diff --git a/include/mysql_connection.h b/include/mysql_connection.h
index 2ba07bf8f..50ea70432 100644
--- a/include/mysql_connection.h
+++ b/include/mysql_connection.h
@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@
 #include "cpp.h"
 
 class MySQL_Connection {
-	public:
-	void * operator new(size_t);
-	void operator delete(void *);
+	private:
 	MyConnArray *MCA;
+	bool is_expired(unsigned long long timeout);
+	unsigned long long inserted_into_pool;
+	public:
+//	void * operator new(size_t);
+//	void operator delete(void *);
 	MySQL_Data_Stream *myds;
 	MYSQL myconn;
 	MySQL_Hostgroup_Entry *mshge;
-	unsigned long long expire;
-  bool reusable;
+	bool reusable;
 	MySQL_Connection();
 	~MySQL_Connection();
 	int assign_mshge(unsigned int);
 	void set_mshge(MySQL_Hostgroup_Entry *);
 	void free_mshge();
+	friend class MyConnArray;
 };
 #endif /* __CLASS_MYSQL_CONNECTION_H */
diff --git a/include/mysql_connection_pool.h b/include/mysql_connection_pool.h
index d7c2a7075..a907221a0 100644
--- a/include/mysql_connection_pool.h
+++ b/include/mysql_connection_pool.h
@@ -19,32 +19,35 @@ struct _mysql_conns_array_t {
 
 class MyConnArray {
 	private:
-    char *hostname;
-    char *username;
-    char *password;
-    char *db;
-    unsigned int port;
-	//GPtrArray *free_conns;
+	char *hostname;
+	char *username;
+	char *password;
+	char *db;
+	unsigned int port;
 	PtrArray *free_conns;
+	MyConnArray * match(const char *__hostname, const char *__username, const char *__password, const char *__db, unsigned int __port);
+	void add(MySQL_Connection *);
+	MySQL_Connection * MyConn_find();
 	public:
 	MyConnArray(const char *__hostname, const char *__username, const char *__password, const char *__db, unsigned int __port);
 	~MyConnArray();
-	MyConnArray * match(const char *__hostname, const char *__username, const char *__password, const char *__db, unsigned int __port);
-	void add(MySQL_Connection *);
+	friend class MySQL_Connection_Pool;
 };
 
 class MySQL_Connection_Pool {
 	private:
-	int shared;
-	spinlock mutex;
-	//GPtrArray *MyConnArrays;
-	PtrArray *MyConnArrays;
+	bool shared; //< TRUE for shared connection pool
+	spinlock mutex; //< used only for shared connection pool
+	PtrArray *MyConnArrays; //< Pointers array
 	MyConnArray * MyConnArray_find(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port);
 	MyConnArray * MyConnArray_create(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port);
 	public:
-	MySQL_Connection_Pool(int _shared=0);
+	MySQL_Connection_Pool(bool _shared=false);
 	~MySQL_Connection_Pool();
 	MyConnArray * MyConnArray_lookup(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port);
+	MySQL_Connection * MySQL_Connection_lookup(MyConnArray *MCA);
+	MySQL_Connection * MySQL_Connection_lookup(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port);
+
 };
 
 #endif /* __CLASS_MYSQL_CONNECTION_POOL_H */
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
index c9c81e8df..08d9054a6 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
@@ -1381,10 +1381,12 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::process_pkt_initial_handshake(unsigned char *pkt, unsigned
 
 
 	myc.server_capabilities=capabilities;
-	myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)l_alloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
+	//myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)l_alloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
+	myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)malloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
 	const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myc.charset)->nr=charset;
 	myc.thread_id=thread_id;
-	myc.server_version=l_strdup((const char *)version);
+	//myc.server_version=l_strdup((const char *)version);
+	myc.server_version=strdup((const char *)version);
 	myc.protocol_version=protocol;
 	
 	memcpy(myc.scramble_buff,(const char *)salt1,strlen((char *)salt1));
@@ -1471,18 +1473,17 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::process_pkt_handshake_response(unsigned char *pkt, unsigned
 
 	if (ret==true) {
 		MYSQL &myc=(*myds)->myconn->myconn;
-/*
 		myc.user=strdup((const char *)user);
 		if (password) myc.passwd=strdup(password);
 		if (db) myc.db=strdup((const char *)db);
-*/
+/*
 		myc.user=l_strdup((const char *)user);
 		if (password) myc.passwd=l_strdup(password);
 		if (db) myc.db=l_strdup((const char *)db);
-
+*/
 		myc.server_capabilities=capabilities;
-		//myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)malloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
-		myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)l_alloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
+		myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)malloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
+//		myc.charset=(const charset_info_st *)l_alloc(sizeof(struct charset_info_st));
 		const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myc.charset)->nr=charset;
 		//myds->myconn->myconn
 
diff --git a/lib/ProxySQL_GloVars.cpp b/lib/ProxySQL_GloVars.cpp
index 373b115cc..966d79910 100644
--- a/lib/ProxySQL_GloVars.cpp
+++ b/lib/ProxySQL_GloVars.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ static void term_handler(int sig) {
 
 
 ProxySQL_GlobalVariables::~ProxySQL_GlobalVariables() {
-	//opt->reset();
+	opt->reset();
 	//opt->footer.clear();
 	delete opt;
 	delete confFile;
diff --git a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
index 92662ae7e..a112722bd 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_connection.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "proxysql.h"
 #include "cpp.h"
 
-
+/*
 void * MySQL_Connection::operator new(size_t size) {
 	return l_alloc(size);
 }
@@ -9,34 +9,33 @@ void * MySQL_Connection::operator new(size_t size) {
 void MySQL_Connection::operator delete(void *ptr) {
 	l_free(sizeof(MySQL_Connection),ptr);
 }
-
+*/
 MySQL_Connection::MySQL_Connection() {
 	memset(&myconn,0,sizeof(MYSQL));
 	MCA=NULL;
 	mshge=NULL;
 	myds=NULL;
-	expire=0;
+	inserted_into_pool=0;
 	reusable=false;
 };
 
 MySQL_Connection::~MySQL_Connection() {
 	if (myconn.host) free(myconn.host);
-/*
 	if (myconn.user) free(myconn.user);
 	if (myconn.passwd) free(myconn.passwd);
 	if (myconn.db) free(myconn.db);
-*/
+/*
 	if (myconn.user) l_free_string(myconn.user);
 	if (myconn.passwd) l_free_string(myconn.passwd);
 	if (myconn.db) l_free_string(myconn.db);
-
+*/
 	if (myconn.unix_socket) free(myconn.unix_socket);
-	//if (myconn.server_version) free(myconn.server_version);
+	if (myconn.server_version) free(myconn.server_version);
 	if (myconn.host_info) free(myconn.host_info);
 	if (myconn.info) free(myconn.info);
-	if (myconn.server_version) l_free_string(myconn.server_version);
-	//if (myconn.charset) free(const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myconn.charset));
-	if (myconn.charset) l_free(sizeof(charset_info_st), const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myconn.charset));
+//	if (myconn.server_version) l_free_string(myconn.server_version);
+	if (myconn.charset) free(const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myconn.charset));
+//	if (myconn.charset) l_free(sizeof(charset_info_st), const_cast<charset_info_st *>(myconn.charset));
 //	if (myconn.charset) free(myconn.charset);
 	if (mshge) {
 	__sync_add_and_fetch(&mshge->references,-1);
@@ -68,3 +67,9 @@ int MySQL_Connection::assign_mshge(unsigned int hid) { // FIXME
 	MyHGH->rdunlock();
 	return 0;
 };
+
+bool MySQL_Connection::is_expired(unsigned long long timeout) {
+// FIXME: here the check should be a sanity check
+// FIXME: for now this is just a temporary (and stupid) check
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/lib/mysql_connection_pool.cpp b/lib/mysql_connection_pool.cpp
index 940939452..0148da847 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_connection_pool.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_connection_pool.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,34 @@ void MyConnArray::add(MySQL_Connection *myc) {
 	free_conns->add((void *)myc);
 }
 
+MySQL_Connection * MyConnArray::MyConn_find() {
+	unsigned int l;
+	MySQL_Connection *myc=NULL;
+	MySQL_Connection *_myc_tmp=NULL;
+	for (l=0; l<free_conns->len; l++) {
+		_myc_tmp=(MySQL_Connection *)free_conns->index(l);
+		if (_myc_tmp->is_expired(0)==false) { // FIXME: shouldn't pass 0
+			myc=(MySQL_Connection *)free_conns->remove_index_fast(l);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	return myc;
+}
+
+MySQL_Connection * MySQL_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Connection_lookup(MyConnArray *MCA) {
+	MySQL_Connection *myc=NULL;
+	myc=MCA->MyConn_find();
+	return myc;
+}
+
+MySQL_Connection * MySQL_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Connection_lookup(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port) {
+	MySQL_Connection *myc=NULL;
+	MyConnArray *MCA=MyConnArray_find(hostname, username, password, db, port);
+	if (MCA) {
+		myc=MCA->MyConn_find();	
+	}
+	return myc;
+}
 
 MyConnArray * MySQL_Connection_Pool::MyConnArray_find(const char *hostname, const char *username, const char *password, const char *db, unsigned int port) {
 	unsigned int l;
@@ -71,7 +99,7 @@ MyConnArray * MySQL_Connection_Pool::MyConnArray_lookup(const char *hostname, co
 	return MCA;
 }
 
-MySQL_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Connection_Pool(int _shared) {
+MySQL_Connection_Pool::MySQL_Connection_Pool(bool _shared) {
 	shared=_shared;
 	spinlock_init(&mutex);
 	MyConnArrays= new PtrArray();
diff --git a/lib/mysql_session.cpp b/lib/mysql_session.cpp
index 3425f2321..4227e2522 100644
--- a/lib/mysql_session.cpp
+++ b/lib/mysql_session.cpp
@@ -223,6 +223,10 @@ int MySQL_Session::handler() {
 				}
 				MyHGHs->rdunlock();
 */
+				assert(server_myds);
+				assert(server_myds->myconn);
+				assert(server_myds->myconn->mshge);
+				assert(server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr);
 	      server_fd=server_myds->myds_connect(server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr->address, server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr->port, &pending_connect);
 				server_myds->init((pending_connect==1 ? MYDS_BACKEND_NOT_CONNECTED : MYDS_BACKEND), this, server_fd);
 				thread->mypolls.add(POLLIN|POLLOUT, server_fd, server_myds, curtime);
@@ -310,6 +314,7 @@ int MySQL_Session::handler() {
 //										fprintf(stderr,"Query to cache: %s\n", client_myds->query_SQL);
 										uint32_t resbuf=0;
 										unsigned char *aa=GloQC->get(client_myds->query_SQL,&resbuf);
+										//unsigned char *aa=NULL;
 										if (aa) {
 											l_free(pkt.size,pkt.ptr);
 											l_free(strlen((char *)client_myds->query_SQL)+1,client_myds->query_SQL);
@@ -351,6 +356,10 @@ int MySQL_Session::handler() {
 									}
 									MyHGH->rdunlock();
 */
+						assert(server_myds);
+						assert(server_myds->myconn);
+						assert(server_myds->myconn->mshge);
+						assert(server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr);
 	      					server_fd=server_myds->myds_connect(server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr->address, server_myds->myconn->mshge->MSptr->port, &pending_connect);
         //  				server_fd=server_myds->myds_connect((char *)"127.0.0.1", 3306, &pending_connect);
 									server_myds->init((pending_connect==1 ? MYDS_BACKEND_NOT_CONNECTED : MYDS_BACKEND), this, server_fd);