diff --git a/db/db.cpp b/db/db.cpp
index 6938aab8ea8..cd69883732d 100644
--- a/db/db.cpp
+++ b/db/db.cpp
@@ -265,7 +265,8 @@ void msg(const char *m) {
 	p.init(29999);
 
 //	SockAddr db("127.0.0.1", MessagingPort::DBPort);
-	SockAddr db("10.0.21.60", MessagingPort::DBPort);
+//	SockAddr db("10.0.21.60", MessagingPort::DBPort);
+	SockAddr db("172.16.0.179", MessagingPort::DBPort);
 
 	Message send;
 	Message response;
@@ -288,6 +289,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
 {
 	quicktest();
 
+
 	if( argc >= 2 ) {
 		if( strcmp(argv[1], "quicktest") == 0 )
 			return 0;
@@ -299,6 +301,13 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
 			run();
 			return 0;
 		}
+		if( strcmp(argv[1], "longmsg") == 0 ) {
+			char buf[4096];
+			memset(buf, 'a', 4095);
+			buf[4095] = 0;
+			msg(buf);
+			return 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	cout << "usage:\n";
@@ -306,6 +315,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
 	cout << "  msg [msg]    send a request to the db server" << endl;
 	cout << "  msg end      shut down" << endl;
 	cout << "  run          run db" << endl;
+	cout << "  longmsg      send a long test message to the db server" << endl;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/grid/message.cpp b/grid/message.cpp
index 48b91d90bc8..617925f268e 100644
--- a/grid/message.cpp
+++ b/grid/message.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ struct Fragment {
 	short fragmentNo;
 	char data[1];
 	int fragmentDataLen() { return fragmentLen - 8; }
+	char* fragmentData() { return data; }
 
 	bool ok(int nRead) { 
 		if( nRead < MinFragmentLen || fragmentLen > nRead || fragmentLen < MinFragmentLen ) {
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ bool MessagingPort::recv(Message& m) {
 
 	/* we'll need to read more */
 	char *msgData = (char *) malloc(totalLen);
+	m.setData((MsgData*) msgData, true);
 	char *p = msgData;
 	memcpy(p, somd, ff->fragmentDataLen());
 	int sofar = ff->fragmentDataLen();
@@ -94,8 +96,12 @@ bool MessagingPort::recv(Message& m) {
 		Fragment *f = (Fragment *) b; 
 		if( !f->ok(n) )
 			return false;
-		if( f->msgId != msgid || f->fragmentNo != expectedFragmentNo ) {
-			cout << "bad fragment" << endl;
+		if( f->msgId != msgid ) {
+			cout << "bad fragment, wrong msg id, expected:" << msgid << " got:" << f->msgId << endl;
+			return false;
+		}
+		if( f->fragmentNo != expectedFragmentNo ) {
+			cout << "bad fragment, wrong fragmentNo, expected:" << expectedFragmentNo << " got:" << f->fragmentNo << endl;
 			return false;
 		}
 		if( from != m.from ) {
@@ -104,7 +110,7 @@ bool MessagingPort::recv(Message& m) {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		memcpy(p, f->startOfMsgData(), f->fragmentDataLen());
+		memcpy(p, f->fragmentData(), f->fragmentDataLen());
 		p += f->fragmentDataLen();
 		wanted -= f->fragmentDataLen();
 		expectedFragmentNo++;
@@ -149,5 +155,6 @@ void MessagingPort::say(SockAddr& to, Message& toSend, int responseTo) {
 		p += l;
 		left -= l;
 		conn.sendto(buf, l+8, to);
+		f->fragmentNo++;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/grid/message.h b/grid/message.h
index b2ba18e7ce9..83ced78ed11 100644
--- a/grid/message.h
+++ b/grid/message.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ inline int MsgData::dataLen() { return len - MsgDataHeaderSize; }
 
 class Message {
 public:
-	Message() { data = 0; }
+	Message() { data = 0; freeIt = false; }
 	~Message() { reset(); }
 
 	SockAddr from;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public:
 	void reset() {
 		if( freeIt && data )
 			free(data);
-		data = 0;
+		data = 0; freeIt = false;
 	}
 
 	void setData(MsgData *d, bool _freeIt) {