diff --git a/ccnx/sync-ccnx-wrapper.cc b/ccnx/sync-ccnx-wrapper.cc
index 3e2ebc1..ba7e973 100644
--- a/ccnx/sync-ccnx-wrapper.cc
+++ b/ccnx/sync-ccnx-wrapper.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <boost/throw_exception.hpp>
 #include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
+#include <boost/random.hpp>
+
+#include "sync-scheduler.h"
 
 typedef boost::error_info<struct tag_errmsg, std::string> errmsg_info_str;
 typedef boost::error_info<struct tag_errmsg, int> errmsg_info_int;
@@ -45,6 +48,7 @@
   , m_keyStore (0)
   , m_keyLoactor (0)
   , m_running (true)
+  , m_connected (false)
 {
 #ifdef _DEBUG_WRAPPER_      
   m_c = c;
@@ -58,6 +62,8 @@
 void
 CcnxWrapper::connectCcnd()
 {
+  recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock (m_mutex);
+
   if (m_handle != 0) {
     ccn_disconnect (m_handle);
     ccn_destroy (&m_handle);
@@ -70,6 +76,8 @@
     _LOG_DEBUG("<<< connecting to ccnd failed");
     BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION (CcnxOperationException() << errmsg_info_str("connection to ccnd failed"));
   }
+  m_connected = true;
+
   if (!m_registeredInterests.empty())
   {
     for (map<std::string, InterestCallback>::const_iterator it = m_registeredInterests.begin(); it != m_registeredInterests.end(); ++it)
@@ -143,10 +151,12 @@
 CcnxWrapper::ccnLoop ()
 {
   _LOG_FUNCTION (this);
+  static boost::mt19937 randomGenerator (static_cast<unsigned int> (std::time (0)));
+  static boost::variate_generator<boost::mt19937&, boost::uniform_int<> > rangeUniformRandom (randomGenerator, uniform_int<> (0,1000));
 
-    while (m_running)
-      {
-        try
+  while (m_running)
+    {
+      try
         {
 #ifdef _DEBUG_WRAPPER_      
           std::cout << m_c << flush;
@@ -180,9 +190,10 @@
               BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION (CcnxOperationException() << errmsg_info_str("ccnd socket failed (probably ccnd got stopped)"));
             }
         }
-        catch (CcnxOperationException e)
+        catch (CcnxOperationException &e)
         {
-          // probably ccnd has been stoped
+          m_connected = false;
+          // probably ccnd has been stopped
           // try reconnect with sleep
           int interval = 1;
           int maxInterval = 32;
@@ -190,14 +201,16 @@
           {
             try
             {
-              sleep(1);
+              this_thread::sleep (boost::get_system_time () + TIME_SECONDS(interval) + TIME_MILLISECONDS (rangeUniformRandom ()));
+
               connectCcnd();
               _LOG_DEBUG("reconnect to ccnd succeeded");
               break;
             }
-            catch (CcnxOperationException e)
+            catch (CcnxOperationException &e)
             {
-              sleep(interval);
+              this_thread::sleep (boost::get_system_time () + TIME_SECONDS(interval) + TIME_MILLISECONDS (rangeUniformRandom ()));
+
               // do exponential backup for reconnect interval
               if (interval < maxInterval)
               {
@@ -206,6 +219,16 @@
             }
           }
         }
+        catch (const std::exception &exc)
+          {
+            // catch anything thrown within try block that derives from std::exception
+            std::cerr << exc.what();
+          }
+        catch (...)
+          {
+            cout << "UNKNOWN EXCEPTION !!!" << endl; 
+          }
+          
      } 
 }
 
@@ -220,7 +243,7 @@
 {
 
   recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
-  if (!m_running)
+  if (!m_running || !m_connected)
     return -1;
   
   // cout << "Publish: " << name << endl;
@@ -363,7 +386,7 @@
 int CcnxWrapper::sendInterest (const string &strInterest, void *dataPass)
 {
   recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
-  if (!m_running)
+  if (!m_running || !m_connected)
     return -1;
   
   // std::cout << "Send interests for " << strInterest << std::endl;
@@ -389,7 +412,7 @@
 int CcnxWrapper::setInterestFilter (const string &prefix, const InterestCallback &interestCallback)
 {
   recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
-  if (!m_running)
+  if (!m_running || !m_connected)
     return -1;
 
   ccn_charbuf *pname = ccn_charbuf_create();
@@ -412,7 +435,7 @@
 CcnxWrapper::clearInterestFilter (const std::string &prefix)
 {
   recursive_mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_mutex);
-  if (!m_running)
+  if (!m_running || !m_connected)
     return;
 
   std::cout << "clearInterestFilter" << std::endl;