues for which we have no next hop
 		packet := buf.packets[0]
 		coords := switch_getPacketCoords(packet.bytes)
-		if t.selfIsClosest(coords) {
+		if len(t.getCloser(coords)) == 0 {
 			for _, packet := range buf.packets {
 				util.PutBytes(packet.bytes)
 			}
@@ -776,11 +777,38 @@ func (t *switchTable) handleIdle(port switchPort) bool {
 
 // The switch worker does routing lookups and sends packets to where they need to be
 func (t *switchTable) doWorker() {
+	sendingToRouter := make(chan []byte, 1)
+	go func() {
+		// Keep sending packets to the router
+		self := t.core.peers.getPorts()[0]
+		for bs := range sendingToRouter {
+			self.sendPacket(bs)
+		}
+	}()
+	go func() {
+		// Keep taking packets from the idle worker and sending them to the above whenever it's idle, keeping anything extra in a (fifo, head-drop) buffer
+		var buf [][]byte
+		for {
+			buf = append(buf, <-t.toRouter)
+			for len(buf) > 0 {
+				select {
+				case bs := <-t.toRouter:
+					buf = append(buf, bs)
+					for len(buf) > 32 {
+						util.PutBytes(buf[0])
+						buf = buf[1:]
+					}
+				case sendingToRouter <- buf[0]:
+					buf = buf[1:]
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 	t.queues.switchTable = t
 	t.queues.bufs = make(map[string]switch_buffer) // Packets per PacketStreamID (string)
 	idle := make(map[switchPort]struct{})          // this is to deduplicate things
 	for {
-		t.core.log.Debugf("Switch state: idle = %d, buffers = %d", len(idle), len(t.queues.bufs))
+		//t.core.log.Debugf("Switch state: idle = %d, buffers = %d", len(idle), len(t.queues.bufs))
 		select {
 		case bytes := <-t.packetIn:
 			// Try to send it somewhere (or drop it if it's corrupt or at a dead end)