diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.cpp
index d5c2c018a..f4d7e5d6d 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.cpp
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ slsReceiverFunctionList::slsReceiverFunctionList(detectorType det):
 		receiverdata[i] = NULL;
 
 #ifdef MYROOT1
-					myTree[i] = (NULL);
-					myFile[i] = (NULL);
+		myTree[i] = (NULL);
+		myFile[i] = (NULL);
 #endif
 	}
 
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ slsReceiverFunctionList::slsReceiverFunctionList(detectorType det):
 		cout << "\nWARNING: Could not change socket receiver buffer size in file /proc/sys/net/core/rmem_max" << endl;
 	else if(system("echo 250000 > /proc/sys/net/core/netdev_max_backlog"))
 		cout << "\nWARNING: Could not change max length of input queue in file /proc/sys/net/core/netdev_max_backlog" << endl;
-
 	/** permanent setting heiner
 	net.core.rmem_max = 104857600 # 100MiB
 	net.core.netdev_max_backlog = 250000
@@ -142,13 +141,24 @@ slsReceiverFunctionList::slsReceiverFunctionList(detectorType det):
 	sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216
 	sysctl -w net.core.netdev_max_backlog=250000
 	 */
-/*
-	if(createThreads() == FAIL){
+
+
+	//threads
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&status_mutex);
+	status = IDLE;
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&(status_mutex));
+
+	if(createListeningThreads() == FAIL){
+		cout << "ERROR: Could not create listening thread" << endl;
+		exit (-1);
+	}
+
+	if(createWriterThreads() == FAIL){
 		cout << "ERROR: Could not create writer threads" << endl;
 		exit (-1);
 	}
-*/
 
+	setThreadPriorities();
 }
 
 
@@ -161,7 +171,8 @@ slsReceiverFunctionList::~slsReceiverFunctionList(){
 		if(receiverdata[i])
 			delete receiverdata[i];
 	}
-	createThreads(true);
+	createListeningThreads(true);
+	createWriterThreads(true);
 
 	if(udpSocket) 		delete udpSocket;
 	if(eth) 			delete [] eth;
@@ -308,21 +319,32 @@ int64_t slsReceiverFunctionList::setAcquisitionPeriod(int64_t index){
 
 /******************* need to look at exit strategy **************************/
 void slsReceiverFunctionList::enableDataCompression(bool enable){
+	cout << "Data compression ";
+	if(enable)
+		cout << "enabled" << endl;
+	else
+		cout << "disabled" << endl;
 	//delete filter for the current number of threads
 	deleteFilter();
 
 	dataCompression = enable;
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&status_mutex);
-	listening_thread_running = false;
 	writerthreads_mask = 0x0;
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&(status_mutex));
 
-	/*createThreads(true); need to make sure number of threads is correct when deleting old stuff*/
+	createWriterThreads(true);
+
 	if(enable)
 		numWriterThreads = MAX_NUM_WRITER_THREADS;
 	else
 		numWriterThreads = 1;
-	createThreads();
+
+	if(createWriterThreads() == FAIL){
+		cout << "ERROR: Could not create writer threads" << endl;
+		exit (-1);
+	}
+	setThreadPriorities();
+
 
 	if(enable)
 		setupFilter();
@@ -506,8 +528,10 @@ void slsReceiverFunctionList::setupFifoStructure(){
 	//allocate memory
 	mem0=(char*)malloc((bufferSize * numJobsPerThread + HEADER_SIZE_NUM_TOT_PACKETS)*fifosize);
 	/** shud let the client know about this */
-	if (mem0==NULL)
+	if (mem0==NULL){
 		cout<<"++++++++++++++++++++++ COULD NOT ALLOCATE MEMORY FOR LISTENING !!!!!!!+++++++++++++++++++++" << endl;
+		exit(-1);
+	}
 	buffer=mem0;
 	//push the addresses into freed fifoFree and writingFifoFree
 	while (buffer<(mem0+(bufferSize * numJobsPerThread + HEADER_SIZE_NUM_TOT_PACKETS)*(fifosize-1))) {
@@ -558,33 +582,56 @@ int slsReceiverFunctionList::createUDPSocket(){
 
 
 
-
-int slsReceiverFunctionList::createThreads(bool destroy){
-	int i;
+int slsReceiverFunctionList::createListeningThreads(bool destroy){
 
 	if(!destroy){
-
 		pthread_mutex_lock(&status_mutex);
-		status = IDLE;
 		listening_thread_running = 0;
-		writerthreads_mask = 0x0;
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&(status_mutex));
 
-
 		//listening thread
+		cout << "Creating Listening Thread" << endl;
 		sem_init(&listensmp,0,0);
 		if(pthread_create(&listening_thread, NULL,startListeningThread, (void*) this)){
 			cout << "Could not create listening thread" << endl;
 			return FAIL;
 		}
-		//#ifdef VERBOSE
+#ifdef VERBOSE
 		cout << "Listening thread created successfully." << endl;
-		//#endif
+#endif
+	}else{
+		cout<<"Destroying Listening Thread"<<endl;
+		sem_post(&listensmp);
+		sem_destroy(&listensmp);
+		cout << "Threads destroyed" << endl;
+		if(pthread_cancel(listening_thread)!=0)
+			cout << "Unable to cancel listening Thread " << endl;
+	}
+
+	return OK;
+
+}
+
+
+
+
+
+
+int slsReceiverFunctionList::createWriterThreads(bool destroy){
+	int i;
+
+	if(!destroy){
+
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&status_mutex);
+		writerthreads_mask = 0x0;
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&(status_mutex));
 
 
 		//start writer threads
 		cout << "Creating Writer Threads";
+
 		currentWriterThreadIndex = -1;
+
 		for(i = 0; i < numWriterThreads; ++i){
 			sem_init(&writersmp[i],0,0);
 			thread_started = 0;
@@ -597,52 +644,20 @@ int slsReceiverFunctionList::createThreads(bool destroy){
 			cout << ".";
 			cout << flush;
 		}
-		//#ifdef VERBOSE
+#ifdef VERBOSE
 		cout << endl << "Writer threads created successfully." << endl;
-		//#endif
+#else
+		cout << endl;
+#endif
 
-		//assign priorities
-		struct sched_param tcp_param, listen_param, write_param;
-		int policy= SCHED_RR;
-		bool rights = true;
-
-		tcp_param.sched_priority = 50;
-		listen_param.sched_priority = 99;
-		write_param.sched_priority = 90;
-
-		if (pthread_setschedparam(listening_thread, policy, &listen_param) == EPERM)
-			rights = false;
-		for(i = 0; i < numWriterThreads; ++i)
-			if(rights)
-				if (pthread_setschedparam(writing_thread[i], policy, &write_param) == EPERM){
-					rights = false;
-					break;
-				}
-		if (pthread_setschedparam(pthread_self(),5 , &tcp_param) == EPERM)
-			rights = false;
-
-		if(!rights)
-			cout << "WARNING: Could not prioritize threads. You need to be super user for that." << endl;
-
-
-
-
-	}
-
-	else{cout<<"DESTROYNG THREADS"<<endl;
-		//cancel threads
+	}else{
+		cout << "Destroying Writer Thread" << endl;
 		for(i = 0; i < numWriterThreads; ++i){
-			if(pthread_cancel(writing_thread[i])!=0)
-				cout << "Unable to cancel Thread of index" << i << endl;
 			sem_post(&writersmp[i]);
 			sem_destroy(&writersmp[i]);
+			if(pthread_cancel(writing_thread[i])!=0)
+				cout << "Unable to cancel Thread of index" << i << endl;
 		}
-		//semaphore destroy
-		if(pthread_cancel(listening_thread)!=0)
-			cout << "Unable to cancel listening Thread " << endl;
-		sem_post(&listensmp);
-		sem_destroy(&listensmp);
-		cout << "Threads destroyed" << endl;
 	}
 
 	return OK;
@@ -656,6 +671,37 @@ int slsReceiverFunctionList::createThreads(bool destroy){
 
 
 
+void slsReceiverFunctionList::setThreadPriorities(){
+
+	//assign priorities
+	struct sched_param tcp_param, listen_param, write_param;
+	int policy= SCHED_RR;
+	bool rights = true;
+
+	tcp_param.sched_priority = 50;
+	listen_param.sched_priority = 99;
+	write_param.sched_priority = 90;
+
+	if (pthread_setschedparam(listening_thread, policy, &listen_param) == EPERM)
+		rights = false;
+	for(int i = 0; i < numWriterThreads; ++i)
+		if(rights)
+			if (pthread_setschedparam(writing_thread[i], policy, &write_param) == EPERM){
+				rights = false;
+				break;
+			}
+	if (pthread_setschedparam(pthread_self(),5 , &tcp_param) == EPERM)
+		rights = false;
+
+	if(!rights)
+		cout << "WARNING: Could not prioritize threads. You need to be super user for that." << endl;
+
+}
+
+
+
+
+
 
 int slsReceiverFunctionList::setupWriter(){
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.h
index 0e4d23992..5ea74cf5d 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/slsReceiverFunctionList.h
@@ -236,10 +236,21 @@ private:
 	int createUDPSocket();
 
 	/**
-	 * create listening thread and many writer threads at class construction
+	 * create listening thread
 	 * @param destroy is true to kill all threads and start again
 	 */
-	int createThreads(bool destroy = false);
+	int createListeningThreads(bool destroy = false);
+
+	/**
+	 * create writer threads
+	 * @param destroy is true to kill all threads and start again
+	 */
+	int createWriterThreads(bool destroy = false);
+
+	/**
+	 * set thread priorities
+	 */
+	void setThreadPriorities();
 
 	/**
 	 * initializes variables and creates the first file