diff --git a/src/blockdata/block.rs b/src/blockdata/block.rs
index bcde959..2687c5a 100644
--- a/src/blockdata/block.rs
+++ b/src/blockdata/block.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ use blockdata::transaction::Transaction;
 
 /// A block header, which contains all the block's information except
 /// the actual transactions
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct BlockHeader {
   /// The protocol version. Should always be 1.
   pub version: u32,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub struct BlockHeader {
 
 /// A Bitcoin block, which is a collection of transactions with an attached
 /// proof of work.
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct Block {
   /// The block header
   pub header: BlockHeader,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ pub struct Block {
 
 /// A block header with txcount attached, which is given in the `headers`
 /// network message.
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct LoneBlockHeader {
   /// The actual block header
   pub header: BlockHeader,
diff --git a/src/network/address.rs b/src/network/address.rs
index 8736254..7a10269 100644
--- a/src/network/address.rs
+++ b/src/network/address.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,30 @@ impl fmt::Show for Address {
   }
 }
 
+impl Clone for Address {
+  fn clone(&self) -> Address {
+    unsafe {
+      use std::intrinsics::copy_nonoverlapping_memory;
+      use std::mem;
+      let mut ret = mem::uninitialized();
+      copy_nonoverlapping_memory(&mut ret,
+                                 self,
+                                 mem::size_of::<Address>());
+      ret
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+impl PartialEq for Address {
+  fn eq(&self, other: &Address) -> bool {
+    self.services == other.services &&
+    self.address.as_slice() == other.address.as_slice() &&
+    self.port == other.port
+  }
+}
+
+impl Eq for Address {}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
   use super::Address;
diff --git a/src/network/encodable.rs b/src/network/encodable.rs
index 1491b86..9f02581 100644
--- a/src/network/encodable.rs
+++ b/src/network/encodable.rs
@@ -51,11 +51,11 @@ pub trait ConsensusDecodable<D:SimpleDecoder<E>, E> {
 }
 
 /// A variable-length unsigned integer
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct VarInt(pub u64);
 
 /// Data which must be preceded by a 4-byte checksum
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Clone, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct CheckedData(pub Vec<u8>);
 
 // Primitive types
diff --git a/src/network/listener.rs b/src/network/listener.rs
index 6e4b594..3152df3 100644
--- a/src/network/listener.rs
+++ b/src/network/listener.rs
@@ -19,11 +19,9 @@
 //!
 
 use std::io::{IoResult, standard_error, ConnectionFailed};
-use std::io::timer;
-use std::time::Duration;
 
 use network::constants::Network;
-use network::message::{NetworkMessage, Verack};
+use network::message::{mod, SocketResponse, MessageReceived, Verack};
 use network::socket::Socket;
 
 /// A message which can be sent on the Bitcoin network
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ pub trait Listener {
   /// Return the network this `Listener` is operating on
   fn network(&self) -> Network;
   /// Main listen loop
-  fn start(&self) -> IoResult<(Receiver<NetworkMessage>, Socket)> {
+  fn start(&self) -> IoResult<(Receiver<SocketResponse>, Socket)> {
     // Open socket
     let mut ret_sock = Socket::new(self.network());
     match ret_sock.connect(self.peer(), self.port()) {
@@ -75,20 +73,17 @@ pub trait Listener {
             // We have to pass the message to the main thread for processing,
             // unfortunately, because sipa says we have to handle everything
             // in order.
-            recv_tx.send(payload);
+            recv_tx.send(MessageReceived(payload));
           }
           Err(e) => {
-            println!("Received error {:} when decoding message. Pausing for 5 seconds then reconnecting.", e);
-            timer::sleep(Duration::seconds(5));
-            // Reconnect
-            sock.reconnect()
-              // Create version message
-              .and_then(|_| sock.version_message(0))
-              // Send it out
-              .and_then(|msg| sock.send_message(msg))
-              // For now, not much we can do on error
-              .unwrap_or_else(|e| println!("Error {} when reconnecting.", e));
-            handshake_complete = false;
+            // On failure we send an error message to the main thread, along with
+            // a channel to receive an acknowledgement that we may tear down this
+            // thread. (If we simply exited immediately, the channel would be torn
+            // down and the main thread would never see the error message.)
+            let (tx, rx) = channel();
+            recv_tx.send(message::ConnectionFailed(e, tx));
+            rx.recv();
+            break;
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/network/message.rs b/src/network/message.rs
index 5418dca..c0ebd7a 100644
--- a/src/network/message.rs
+++ b/src/network/message.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ use network::serialize::{serialize, RawDecoder, SimpleEncoder, SimpleDecoder};
 use util::misc::prepend_err;
 
 /// Serializer for command string
-#[deriving(PartialEq, Clone, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct CommandString(pub String);
 
 impl<S:SimpleEncoder<E>, E> ConsensusEncodable<S, E> for CommandString {
@@ -64,10 +64,18 @@ pub struct RawNetworkMessage {
   pub payload: NetworkMessage
 }
 
-#[deriving(Show)]
+/// A response from the peer-connected socket
+pub enum SocketResponse {
+  /// A message was received
+  MessageReceived(NetworkMessage),
+  /// An error occured and the socket needs to close
+  ConnectionFailed(IoError, Sender<()>)
+}
+
+#[deriving(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Show)]
 /// A Network message payload. Proper documentation is available on the Bitcoin
 /// wiki https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Protocol_specification
-pub enum NetworkMessage{
+pub enum NetworkMessage {
   /// `version`
   Version(message_network::VersionMessage),
   /// `verack`
@@ -98,7 +106,7 @@ pub enum NetworkMessage{
   /// `ping`
   Ping(u64),
   /// `pong`
-  Pong(u64),
+  Pong(u64)
   // TODO: reject,
   // TODO: bloom filtering
   // TODO: alert
@@ -119,7 +127,7 @@ impl RawNetworkMessage {
       Block(_)   => "block",
       Headers(_) => "headers",
       Ping(_)    => "ping",
-      Pong(_)    => "pong"
+      Pong(_)    => "pong",
     }.to_string()
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/network/message_blockdata.rs b/src/network/message_blockdata.rs
index 7021d07..70a73ad 100644
--- a/src/network/message_blockdata.rs
+++ b/src/network/message_blockdata.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ use network::encodable::{ConsensusDecodable, ConsensusEncodable};
 use network::serialize::{SimpleDecoder, SimpleEncoder};
 use util::hash::Sha256dHash;
 
-#[deriving(Clone, PartialEq, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 /// The type of an inventory object
 pub enum InvType {
   /// Error --- these inventories can be ignored
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub enum InvType {
 // Some simple messages
 
 /// The `getblocks` message
-#[deriving(Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct GetBlocksMessage {
   /// The protocol version
   pub version: u32,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub struct GetBlocksMessage {
 }
 
 /// The `getheaders` message
-#[deriving(Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct GetHeadersMessage {
   /// The protocol version
   pub version: u32,
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub struct GetHeadersMessage {
 }
 
 /// An inventory object --- a reference to a Bitcoin object
-#[deriving(Clone, Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct Inventory {
   /// The type of object that is referenced
   pub inv_type: InvType,
diff --git a/src/network/message_network.rs b/src/network/message_network.rs
index 11de60a..996de6a 100644
--- a/src/network/message_network.rs
+++ b/src/network/message_network.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use network::socket::Socket;
 /// Some simple messages
 
 /// The `version` message
-#[deriving(Show)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show)]
 pub struct VersionMessage {
   /// The P2P network protocol version
   pub version: u32,
diff --git a/src/network/socket.rs b/src/network/socket.rs
index 74ec9a6..7481590 100644
--- a/src/network/socket.rs
+++ b/src/network/socket.rs
@@ -105,18 +105,6 @@ impl Socket {
     }
   }
 
-  /// Reset the connection to the peer
-  pub fn reconnect(&mut self) -> IoResult<()> {
-    let (host, port) = match self.socket {
-      Some(ref mut s) => match s.peer_name() {
-        Ok(addr) => (format!("{}", addr.ip), addr.port),
-        Err(e) => { return Err(e); }
-      },
-      None => { return Err(standard_error(NotConnected)); }
-    };
-    self.connect(host.as_slice(), port)
-  }
-
   /// Peer address
   pub fn receiver_address(&mut self) -> IoResult<Address> {
     match self.socket {