diff --git a/rtmp/packet.go b/rtmp/packet.go
index 8980cf5d..6d33731c 100644
--- a/rtmp/packet.go
+++ b/rtmp/packet.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ LICENSE
 package rtmp
 
 import (
+	"io"
 	"encoding/binary"
 )
 
@@ -67,8 +68,12 @@ const (
 	RTMP_CHANNEL_SOURCE     = 0x04
 )
 
-// packetSize defines valid packet sizes.
-var packetSize = [...]int{12, 8, 4, 1}
+// headerSizes defines header sizes for header types 0, 1, 2 and 3 respectively:
+//   0: full header (12 bytes)
+//   1: header without message ID (8 bytes)
+//   2: basic header + timestamp (4 byes)
+//   3: basic header (chunk type and stream ID) (1 byte)
+var headerSizes = [...]int{12, 8, 4, 1}
 
 // packet defines an RTMP packet.
 type packet struct {
@@ -101,6 +106,9 @@ func readPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) error {
 	err := readN(s, header[:1])
 	if err != nil {
 		s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"failed to read packet header 1st byte", "error", err.Error())
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			s.log(WarnLevel, pkg+"EOF error; connection likely terminated")
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	pkt.headerType = (header[0] & 0xc0) >> 6
@@ -150,7 +158,7 @@ func readPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) error {
 		s.channelsAllocatedIn = n
 	}
 
-	size := packetSize[pkt.headerType]
+	size := headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
 	switch {
 	case size == RTMP_LARGE_HEADER_SIZE:
 		pkt.hasAbsTimestamp = true
@@ -304,7 +312,7 @@ func sendPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet, queue bool) error {
 	if pkt.body != nil {
 		// Span from -packetsize for the type to the start of the body.
 		headBytes = pkt.header
-		origIdx = RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE - packetSize[pkt.headerType]
+		origIdx = RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE - headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
 	} else {
 		// Allocate a new header and allow 6 bytes of movement backward.
 		var hbuf [RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE]byte
@@ -320,7 +328,7 @@ func sendPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet, queue bool) error {
 		cSize = 1
 	}
 
-	hSize := packetSize[pkt.headerType]
+	hSize := headerSizes[pkt.headerType]
 	if cSize != 0 {
 		origIdx -= cSize
 		hSize += cSize
@@ -361,7 +369,7 @@ func sendPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet, queue bool) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if packetSize[pkt.headerType] > 1 {
+	if headerSizes[pkt.headerType] > 1 {
 		res := ts
 		if ts > 0xffffff {
 			res = 0xffffff
@@ -370,14 +378,14 @@ func sendPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet, queue bool) error {
 		headerIdx += 3 // 24bits
 	}
 
-	if packetSize[pkt.headerType] > 4 {
+	if headerSizes[pkt.headerType] > 4 {
 		C_AMF_EncodeInt24(headBytes[headerIdx:], int32(pkt.bodySize))
 		headerIdx += 3 // 24bits
 		headBytes[headerIdx] = pkt.packetType
 		headerIdx++
 	}
 
-	if packetSize[pkt.headerType] > 8 {
+	if headerSizes[pkt.headerType] > 8 {
 		n := int(encodeInt32LE(headBytes[headerIdx:headerIdx+4], pkt.info))
 		headerIdx += n
 	}
@@ -415,7 +423,6 @@ func sendPacket(s *Session, pkt *packet, queue bool) error {
 		if s.deferred != nil {
 			// Prepend the previously deferred packet and write it with the current one.
 			bytes = append(s.deferred, bytes...)
-			s.deferred = nil
 		}
 		err := writeN(s, bytes)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/rtmp/rtmp.go b/rtmp/rtmp.go
index eb0d5621..2c6300d5 100644
--- a/rtmp/rtmp.go
+++ b/rtmp/rtmp.go
@@ -191,40 +191,38 @@ func connect(s *Session) error {
 
 // connectStream reads a packet and handles it
 func connectStream(s *Session) error {
-	var pkt packet
-
+	var err error
 	for !s.isPlaying && s.isConnected() {
-		err := readPacket(s, &pkt)
+		pkt := packet{}
+		err = readPacket(s, &pkt)
 		if err != nil {
 			break
 		}
-
 		if pkt.bodySize == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-
 		if pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_AUDIO ||
 			pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_VIDEO ||
 			pkt.packetType == RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_INFO {
 			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"got packet before play; ignoring")
-			pkt.body = nil
 			continue
 		}
 
-		handlePacket(s, &pkt)
-		pkt.body = nil
+		err = handlePacket(s, &pkt)
+		if err != nil {
+			break
+		}
 	}
 
 	if !s.isPlaying {
-		return errConnStream
+		return err
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 // handlePacket handles a packet that the client has received.
 // NB: cases have been commented out that are not currently used by AusOcean
-func handlePacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) int32 {
-	var hasMediaPacket int32
+func handlePacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) error {
 	switch pkt.packetType {
 
 	case RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_CHUNK_SIZE:
@@ -266,7 +264,7 @@ func handlePacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) int32 {
 		if err != nil {
 			// This will never happen with the methods we implement.
 			s.log(WarnLevel, pkg+"unexpected error from handleInvoke", "error", err.Error())
-			hasMediaPacket = 2
+			return err
 		}
 
 	case RTMP_PACKET_TYPE_FLASH_VIDEO:
@@ -275,7 +273,7 @@ func handlePacket(s *Session, pkt *packet) int32 {
 	default:
 		s.log(WarnLevel, pkg+"unknown packet type", "type", pkt.packetType)
 	}
-	return hasMediaPacket
+	return nil
 }
 
 func readN(s *Session, buf []byte) error {
@@ -286,7 +284,6 @@ func readN(s *Session, buf []byte) error {
 	n, err := io.ReadFull(s.link.conn, buf)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"read failed", "error", err.Error())
-		s.close()
 		return err
 	}
 	s.nBytesIn += int32(n)
@@ -308,7 +305,6 @@ func writeN(s *Session, buf []byte) error {
 	_, err = s.link.conn.Write(buf)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.log(WarnLevel, pkg+"write failed", "error", err.Error())
-		s.close()
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -404,12 +400,10 @@ func sendConnectPacket(s *Session) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if copy(enc, []byte{0, 0, AMF_OBJECT_END}) != 3 {
-		return errCopying // TODO: is this even possible?
-	}
+	copy(enc, []byte{0, 0, AMF_OBJECT_END})
 	enc = enc[3:]
 
-	/* add auth string */
+	// add auth string
 	if s.link.auth != "" {
 		enc = C_AMF_EncodeBoolean(enc, s.link.lFlags&RTMP_LF_AUTH != 0)
 		if enc == nil {
@@ -430,7 +424,7 @@ func sendConnectPacket(s *Session) error {
 
 	pkt.bodySize = uint32((len(pbuf) - RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE) - len(enc))
 
-	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true)
+	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true) // response expected
 }
 
 func sendCreateStream(s *Session) error {
@@ -458,7 +452,7 @@ func sendCreateStream(s *Session) error {
 
 	pkt.bodySize = uint32((len(pbuf) - RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE) - len(enc))
 
-	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true)
+	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true) // response expected
 }
 
 func sendReleaseStream(s *Session) error {
@@ -589,7 +583,7 @@ func sendPublish(s *Session) error {
 
 	pkt.bodySize = uint32((len(pbuf) - RTMP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE) - len(enc))
 
-	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true)
+	return sendPacket(s, &pkt, true) // response expected
 }
 
 func sendDeleteStream(s *Session, dStreamId float64) error {
@@ -779,6 +773,7 @@ func handleInvoke(s *Session, body []byte) error {
 			s.log(FatalLevel, pkg+"unsupported method av_NetStream_Play_Start/av_NetStream_Play_PublishNotify")
 
 		case av_NetStream_Publish_Start:
+			s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"playing")
 			s.isPlaying = true
 			for i, m := range s.methodCalls {
 				if m.name == av_publish {
@@ -786,6 +781,7 @@ func handleInvoke(s *Session, body []byte) error {
 					break
 				}
 			}
+			// ToDo: handle case when av_publish method not found
 
 		case av_NetStream_Play_Complete, av_NetStream_Play_Stop, av_NetStream_Play_UnpublishNotify:
 			s.log(FatalLevel, pkg+"unsupported method av_NetStream_Play_Complete/av_NetStream_Play_Stop/av_NetStream_Play_UnpublishNotify")
@@ -825,14 +821,15 @@ func handshake(s *Session) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"handshake sent")
 
 	var typ [1]byte
 	err = readN(s, typ[:])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"handshake received")
 
-	s.log(DebugLevel, pkg+"handshake", "received", typ[0])
 	if typ[0] != clientbuf[0] {
 		s.log(WarnLevel, pkg+"handshake type mismatch", "sent", clientbuf[0], "received", typ)
 	}
diff --git a/rtmp/rtmp_test.go b/rtmp/rtmp_test.go
index 0dd0e58c..4f927138 100644
--- a/rtmp/rtmp_test.go
+++ b/rtmp/rtmp_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ package rtmp
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"testing"
@@ -37,6 +36,7 @@ import (
 
 	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/stream/flv"
 	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/stream/lex"
+	"io/ioutil"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func TestKey(t *testing.T) {
 	testLog(0, "TestKey")
 	testKey = os.Getenv("RTMP_TEST_KEY")
 	if testKey == "" {
-		t.Errorf("RTMP_TEST_KEY environment variable not defined")
+		fmt.Printf("RTMP_TEST_KEY environment variable not defined\n")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	testLog(0, "Testing against URL "+testBaseURL+testKey)
@@ -122,18 +122,28 @@ func TestSetupURL(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
+	testLog(0, "TestOpen")
+	s := NewSession(testBaseURL+testKey, testTimeout, testLog)
+	err := setupURL(s, s.url)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("setupURL failed with error: %v", err)
+	}
+	s.enableWrite()
+	err = s.Open()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("connect failed with error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestOpenClose(t *testing.T) {
 	testLog(0, "TestOpenClose")
 	s := NewSession(testBaseURL+testKey, testTimeout, testLog)
 	err := s.Open()
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Session.Open failed with error: %v", err)
+		t.Errorf("Open failed with error: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
-	err = s.Close()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Session.Close failed with error: %v", err)
-	}
 }
 
 func TestFromFile(t *testing.T) {