diff --git a/include/mysql_connection.h b/include/mysql_connection.h
index 20b8b2b46..166bc265f 100644
--- a/include/mysql_connection.h
+++ b/include/mysql_connection.h
@@ -33,9 +33,11 @@ class MySQL_Connection {
 	unsigned long long inserted_into_pool;
 	public:
 	int fd;
+	short wait_events;
+	unsigned long long timeout;
 	char scramble_buff[40];
 	int async_exit_status; // exit status of MariaDB Client Library Non blocking API
-	int async_state_machine;	// Async state machine
+	MDB_ASYNC_ST async_state_machine;	// Async state machine
 	MYSQL *mysql;
 	MYSQL *ret_mysql;
 	struct {
@@ -76,5 +78,8 @@ class MySQL_Connection {
 	bool get_status_prepared_statement();
 	bool get_status_user_variable();
 	void connect_start();
+	void connect_cont(short event);
+	MDB_ASYNC_ST handler(short event);
+	void next_event(MDB_ASYNC_ST new_st);
 };
 #endif /* __CLASS_MYSQL_CONNECTION_H */
diff --git a/include/proxysql_structs.h b/include/proxysql_structs.h
index c834a614a..cfe4c9523 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_structs.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_structs.h
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@
 
 enum cred_username_type { USERNAME_BACKEND, USERNAME_FRONTEND };
 
+enum MDB_ASYNC_ST { // MariaDB Async State Machine
+	ASYNC_CONNECT_START,
+	ASYNC_CONNECT_CONT,
+	ASYNC_CONNECT_END,
+	ASYNC_CONNECT_SUCCESSFUL,
+	ASYNC_CONNECT_FAILED
+};
+
 // list of possible debugging modules
 enum debug_module {
 	PROXY_DEBUG_GENERIC,
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index cfbb908ee..c3c6be110 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ extern Query_Cache *GloQC;
 extern ProxySQL_Admin *GloAdmin;
 extern MySQL_Threads_Handler *GloMTH;
 
-
 Query_Info::Query_Info() {
 	MyComQueryCmd=MYSQL_COM_QUERY___NONE;
 	QueryPointer=NULL;
@@ -447,16 +446,19 @@ __exit_DSS__STATE_NOT_INITIALIZED:
 	if (mybe->server_myds->DSS > STATE_MARIADB_BEGIN && mybe->server_myds->DSS < STATE_MARIADB_END) {
 		MySQL_Data_Stream *myds=mybe->server_myds;
 		MySQL_Connection *myconn=mybe->server_myds->myconn;
-		int ms_status = 0;
+//		int ms_status = 0;
 		switch (status) {
 			case CONNECTING_SERVER:
-				if (myds->revents & POLLIN) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_READ;
-				if (myds->revents & POLLOUT) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_WRITE;
-				if (myds->revents & POLLPRI) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_EXCEPT;
-				if (ms_status) {
-					myconn->async_exit_status = mysql_real_connect_cont(&myconn->ret_mysql, myconn->mysql, ms_status);
-					if (myconn->async_exit_status==0) {
+//				if (myds->revents & POLLIN) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_READ;
+//				if (myds->revents & POLLOUT) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_WRITE;
+//				if (myds->revents & POLLPRI) ms_status |= MYSQL_WAIT_EXCEPT;
+//				if (ms_status) {
+				if (myds->revents) {
+					myconn->handler(myds->revents);
+//					myconn->async_exit_status = mysql_real_connect_cont(&myconn->ret_mysql, myconn->mysql, ms_status);
+//					if (myconn->async_exit_status==0) {
 					if (myconn->ret_mysql) {
+						if (myconn->async_state_machine==ASYNC_CONNECT_SUCCESSFUL) {
 						myds->myds_type=MYDS_BACKEND;
 						myds->DSS=STATE_READY;
 						//mybe->myconn=server_myds->myconn;
@@ -468,9 +470,12 @@ __exit_DSS__STATE_NOT_INITIALIZED:
 							myds->PSarrayOUT->add(pkt2.ptr, pkt2.size);
 							myds->DSS=STATE_QUERY_SENT_DS;
 						}
+					} else {
+						assert(0);
+					}
       //assert(0);
 					}
-				}
+//				}
 			}
 			break;
 		default:
@@ -1293,21 +1298,29 @@ void MySQL_Session::handler___client_DSS_QUERY_SENT___server_DSS_NOT_INITIALIZED
 		proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_MYSQL_CONNECTION, 5, "Sess=%p -- MySQL Connection has no FD\n", this);
 		int __fd;
 		MySQL_Connection *myconn=mybe->server_myds->myconn;
-		myconn->mysql=mysql_init(NULL);
-		assert(myconn->mysql);
-		mysql_options(myconn->mysql, MYSQL_OPT_NONBLOCK, 0);
+//		myconn->mysql=mysql_init(NULL);
+//		assert(myconn->mysql);
+//		mysql_options(myconn->mysql, MYSQL_OPT_NONBLOCK, 0);
 		myconn->userinfo->set(client_myds->myconn->userinfo);
 		// FIXME: set client_flags
 		//mybe->server_myds->myconn->connect_start();
 		//mybe->server_myds->fd=myconn->fd;
 
-
+		//myconn->connect_start();
+		myconn->handler(0);
+/*
 		if (myconn->parent->port) {
 			myconn->async_exit_status=mysql_real_connect_start(&myconn->ret_mysql,myconn->mysql, myconn->parent->address, myconn->userinfo->username, myconn->userinfo->password, myconn->userinfo->schemaname, myconn->parent->port, NULL, 0);
 		} else {
 			myconn->async_exit_status=mysql_real_connect_start(&myconn->ret_mysql,myconn->mysql, "localhost", myconn->userinfo->username, myconn->userinfo->password, myconn->userinfo->schemaname, myconn->parent->port, myconn->parent->address, 0);
 		}
 		myconn->fd=mysql_get_socket(myconn->mysql);
+		if (myconn->async_exit_status) {
+//			myconn->async_state_machine=1;
+		} else {
+//			myconn->async_state_machine=2;	
+		}
+*/
 		mybe->server_myds->fd=myconn->fd;
 		mybe->server_myds->DSS=STATE_MARIADB_CONNECTING;
 		status=CONNECTING_SERVER;
diff --git a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
index 5d6c22ae5..95182748f 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@ void MySQL_Connection::operator delete(void *ptr) {
 
 //extern __thread char *mysql_thread___default_schema;
 
+static int
+mysql_status(short event) {
+	int status= 0;
+	if (event & POLLIN)
+		status|= MYSQL_WAIT_READ;
+	if (event & POLLOUT)
+		status|= MYSQL_WAIT_WRITE;
+//	FIXME: handle timeout
+//	if (event & PROXY_TIMEOUT)
+//		status|= MYSQL_WAIT_TIMEOUT;
+	return status;
+}
+
+
 MySQL_Connection_userinfo::MySQL_Connection_userinfo() {
 	username=NULL;
 	password=NULL;
@@ -102,6 +116,7 @@ bool MySQL_Connection_userinfo::set_schemaname(char *_new, int l) {
 MySQL_Connection::MySQL_Connection() {
 	//memset(&myconn,0,sizeof(MYSQL));
 	mysql=NULL;
+	async_state_machine=ASYNC_CONNECT_START;
 	ret_mysql=NULL;
 	myds=NULL;
 	inserted_into_pool=0;
@@ -201,6 +216,9 @@ bool MySQL_Connection::get_status_prepared_statement() {
 
 // non blocking API
 void MySQL_Connection::connect_start() {
+	mysql=mysql_init(NULL);
+	assert(mysql);
+	mysql_options(mysql, MYSQL_OPT_NONBLOCK, 0);
 	if (parent->port) {
 		async_exit_status=mysql_real_connect_start(&ret_mysql, mysql, parent->address, userinfo->username, userinfo->password, userinfo->schemaname, parent->port, NULL, 0);
 	} else {
@@ -209,3 +227,83 @@ void MySQL_Connection::connect_start() {
 	fd=mysql_get_socket(mysql);
 }
 
+void MySQL_Connection::connect_cont(short event) {
+	async_exit_status = mysql_real_connect_cont(&ret_mysql, mysql, mysql_status(event));
+}
+
+#define NEXT_IMMEDIATE(new_st) do { async_state_machine = new_st; goto handler_again; } while (0)
+
+MDB_ASYNC_ST MySQL_Connection::handler(short event) {
+	if (mysql==NULL) {
+		// it is the first time handler() is being called
+		async_state_machine=ASYNC_CONNECT_START;
+	}
+handler_again:
+	switch (async_state_machine) {
+		case ASYNC_CONNECT_START:
+			connect_start();
+			if (async_exit_status) {
+				next_event(ASYNC_CONNECT_CONT);
+			} else {
+				NEXT_IMMEDIATE(ASYNC_CONNECT_END);
+			}
+			break;
+		case ASYNC_CONNECT_CONT:
+			connect_cont(event);
+			if (async_exit_status) {
+      	next_event(ASYNC_CONNECT_CONT);
+			} else {
+				NEXT_IMMEDIATE(ASYNC_CONNECT_END);
+			}
+    break;
+			break;
+		case ASYNC_CONNECT_END:
+			if (!ret_mysql) {
+				fprintf(stderr,"Failed to mysql_real_connect()");
+    		NEXT_IMMEDIATE(ASYNC_CONNECT_FAILED);
+			} else {
+    		NEXT_IMMEDIATE(ASYNC_CONNECT_SUCCESSFUL);
+			}
+    	break;
+		case ASYNC_CONNECT_SUCCESSFUL:
+			break;
+		case ASYNC_CONNECT_FAILED:
+			break;
+		default:
+			assert(0); //we should never reach here
+			break;
+		}
+	return async_state_machine;
+}
+
+
+void MySQL_Connection::next_event(MDB_ASYNC_ST new_st) {
+	int fd;
+	wait_events=0;
+
+	if (async_exit_status & MYSQL_WAIT_READ)
+		wait_events |= POLLIN;
+	if (async_exit_status & MYSQL_WAIT_WRITE)
+		wait_events|= POLLOUT;
+	if (wait_events)
+		fd= mysql_get_socket(mysql);
+	else
+		fd= -1;
+	if (async_exit_status & MYSQL_WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
+	timeout=10000;
+	//tv.tv_sec= 0;
+	//tv.tv_usec= 10000;
+      //ptv= &tv;
+	} else {
+      //ptv= NULL;
+	}
+    //event_set(ev_mysql, fd, wait_event, state_machine_handler, this);
+    //if (ev_mysql==NULL) {
+    //  ev_mysql=event_new(base, fd, wait_event, state_machine_handler, this);
+      //event_add(ev_mysql, ptv);
+	//}
+    //event_del(ev_mysql);
+    //event_assign(ev_mysql, base, fd, wait_event, state_machine_handler, this);
+    //event_add(ev_mysql, ptv);
+	async_state_machine = new_st;
+};
diff --git a/src/proxysql.cfg b/src/proxysql.cfg
index 0c3e05a1a..0df9365b2 100644
--- a/src/proxysql.cfg
+++ b/src/proxysql.cfg
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ admin_variables=
 
 mysql_variables=
 {
-	threads=4
+	threads=2
 	//threads=32
 	have_compress=true
 	poll_timeout=2000