diff --git a/kio/kio/slavebase.cpp b/kio/kio/slavebase.cpp
index dfe34999..9218997c 100644
--- a/kio/kio/slavebase.cpp
+++ b/kio/kio/slavebase.cpp
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ void SlaveBase::dispatchLoop()
         int ret = -1;
         if (waitForIncommingTask(&d->appConnection, ms)) {
             // dispatch application messages
-            int cmd;
+            int cmd = 0;
             QByteArray data;
             ret = kReadCommand(&d->appConnection, &cmd, data);
 
diff --git a/kio/kio/slaveinterface.cpp b/kio/kio/slaveinterface.cpp
index 9b092a47..775137dd 100644
--- a/kio/kio/slaveinterface.cpp
+++ b/kio/kio/slaveinterface.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ SlaveInterfacePrivate::SlaveInterfacePrivate(const QString &protocol)
     m_pid(0),
     m_port(0),
     dead(false),
-    contact_started(time(0)),
     m_idleSince(0),
     m_refCount(1)
 {
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ SlaveInterface::SlaveInterface(const QString &protocol, QObject *parent)
 
     
     // NOTE: using long/complex server name can cause reconnection issues
-    const QString serveraddress = QString::fromLatin1("kio_") + QString::number(qrand());
+    const QString serveraddress = QString::fromLatin1("kio_") + QString::number(quintptr(d_ptr), 16);
     d_ptr->slaveconnserver = new QSocketServer(this);
     d_ptr->slaveconnserver->init(serveraddress);
     if (!d_ptr->slaveconnserver->listen()) {
@@ -102,8 +101,6 @@ SlaveInterface::SlaveInterface(const QString &protocol, QObject *parent)
     }
     d_ptr->slavenotifier = new QSocketNotifier(d_ptr->slaveconnserver->socketDescriptor(), QSocketNotifier::Read, this);
     connect(d_ptr->slavenotifier, SIGNAL(activated(int)), this, SLOT(accept()));
-
-    d_ptr->connection = new QSocketDevice(this);
 }
 
 SlaveInterface::~SlaveInterface()
@@ -165,7 +162,9 @@ void SlaveInterface::deref()
     Q_D(SlaveInterface);
     d->m_refCount--;
     if (!d->m_refCount) {
-        d->connection->disconnect(this);
+        if (d->connection) {
+            d->connection->disconnect(this);
+        }
         this->disconnect();
         deleteLater();
     }
@@ -598,14 +597,14 @@ void SlaveInterface::messageBox(int type, const QString &text, const QString &ca
 void SlaveInterface::accept()
 {
     Q_D(SlaveInterface);
-    if (d->connection) {
-        // kWarning() << "there is already a connection";
-        delete d->connection;
-    }
+    Q_ASSERT(!d->connection);
     d->connection = d->slaveconnserver->acceptConnection();
     delete d->slavenotifier;
     d->slavenotifier = nullptr;
     connect(d->connection, SIGNAL(readyRead()), SLOT(gotInput()));
+    if (d->m_tasks.isEmpty()) {
+        kWarning() << "no tasks";
+    }
     while (!d->m_tasks.isEmpty()) {
         const KIO::Task task = d->m_tasks.dequeue();
         kSendCommandNow(d->connection, task.cmd, task.data);
@@ -621,6 +620,7 @@ void SlaveInterface::gotInput()
     }
     ref();
     if (!dispatch()) {
+        Q_ASSERT(d->connection);
         d->connection->close();
         d->dead = true;
         QString arg = d->m_protocol;
@@ -637,43 +637,4 @@ void SlaveInterface::gotInput()
     // Here we might be dead!!
 }
 
-void SlaveInterface::timeout()
-{
-    Q_D(SlaveInterface);
-    if (d->dead) {
-        // already dead? then slaveDied was emitted and we are done
-        return;
-    }
-    if (d->connection->isOpen()) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    kDebug(7002) << "slave failed to connect to application pid=" << d->m_pid
-                 << " protocol=" << d->m_protocol;
-    if (d->m_pid && (::kill(d->m_pid, 0) == 0)) {
-        int delta_t = (int) difftime(time(0), d->contact_started);
-        kDebug(7002) << "slave is slow... pid=" << d->m_pid << " t=" << delta_t;
-        if (delta_t < SLAVE_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MAX) {
-            QTimer::singleShot(1000*SLAVE_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MIN, this, SLOT(timeout()));
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-    kDebug(7002) << "Houston, we lost our slave, pid=" << d->m_pid;
-    d->connection->close();
-    d->dead = true;
-    QString arg = d->m_protocol;
-    if (!d->m_host.isEmpty()) {
-        arg += QString::fromLatin1("://") + d->m_host;
-    }
-    kDebug(7002) << "slave died pid = " << d->m_pid;
-
-    ref();
-    // Tell the job about the problem.
-    emit error(ERR_SLAVE_DIED, arg);
-    // Tell the scheduler about the problem.
-    emit slaveDied(this);
-    // After the above signal we're dead!!
-    deref();
-}
-
 #include "moc_slaveinterface.cpp"
diff --git a/kio/kio/slaveinterface.h b/kio/kio/slaveinterface.h
index de49be2a..5e46757d 100644
--- a/kio/kio/slaveinterface.h
+++ b/kio/kio/slaveinterface.h
@@ -262,7 +262,6 @@ protected Q_SLOTS:
     void calcSpeed();
     void accept();
     void gotInput();
-    void timeout();
 
 protected:
     SlaveInterfacePrivate* const d_ptr;
diff --git a/kio/kio/slaveinterface_p.h b/kio/kio/slaveinterface_p.h
index d1981306..8fe339c9 100644
--- a/kio/kio/slaveinterface_p.h
+++ b/kio/kio/slaveinterface_p.h
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ static bool kSendCommandNow(QSocketDevice *socket, int cmd, const QByteArray &da
     if (data.size() > 0xffffff) {
         return false;
     }
+    if (!socket) {
+        kWarning() << "null socket";
+        return false;
+    }
     if (!socket->isOpen()) {
         return false;
     }
@@ -58,7 +62,7 @@ static bool kSendCommandNow(QSocketDevice *socket, int cmd, const QByteArray &da
 static bool kSendCommand(QSocketDevice *socket, int cmd, const QByteArray &data,
                          QQueue<KIO::Task> &queue, const bool suspended)
 {
-    if (suspended || !socket->isOpen()) {
+    if (suspended || !socket || !socket->isOpen()) {
         KIO::Task task;
         task.cmd = cmd;
         task.data = data;
@@ -102,8 +106,8 @@ static int kReadCommand(QSocketDevice *socket, int* cmd, QByteArray &data)
             if (readresult < 0) {
                 if (errno == EAGAIN) {
                     if (!socket->waitForReadyRead(500)) {
-                        kWarning() << "kReadCommand data still not ariving" << readtotal << len << socket->errorString();
-                        continue;
+                        kWarning() << "kReadCommand data still not arriving" << readtotal << len << socket->errorString();;
+                        return readtotal;
                     }
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -146,7 +150,6 @@ public:
     pid_t m_pid;
     quint16 m_port;
     bool dead;
-    time_t contact_started;
     time_t m_idleSince;
     int m_refCount;
 };