diff --git a/src/ccnx-name.cpp b/src/ccnx-name.cpp
index ce5f270..748410f 100644
--- a/src/ccnx-name.cpp
+++ b/src/ccnx-name.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,15 @@
 {
   stringstream ss(name);
   string compStr;
+  bool first = true;
   while(getline(ss, compStr, '/'))
   {
+    // discard the first empty comp before the first '/'
+    if (first)
+    {
+      first = false;
+      continue;
+    }
     Bytes comp(compStr.begin(), compStr.end());
     m_comps.push_back(comp);
   }
@@ -74,13 +81,13 @@
   return *this;
 }
 bool
-Name::operator==(const string &str)
+Name::operator==(const string &str) const
 {
   return this->toString() == str;
 }
 
 bool
-Name::operator!=(const string &str)
+Name::operator!=(const string &str) const
 {
   return !(*this == str);
 }
diff --git a/src/ccnx-wrapper.cpp b/src/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
index ac65cba..78e9ac7 100644
--- a/src/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/ccnx-wrapper.cpp
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@
 CcnxWrapper::connectCcnd()
 {
   UniqueRecLock(m_mutex);
-  if (m_handle != 0) {
-    ccn_disconnect (m_handle);
-    ccn_destroy (&m_handle);
-  }
+  //if (m_handle != 0) {
+    //ccn_disconnect (m_handle);
+    //ccn_destroy (&m_handle);
+  //}
 
   m_handle = ccn_create ();
   if (ccn_connect(m_handle, NULL) < 0)
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@
   }
   m_connected = true;
 
-  if (!m_registeredInterests.empty())
-  {
-    for (map<Name, InterestCallback>::const_iterator it = m_registeredInterests.begin(); it != m_registeredInterests.end(); ++it)
-    {
+  //if (!m_registeredInterests.empty())
+  //{
+   // for (map<Name, InterestCallback>::const_iterator it = m_registeredInterests.begin(); it != m_registeredInterests.end(); ++it)
+    //{
       // clearInterestFilter(it->first);
-      setInterestFilter(it->first, it->second);
-    }
-  }
+     // setInterestFilter(it->first, it->second);
+    //}
+  //}
 }
 
 CcnxWrapper::~CcnxWrapper()