diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
index 0c48d3b90..5e915b5f7 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Monitor.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ class ConsumerThread : public Thread {
 				// this is intentional to EXIT immediately
 				return NULL;
 			}
-			item->routine((void *)item->mmsd);
+			if (item->routine) { // NULL is allowed, do nothing for it
+				item->routine((void *)item->mmsd);
+			}
 			//routine((void *)mmsd);
 			delete item->mmsd;
 			delete item;
@@ -136,7 +138,8 @@ class MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool {
 	~MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool();
 	MYSQL * get_connection(char *hostname, int port);
 	void put_connection(char *hostname, int port, MYSQL *my);
-	void purge_missing_servers(SQLite3_result *resultset);
+	//void purge_missing_servers(SQLite3_result *resultset);
+	void purge_idle_connections();
 };
 
 MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool() {
@@ -145,9 +148,56 @@ MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool() {
 }
 
 MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::~MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool() {
-	purge_missing_servers(NULL);
+//	purge_missing_servers(NULL);
+}
+
+void MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::purge_idle_connections() {
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
+	std::map<char *, std::list<MYSQL *>*>::iterator it;
+	for(it = my_connections.begin(); it != my_connections.end(); it++) {
+		std::list<MYSQL *> *lst=it->second;
+		if (!lst->empty()) {
+			std::list<MYSQL *>::const_iterator it3;
+			for(it3 = lst->begin(); it3 != lst->end(); it3++) {
+				//it3=lst->begin();
+				MYSQL *my=*it3;
+				unsigned long long now=monotonic_time();
+				unsigned long long then=0;
+				memcpy(&then,my->net.buff,sizeof(unsigned long long));
+				if (now > then + mysql_thread___monitor_ping_interval * 3) {
+					MySQL_Monitor_State_Data *mmsd= new MySQL_Monitor_State_Data((char *)"",0,NULL,false);
+					mmsd->mysql=my;
+					WorkItem *item;
+					item=new WorkItem(mmsd,NULL);
+					GloMyMon->queue.add(item);
+					lst->remove(*it3);
+				}
+/*
+			if (memcmp(my->net.buff,pollute_buf,8)) {
+				// the buffer is not polluted, it means it didn't match previously
+				while(!lst->empty()) {
+					my=lst->front();
+					lst->pop_front();
+					purge_lst->push_back(my);
+				}
+			} else {
+				// try to keep maximum 2 free connections
+				// dropping all the others
+				while(lst->size() > 2) {
+					my=lst->front();
+					lst->pop_front();
+					purge_lst->push_back(my);
+				}
+*/
+			}
+		} else {
+			my_connections.erase(it);
+		}
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
 }
 
+/*
 void MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::purge_missing_servers(SQLite3_result *resultset) {
 #define POLLUTE_LENGTH 8
 	char pollute_buf[POLLUTE_LENGTH];
@@ -225,6 +275,7 @@ __purge_all:
 	}
 	delete purge_lst;
 }
+*/
 
 MYSQL * MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::get_connection(char *hostname, int port) {
 	std::map<char *, std::list<MYSQL *>* , cmp_str >::iterator it;
@@ -241,7 +292,7 @@ MYSQL * MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::get_connection(char *hostname, int port)
 			lst->pop_front();
 			size--;
 			pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
-			memset(ret->net.buff,0,8); // reset what was polluted
+			memset(ret->net.buff,0,sizeof(unsigned long long)); // reset what was polluted
 			return ret;
 		}
 	}
@@ -254,6 +305,8 @@ void MySQL_Monitor_Connection_Pool::put_connection(char *hostname, int port, MYS
 	std::map<char *, std::list<MYSQL *>* , cmp_str >::iterator it;
 	char * buf=(char *)malloc(16+strlen(hostname));
 	sprintf(buf,"%s:%d",hostname,port);
+	unsigned long long now=monotonic_time();
+	memcpy(my->net.buff,&now,sizeof(unsigned long long));	//mark insert time
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
 	it = my_connections.find(buf);
 	std::list<MYSQL *> *lst=NULL;
@@ -835,7 +888,7 @@ void * MySQL_Monitor::monitor_connect() {
 			proxy_error("Error on %s : %s\n", query, error);
 			goto __end_monitor_connect_loop;
 		} else {
-			GloMyMon->My_Conn_Pool->purge_missing_servers(resultset);
+			//GloMyMon->My_Conn_Pool->purge_missing_servers(resultset);
 			if (resultset->rows_count==0) {
 				goto __end_monitor_connect_loop;
 			}
@@ -1349,7 +1402,7 @@ void * MySQL_Monitor::run() {
 			if (GloMTH)
 				mysql_thr->refresh_variables();
 			//proxy_error("%s\n","MySQL_Monitor refreshing variables");
-			My_Conn_Pool->purge_missing_servers(NULL);
+			//My_Conn_Pool->purge_missing_servers(NULL);
 		}
 		usleep(500000);
 		int qsize=queue.size();