diff --git a/src/ca/bhe.cpp b/src/ca/bhe.cpp
index 1ada50554..aecf2f5a8 100644
--- a/src/ca/bhe.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/bhe.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
     osiTime current = osiTime::getCurrent ();
 
     if ( this->timeStamp == osiTime () ) {
+
+        if ( this->piiu ) {
+            this->piiu->beaconAnomalyNotify ();
+        }
+
         /* 
          * this is the 1st beacon seen - the beacon time stamp
          * was not initialized during BHE create because
@@ -34,17 +39,6 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
          */
         this->timeStamp = current;
 
-        /*
-         * be careful about using beacons to reset the connection
-         * time out watchdog until we have received a ping response 
-         * from the IOC (this makes the software detect reconnects
-         * faster when the server is rebooted twice in rapid 
-         * succession before a 1st or 2nd beacon has been received)
-         */
-        if (this->piiu) {
-            this->piiu->beaconAnomaly = TRUE;
-        }
-
         return netChange;
     }
 
@@ -55,6 +49,10 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
     if ( this->averagePeriod < 0.0 ) {
         ca_real totalRunningTime;
 
+        if ( this->piiu ) {
+            this->piiu->beaconAnomalyNotify ();
+        }
+
         /*
          * this is the 2nd beacon seen. We cant tell about
          * the change in period at this point so we just
@@ -62,17 +60,6 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
          */
         this->averagePeriod = currentPeriod;
 
-        /*
-         * be careful about using beacons to reset the connection
-         * time out watchdog until we have received a ping response 
-         * from the IOC (this makes the software detect reconnects
-         * faster when the server is rebooted twice in rapid 
-         * succession before a 2nd beacon has been received)
-         */
-        if (this->piiu) {
-            this->piiu->beaconAnomaly = TRUE;
-        }
-
         /*
          * ignore beacons seen for the first time shortly after
          * init, but do not ignore beacons arriving with a short
@@ -82,16 +69,6 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
         totalRunningTime = this->timeStamp - programBeginTime;
         if ( currentPeriod <= totalRunningTime ) {
             netChange = true;
-#           ifdef DEBUG
-            {
-                char name[64];
-
-                ipAddrToA ( &this->inetAddr, name, sizeof (name) );
-                ca_printf ( 
-                    "new beacon from %s with period=%f running time to first beacon=%f\n", 
-                        name, currentPeriod, totalRunningTime );
-            }
-#           endif
         }
     }
     else {
@@ -107,12 +84,12 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
          */
         if ( currentPeriod >= this->averagePeriod * 1.25 ) {
 
+            /* 
+             * trigger on any missing beacon 
+             * if connected to this server
+             */    
             if ( this->piiu ) {
-                /* 
-                 * trigger on any missing beacon 
-                 * if connected to this server
-                 */
-                this->piiu->beaconAnomaly = true;
+                this->piiu->beaconAnomalyNotify ();
             }
 
             if ( currentPeriod >= this->averagePeriod * 3.25 ) {
@@ -124,18 +101,6 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
             }
         }
 
-
-#       ifdef   DEBUG
-            if (netChange) {
-                char name[64];
-
-                ipAddrToA (&pBHE->inetAddr, name, sizeof(name));
-                ca_printf (
-                    "net resume seen %s cur=%f avg=%f\n", 
-                    name, currentPeriod, pBHE->averagePeriod);
-            }
-#       endif
-
         /*
          * Is this an IOC seen because of an IOC reboot
          * (beacon come at a higher rate just after the
@@ -147,20 +112,19 @@ bool bhe::updateBeaconPeriod (osiTime programBeginTime)
          * problems because the echo response will tell us 
          * that the server is available
          */
-        if ( currentPeriod <= this->averagePeriod * 0.80 ) {
-#           ifdef DEBUG
-            {
-                char name[64];
-
-                ipAddrToA ( &this->inetAddr, name, sizeof (name) );
-                ca_printf (
-                    "reboot seen %s cur=%f avg=%f\n", 
-                    name, currentPeriod, this->averagePeriod);
-            }
-#           endif
-            netChange = true;
+        else if ( currentPeriod <= this->averagePeriod * 0.80 ) {
             if ( this->piiu ) {
-                this->piiu->beaconAnomaly = true;
+                this->piiu->beaconAnomalyNotify ();
+            }
+            netChange = true;
+        }
+        else {
+            /*
+             * update state of health for active virtual circuits 
+             * if the beacon looks ok
+             */
+            if ( this->piiu ) {
+                piiu->beaconArrivalNotify (); // reset connection activity watchdog
             }
         }
     
diff --git a/src/ca/cac.cpp b/src/ca/cac.cpp
index 61f337bec..dd8b13059 100644
--- a/src/ca/cac.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/cac.cpp
@@ -478,21 +478,8 @@ void cac::beaconNotify ( const inetAddrID &addr )
      * look for it in the hash table
      */
     pBHE = this->lookupBeaconInetAddr ( addr );
-    if (pBHE) {
-
-        netChange = pBHE->updateBeaconPeriod (this->programBeginTime);
-
-        /*
-         * update state of health for active virtual circuits 
-         * (only if we are not suspicious about past beacon changes
-         * until the next echo reply)
-         */
-        tcpiiu *piiu = pBHE->getIIU ();
-        if ( piiu ) {
-            if ( ! piiu->beaconAnomaly ) {
-                piiu->rescheduleRecvTimer (); // reset connection activity watchdog
-            }
-        }
+    if ( pBHE ) {
+        netChange = pBHE->updateBeaconPeriod ( this->programBeginTime );
     }
     else {
         /*
@@ -503,7 +490,7 @@ void cac::beaconNotify ( const inetAddrID &addr )
          * shortly after the program started up)
          */
         netChange = FALSE;
-        this->createBeaconHashEntry (addr, osiTime::getCurrent () );
+        this->createBeaconHashEntry ( addr, osiTime::getCurrent () );
     }
 
     if ( ! netChange ) {
diff --git a/src/ca/iocinf.h b/src/ca/iocinf.h
index 88c83306b..ef5f48d7a 100644
--- a/src/ca/iocinf.h
+++ b/src/ca/iocinf.h
@@ -454,8 +454,13 @@ private:
 class tcpRecvWatchdog : public osiTimer {
 public:
     tcpRecvWatchdog (double periodIn, osiTimerQueue & queueIn, bool echoProtocolAcceptedIn);
-    void echoResponseNotify ();
+    ~tcpRecvWatchdog ();
     void rescheduleRecvTimer ();
+    void messageArrivalNotify ();
+    void beaconArrivalNotify ();
+    void beaconAnomalyNotify ();
+    void connectNotify ();
+
 private:
     void expire ();
 	void destroy ();
@@ -465,16 +470,21 @@ private:
     virtual void shutdown () = 0;
     virtual void noopRequestMsg () = 0;
     virtual void echoRequestMsg () = 0;
+    virtual void hostName ( char *pBuf, unsigned bufLength ) const = 0;
 
     const double period;
     const bool echoProtocolAccepted;
-    bool echoResponsePending;
+    bool responsePending;
+    bool beaconAnomaly;
+    bool dead;
 };
 
 class tcpSendWatchdog : public osiTimer {
 public:
     tcpSendWatchdog (double periodIn, osiTimerQueue & queueIn);
-    void rescheduleSendTimer ();
+    ~tcpSendWatchdog ();
+    void armSendWatchdog ();
+    void cancelSendWatchdog ();
 private:
     void expire ();
 	void destroy ();
@@ -482,6 +492,7 @@ private:
 	double delay () const;
 	const char *name () const;
     virtual void shutdown () = 0;
+    virtual void hostName ( char *pBuf, unsigned bufLength ) const = 0;
 
     const double period;
 };
@@ -531,19 +542,17 @@ public:
     unsigned                contiguous_msg_count;
     unsigned                curMsgBytes;
     SOCKET                  sock;
-    unsigned char           state;   /* for use with iiu_conn_state enum */
+    iiu_conn_state          state;
     bool                    client_busy;
     bool                    echoRequestPending; 
     bool                    claimRequestsPending; 
     bool                    sendPending;
     bool                    recvPending;
     bool                    pushPending;
-    bool                    beaconAnomaly;
 
     virtual void show (unsigned level) const;
 
 private:
-
     bool compareIfTCP (nciu &chan, const sockaddr_in &) const;
     int pushDatagramMsg (const caHdr *pMsg, const void *pExt, ca_uint16_t extsize);
 
diff --git a/src/ca/tcpRecvWatchdog.cpp b/src/ca/tcpRecvWatchdog.cpp
index 845a1a198..a196726bd 100644
--- a/src/ca/tcpRecvWatchdog.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/tcpRecvWatchdog.cpp
@@ -13,18 +13,18 @@
 #include "iocinf.h"
 
 tcpRecvWatchdog::tcpRecvWatchdog 
-    (double periodIn, osiTimerQueue & queueIn, bool echoProtocolAcceptedIn) :
-    osiTimer (periodIn, queueIn),
-    period (periodIn),
-    echoProtocolAccepted (echoProtocolAcceptedIn),
-    echoResponsePending (false)
+    ( double periodIn, osiTimerQueue & queueIn, bool echoProtocolAcceptedIn ) :
+            osiTimer ( queueIn ),
+    period ( periodIn ),
+    echoProtocolAccepted ( echoProtocolAcceptedIn ),
+    responsePending ( false ),
+    beaconAnomaly ( true ),
+    dead (true)
 {
 }
 
-void tcpRecvWatchdog::echoResponseNotify ()
+tcpRecvWatchdog::~tcpRecvWatchdog ()
 {
-    this->echoResponsePending = false;
-    this->reschedule ( this->period );
 }
 
 void tcpRecvWatchdog::expire ()
@@ -36,13 +36,16 @@ void tcpRecvWatchdog::expire ()
     if ( ! this->echoProtocolAccepted ) {
         this->noopRequestMsg ();
     }
-    else if ( this->echoResponsePending ) {
-        ca_printf ( "CA server unresponsive for %f sec. Disconnecting\n", this->period );
+    else if ( this->responsePending ) {
+        char hostName[128];
+        this->hostName ( hostName, sizeof (hostName) );
+        ca_printf ( "CA server %s unresponsive for %g sec. Disconnecting.\n", 
+            hostName, this->period );
         this->shutdown ();
     }
     else {
         this->echoRequestMsg ();
-        this->echoResponsePending = true;
+        this->responsePending = true;
     }
 }
 
@@ -53,12 +56,12 @@ void tcpRecvWatchdog::destroy ()
 
 bool tcpRecvWatchdog::again () const
 {
-    return true;
+    return ( ! this->dead );
 }
 
 double tcpRecvWatchdog::delay () const
 {
-    if (this->echoResponsePending) {
+    if ( this->responsePending ) {
         return CA_ECHO_TIMEOUT;
     }
     else {
@@ -66,12 +69,39 @@ double tcpRecvWatchdog::delay () const
     }
 }
 
+void tcpRecvWatchdog::beaconArrivalNotify ()
+{
+    if ( ! this->beaconAnomaly && ! this->responsePending ) {
+        this->reschedule ( this->period );
+    }
+}
+
+/*
+ * be careful about using beacons to reset the connection
+ * time out watchdog until we have received a ping response 
+ * from the IOC (this makes the software detect reconnects
+ * faster when the server is rebooted twice in rapid 
+ * succession before a 1st or 2nd beacon has been received)
+ */
+void tcpRecvWatchdog::beaconAnomalyNotify ()
+{
+    this->beaconAnomaly = true;
+}
+
+void tcpRecvWatchdog::messageArrivalNotify ()
+{
+    this->beaconAnomaly = false;
+    this->responsePending = false;
+    this->reschedule ( this->period );
+}
+
+void tcpRecvWatchdog::connectNotify ()
+{
+    this->reschedule ( this->period );
+}
+
 const char *tcpRecvWatchdog::name () const
 {
     return "TCP Receive Watchdog";
 }
 
-void tcpRecvWatchdog::rescheduleRecvTimer ()
-{
-    this->reschedule ();
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ca/tcpSendWatchdog.cpp b/src/ca/tcpSendWatchdog.cpp
index 8b0b24cf0..5a7c2a07f 100644
--- a/src/ca/tcpSendWatchdog.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/tcpSendWatchdog.cpp
@@ -19,9 +19,16 @@ tcpSendWatchdog::tcpSendWatchdog
 {
 }
 
+tcpSendWatchdog::~tcpSendWatchdog ()
+{
+}
+
 void tcpSendWatchdog::expire ()
 {
-    ca_printf ( "Request was pending for %f sec. Disconnecting from CA server.\n", this->period);
+    char hostName[128];
+    this->hostName ( hostName, sizeof (hostName) );
+    ca_printf ( "Request not accepted by CA server %s for %g sec. Disconnecting.\n", 
+        hostName, this->period);
     this->shutdown ();
 }
 
@@ -45,7 +52,12 @@ const char *tcpSendWatchdog::name () const
     return "TCP Send Watchdog";
 }
 
-void tcpSendWatchdog::rescheduleSendTimer ()
+void tcpSendWatchdog::armSendWatchdog ()
 {
     this->reschedule ();
+}
+
+void tcpSendWatchdog::cancelSendWatchdog ()
+{
+    this->cancel ();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp b/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
index 9b80c0943..d549a84bb 100644
--- a/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/tcpiiu.cpp
@@ -93,37 +93,24 @@ void tcpiiu::connect ()
     /* 
      * attempt to connect to a CA server
      */
+    this->armSendWatchdog ();
     while (1) {
         int errnoCpy;
 
         status = ::connect ( this->sock, &this->dest.sa,
                 sizeof ( this->dest.sa ) );
         if ( status == 0 ) {
-            break;
+            this->cancelSendWatchdog ();
+            // put the iiu into the connected state
+            this->state = iiu_connected;
+            // start connection activity watchdog
+            this->connectNotify (); 
+            return;
         }
 
         errnoCpy = SOCKERRNO;
-        if ( errnoCpy == SOCK_EISCONN ) {
-            /*
-             * called connect after we are already connected 
-             * (this appears to be how they provide 
-             * connect completion notification)
-             */
-            break;
-        }
-        else if ( errnoCpy == SOCK_EALREADY ) {
-            return; 
-        }
-#ifdef _WIN32
-        /*
-         * including this with vxWorks appears to
-         * cause trouble
-         */
-        else if ( errnoCpy == SOCK_EINVAL ) { /* a SOCK_EALREADY alias used by early WINSOCK */
-            return; 
-        }
-#endif
-        else if ( errnoCpy == SOCK_EINTR ) {
+
+        if ( errnoCpy == SOCK_EINTR ) {
             if ( this->state == iiu_disconnected ) {
                 return;
             }
@@ -135,21 +122,13 @@ void tcpiiu::connect ()
             return;
         }
         else {  
+            this->cancelSendWatchdog ();
             ca_printf ( "Unable to connect because %d=\"%s\"\n", 
                 errnoCpy, SOCKERRSTR (errnoCpy) );
             this->shutdown ();
             return;
         }
     }
-
-    /*
-     * put the iiu into the connected state
-     */
-    this->state = iiu_connected;
-
-    this->rescheduleRecvTimer (); // reset connection activity watchdog
-
-    return;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -199,7 +178,7 @@ extern "C" void cacSendThreadTCP (void *pParam)
 
         pOutBuf = static_cast <char *> ( cacRingBufferReadReserveNoBlock (&piiu->send, &sendCnt) );
         while ( ! pOutBuf ) {
-            piiu->tcpSendWatchdog::cancel ();
+            piiu->cancelSendWatchdog ();
             pOutBuf = (char *) cacRingBufferReadReserve (&piiu->send, &sendCnt);
             if ( piiu->state != iiu_connected ) {
                 semBinaryGive ( piiu->sendThreadExitSignal );
@@ -302,7 +281,7 @@ void tcpiiu::recvMsg ()
     cacRingBufferWriteCommit (&this->recv, totalBytes);
     // cacRingBufferWriteFlush (&this->recv);
 
-    this->rescheduleRecvTimer (); // reschedule connection activity watchdog
+    this->messageArrivalNotify (); // reschedule connection activity watchdog
 
     return;
 }
@@ -419,7 +398,6 @@ tcpiiu::tcpiiu (cac *pcac, const struct sockaddr_in &ina, unsigned minorVersion,
     this->echoRequestPending = false;
     this->sendPending = false;
     this->pushPending = false;
-    this->beaconAnomaly = false;
     this->curDataMax = 0ul;
     this->curMsgBytes = 0ul;
     this->curDataBytes = 0ul;
@@ -607,7 +585,7 @@ bool tcpiiu::compareIfTCP ( nciu &chan, const sockaddr_in &addr ) const
 void tcpiiu::flush ()
 {
     if ( cacRingBufferWriteFlush ( &this->send ) ) {
-        this->rescheduleSendTimer ();
+        this->armSendWatchdog ();
     }
 }
 
@@ -769,8 +747,6 @@ LOCAL void tcp_noop_action (tcpiiu * /* piiu */)
  */
 LOCAL void echo_resp_action (tcpiiu *piiu)
 {
-    piiu->echoResponseNotify ();
-    piiu->beaconAnomaly = false;
     return;
 }
 
@@ -1372,7 +1348,7 @@ int tcpiiu::pushStreamMsg (const caHdr *pmsg,
 
     if ( ! cacRingBufferWriteLockNoBlock ( &this->send, msgsize ) ) {
         if ( BlockingOk ) {
-            this->rescheduleSendTimer ();
+            this->armSendWatchdog ();
             cacRingBufferWriteLock ( &this->send );
         }
         else {