diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/RestHelper.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/RestHelper.h
index 248ec792f..2df557cb7 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/RestHelper.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/RestHelper.h
@@ -5,33 +5,74 @@
 #include <Poco/Path.h>
 #include <Poco/URI.h>
 #include <Poco/Exception.h>
+#include <Poco/Timespan.h>
 
 #include "JsonBox/Value.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
+#include <exception>
+
+// HTTP timeout in seconds, default is 8
+#define HTTP_TIMEOUT 10
+// Number of connection tries
+#define N_CONNECTION_TRIES 0
 
 using namespace Poco::Net;
 using namespace Poco;
-
+using namespace std;
 
 class RestHelper {
  public:
 
-  void init(std::string hostname, int port){
+  void init(string hostname, int port){
     /*
       
      */
     full_hostname = "http://"+hostname;
-    std::cout << full_hostname << std::endl;
+    cout << full_hostname << endl;
     session = new HTTPClientSession(hostname,port );
+    session->setKeepAliveTimeout( Timespan( HTTP_TIMEOUT,0) );
   };
 
-  int get_json(std::string request, std::string* answer){
+  int get_json(string request, string* answer){
     //TODO: implement a timeout and max_retries
 
     uri = new URI(full_hostname+"/"+request);
-    std::string path(uri->getPathAndQuery());
+    string path(uri->getPathAndQuery());
+    if (path.empty()) path = "/";
+
+    // send request
+    //HTTPRequest req(HTTPRequest::HTTP_GET, path, HTTPMessage::HTTP_1_1);
+    req = new HTTPRequest(HTTPRequest::HTTP_GET, path, HTTPMessage::HTTP_1_1);
+    
+    try {
+      session->sendRequest(*req);
+    }
+    catch (exception& e){
+      cout << "Exception:"<< e.what() << '\n';
+    }
+    
+    int code = send_request(session, req);
+    
+    // get response
+    //if (code!=0){
+      HTTPResponse res;
+      cout << res.getStatus() << " " << res.getReason() << endl;
+      istream &is = session->receiveResponse(res);
+      StreamCopier::copyToString(is, *answer);
+    
+      return res.getStatus();
+      //}
+      //else
+      //return code;
+  };
+
+  int get_json(string request, JsonBox::Value* json_value){
+    //TODO: implement a timeout and max_retries
+
+    uri = new URI(full_hostname+"/"+request);
+    string path(uri->getPathAndQuery());
     if (path.empty()) path = "/";
 
     // send request
@@ -40,32 +81,12 @@ class RestHelper {
 
     // get response
     HTTPResponse res;
-    //std::cout << res.getStatus() << " " << res.getReason() << std::endl;
-    std::istream &is = session->receiveResponse(res);
-    StreamCopier::copyToString(is, *answer);
-
-    return res.getStatus();
-  };
-
-  int get_json(std::string request, JsonBox::Value* json_value){
-    //TODO: implement a timeout and max_retries
-
-    uri = new URI(full_hostname+"/"+request);
-    std::string path(uri->getPathAndQuery());
-    if (path.empty()) path = "/";
-
-    // send request
-    HTTPRequest req(HTTPRequest::HTTP_GET, path, HTTPMessage::HTTP_1_1);
-    session->sendRequest(req);
-
-    // get response
-    HTTPResponse res;
-    //std::cout << res.getStatus() << " " << res.getReason() << std::endl;
-    std::string answer;
-    std::istream &is = session->receiveResponse(res);
+    //cout << res.getStatus() << " " << res.getReason() << endl;
+    string answer;
+    istream &is = session->receiveResponse(res);
     StreamCopier::copyToString(is, answer);
 
-    std::cout << answer << std::endl;
+    cout << answer << endl;
     //returning a Json struct
     json_value->loadFromString(answer);
 
@@ -75,5 +96,26 @@ class RestHelper {
  private:
   URI * uri;
   HTTPClientSession *session;
-  std::string full_hostname;
+  HTTPRequest *req;
+
+  string full_hostname;
+
+  int send_request(HTTPClientSession *session, HTTPRequest *req){
+    int n=0;
+    int code = -1;
+    while(n<N_CONNECTION_TRIES){
+      try {
+	session->sendRequest( (*req) );
+	code = 0;
+      }
+      catch (exception& e){
+	cout << "Exception:"<< e.what() << ", sleeping " << HTTP_TIMEOUT << " seconds\n";
+	sleep(HTTP_TIMEOUT);
+      }
+      n+=1;
+    }
+
+    return code;
+  }
+
 };
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
index 6b679db5b..9bc25ae25 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsReceiver/eigerReceiver.cpp
@@ -73,11 +73,11 @@ public:
 	 rest.init("localhost",8080);
 	 std::string answer;
 	 int code = rest.get_json("status", &answer);
-	 std::cout << answer << std::endl;
+	 std::cout << "Answer: " <<  answer << std::endl;
 	 
-	 JsonBox::Value json_value;
-	 code = rest.get_json("status", &json_value);
-	 std::cout << "JSON " << json_value["status"] << std::endl;
+	 //JsonBox::Value json_value;
+	 //code = rest.get_json("status", &json_value);
+	 //std::cout << "JSON " << json_value["status"] << std::endl;
 
 	}