diff --git a/ascon.c b/ascon.c
index f8d5e97e..15055931 100644
--- a/ascon.c
+++ b/ascon.c
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ void AsconError(Ascon *a, char *msg, int errorno) {
     state = stateText[a->state];
   }
   if (errorno != 0) {
-    a->errList = ErrPutMsg(a->errList, &a->curError, "ASCERR: %s %s (during %s)", msg, strerror(errorno), state);
+    a->errList = ErrPutMsg(a->errList, "ASCERR: %s %s (during %s)", msg, strerror(errorno), state);
   } else {
-    a->errList = ErrPutMsg(a->errList, &a->curError, "ASCERR: %s (during %s)", msg, state);
+    a->errList = ErrPutMsg(a->errList, "ASCERR: %s (during %s)", msg, state);
   }
   a->state |= AsconFailed;
 }
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ int  AsconStdInit(Ascon *a, SConnection *con,
   a->state = AsconConnectStart;
   a->reconnectInterval = 10;
   a->hostport = strdup(argv[1]);
-  a->hostport = strdup(argv[1]);
   if(argc < 2){
 	  a->sendTerminator = strdup(argv[2]);
   } else {
@@ -273,7 +272,6 @@ int AsconStdHandler(Ascon *a) {
   }
   lastCall = now;
   switch (a->state) {
-  case AsconKillMe: return 0;
   case AsconConnectStart:
     AsconConnect(a);
     break;
@@ -425,8 +423,6 @@ Ascon *AsconMake(SConnection *con, int argc, char *argv[]) {
 }
 
 void AsconKill(Ascon *a) {
-  a->state = AsconKillMe;
-  a->handler(a);
   if (a->fd > 0) {
     close(a->fd);
   }
@@ -522,5 +518,5 @@ char *AsconRead(Ascon *a) {
 }
 
 ErrMsg *AsconGetErrList(Ascon *a) {
-  return a->curError;
+  return a->errList;
 }
diff --git a/ascon.i b/ascon.i
index 3c3888f4..25f01eaa 100644
--- a/ascon.i
+++ b/ascon.i
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ typedef enum { AsconOnTheWay=0, AsconStart=1, AsconFinished=2, AsconFailed=3 } A
  */
 typedef enum {
   AsconNotConnected=0+AsconFinished,
-  AsconKillMe=0+AsconStart,
   AsconConnecting=4+AsconOnTheWay,
   AsconConnectStart=AsconConnecting+AsconStart,
   AsconConnectDone=AsconConnecting+AsconFinished,
@@ -67,7 +66,6 @@ struct Ascon {
   char *sendTerminator; /**< terminator for sending messages */
   char *hostport;     /**< host:port to connect */
   ErrMsg *errList;    /**< error message list */
-  ErrMsg *curError;   /**< the currently active error */
   double start;       /**< unix time when read was started */
   void *private;      /**< private data of protocol */
   void (*killPrivate)(void *); /** < kill function for private */
diff --git a/errormsg.c b/errormsg.c
index 88f9d36d..d50cb3d6 100644
--- a/errormsg.c
+++ b/errormsg.c
@@ -18,80 +18,42 @@ int ErrEqual(char *str1, char *str2) {
       if (str1 == NULL || str2 == NULL) {
         return str1 == str2;
       }
-      str1++;
-      str2++;
-    } else {
-	  str1++;
-	  str2++;
     }
+    str1++;
+    str2++;
   }
   return 1;
 }
 
-ErrMsg *ErrFind(ErrMsg *dump, char *message){
-	ErrMsg *cur = dump;
-	while(cur != NULL){
-		if(ErrEqual(message,cur->text)){
-			break;
-		}
-		cur = cur->next;
-	}
-	return cur;
-}
-
-ErrMsg *ErrPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, ErrMsg **current, char *fmt, ...){
-	  ErrMsg *m = NULL;
-	  va_list ap;
-	  char buf[1024];
-	  
-	  /* format message */
-	  va_start(ap, fmt);
-	  memset(buf,0,1024*sizeof(char));
-	  vsnprintf(buf, sizeof buf, fmt, ap);
-	  va_end(ap);
-
-	  m = ErrFind(dump, buf);
-	  if(m == NULL){
-		  m = calloc(1, sizeof(*m));
-		  m->text = strdup(buf);
-		  m->cnt = 1;
-		  m->next = dump;
-		  *current = m;
-		  return m;
-	  } else {
-		  *current = m;
-		  return dump;
-	  }
-}
-
-ErrMsg *ErrOldPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, char *fmt, ...) {
-	  ErrMsg *m = NULL;
-	  ErrMsg **last = NULL;
-	  va_list ap;
-	  char buf[256];
-	  char *text = NULL;
-	  int l;
-	  
-	  va_start(ap, fmt);
-	  l = vsnprintf(buf, sizeof buf, fmt, ap);
-	  va_end(ap);
-	  if (l < sizeof buf) {
-	    text = buf;
-	  } else {
-	    /* assuming we have a C99 conforming snprintf and need a larger buffer */
-	    text = calloc(l, 1);
-	    va_start(ap, fmt);
-	    vsnprintf(text, l, fmt, ap);
-	    va_end(ap);
-	  }
-  for (last = &dump; *last != NULL; last = &m->next) {
-    m = *last;
+ErrMsg *ErrPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, char *fmt, ...) {
+  ErrMsg *m = NULL;
+  ErrMsg **last = NULL;
+  va_list ap;
+  char buf[256];
+  char *text = NULL;
+  int l;
+  
+  va_start(ap, fmt);
+  l = vsnprintf(buf, sizeof buf, fmt, ap);
+  va_end(ap);
+  if (l < sizeof buf) {
+    text = buf;
+  } else {
+    /* assuming we have a C99 conforming snprintf and need a larger buffer */
+    text = calloc(l, 1);
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    vsnprintf(text, l, fmt, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+  }
+  last = &dump;
+  for (m = dump; m != NULL; m = m->next) {
     if (ErrEqual(text, m->text)) {
-      *last = m->next;
+      *last = m->next; /* remove found item from list */
       break;
     }
+    last = &m->next;
   }
-  if (m == NULL) {
+  if (m == NULL) { /* make a new item */
     if (text == buf) text = strdup(buf);
     m = calloc(1, sizeof(*m));
     m->text = text;
@@ -100,9 +62,7 @@ ErrMsg *ErrOldPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, char *fmt, ...) {
     if (text != buf) free(text);
     m->cnt++;
   }
-  if(m != dump){
-	  m->next = dump;
-  }
+  m->next = dump;
   time(&m->last);
   return m;
 }
diff --git a/errormsg.h b/errormsg.h
index 64868647..470ebd5e 100644
--- a/errormsg.h
+++ b/errormsg.h
@@ -19,15 +19,14 @@ typedef struct ErrMsg {
  *
  * The error message list contains only one entry for all messages
  * with the same text, storing only the count and the last used time.
- * Characters within sqaure brackets are not taken into account
+ * Characters within square brackets are not taken into account
  * when comparing messages.
- * The newset message is always at the head of the list.
+ * The new message is always at the head of the list.
  *
  *  \param dump the error message list
- *  \param current The currently active error message
  *  \param fmt the format for the message
  *  \return the new error message list head
  */
-ErrMsg *ErrPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, ErrMsg **current, char *fmt, ...);
+ErrMsg *ErrPutMsg(ErrMsg *dump, char *fmt, ...);
 
 #endif