diff --git a/items.c b/items.c
index a14973f3f8..d7de9cd789 100644
--- a/items.c
+++ b/items.c
@@ -1389,6 +1389,15 @@ static void item_crawler_close_client(crawler_client_t *c) {
     c->buf = NULL;
 }
 
+static void item_crawler_release_client(crawler_client_t *c) {
+    //fprintf(stderr, "CRAWLER: Closing client\n");
+    redispatch_conn(c->c);
+    c->c = NULL;
+    c->cbuf = NULL;
+    bipbuf_free(c->buf);
+    c->buf = NULL;
+}
+
 static int item_crawler_metadump_poll(crawler_client_t *c) {
     unsigned char *data;
     unsigned int data_size = 0;
@@ -1465,7 +1474,6 @@ static void item_crawler_class_done(int i) {
 
     if (crawlers[i].type == CRAWLER_METADUMP && crawler_client.c != NULL) {
         item_crawler_metadump_poll(&crawler_client);
-        item_crawler_close_client(&crawler_client);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1546,6 +1554,14 @@ static void *item_crawler_thread(void *arg) {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    // FIXME: Need to global-ize the type of the crawl, or we're calling
+    // finalize on an opaque here.
+    if (crawler_client.c != NULL) {
+        item_crawler_metadump_poll(&crawler_client);
+        item_crawler_release_client(&crawler_client);
+    }
+
     if (settings.verbose > 2)
         fprintf(stderr, "LRU crawler thread sleeping\n");
     STATS_LOCK();
diff --git a/memcached.c b/memcached.c
index 2cf849cc89..c090343281 100644
--- a/memcached.c
+++ b/memcached.c
@@ -449,6 +449,18 @@ void conn_close_idle(conn *c) {
     }
 }
 
+/* bring conn back from a sidethread. could have had its event base moved. */
+void conn_worker_readd(conn *c) {
+    c->ev_flags = EV_READ | EV_PERSIST;
+    event_set(&c->event, c->sfd, c->ev_flags, event_handler, (void *)c);
+    event_base_set(c->thread->base, &c->event);
+    c->state = conn_new_cmd;
+
+    if (event_add(&c->event, 0) == -1) {
+        perror("event_add");
+    }
+}
+
 conn *conn_new(const int sfd, enum conn_states init_state,
                 const int event_flags,
                 const int read_buffer_size, enum network_transport transport,
diff --git a/memcached.h b/memcached.h
index a98d60f58d..dd1fd6c413 100644
--- a/memcached.h
+++ b/memcached.h
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ enum delta_result_type do_add_delta(conn *c, const char *key,
                                     uint64_t *cas, const uint32_t hv);
 enum store_item_type do_store_item(item *item, int comm, conn* c, const uint32_t hv);
 conn *conn_new(const int sfd, const enum conn_states init_state, const int event_flags, const int read_buffer_size, enum network_transport transport, struct event_base *base);
+void conn_worker_readd(conn *c);
 extern int daemonize(int nochdir, int noclose);
 
 #define mutex_lock(x) pthread_mutex_lock(x)
@@ -620,7 +621,7 @@ extern int daemonize(int nochdir, int noclose);
  */
 
 void memcached_thread_init(int nthreads);
-int  dispatch_event_add(int thread, conn *c);
+void redispatch_conn(conn *c);
 void dispatch_conn_new(int sfd, enum conn_states init_state, int event_flags, int read_buffer_size, enum network_transport transport);
 void sidethread_conn_close(conn *c);
 
diff --git a/thread.c b/thread.c
index 757dd8f460..b6231806fc 100644
--- a/thread.c
+++ b/thread.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ struct conn_queue_item {
     int               event_flags;
     int               read_buffer_size;
     enum network_transport     transport;
+    conn *c;
     CQ_ITEM          *next;
 };
 
@@ -422,6 +423,14 @@ static void thread_libevent_process(int fd, short which, void *arg) {
             cqi_free(item);
         }
         break;
+    case 'r':
+        item = cq_pop(me->new_conn_queue);
+
+        if (NULL != item) {
+            conn_worker_readd(item->c);
+            cqi_free(item);
+        }
+        break;
     /* we were told to pause and report in */
     case 'p':
         register_thread_initialized();
@@ -481,30 +490,28 @@ void dispatch_conn_new(int sfd, enum conn_states init_state, int event_flags,
 /*
  * Re-dispatches a connection back to the original thread. Can be called from
  * any side thread borrowing a connection.
- * TODO: Look into this. too complicated?
  */
-#ifdef BOGUS_DEFINE
 void redispatch_conn(conn *c) {
     CQ_ITEM *item = cqi_new();
     char buf[1];
     if (item == NULL) {
         /* Can't cleanly redispatch connection. close it forcefully. */
-        /* FIXME: is conn_cleanup() necessary?
-         * if conn was handed off to a side thread it should be clean.
-         * could also put it into a "clean_me" state?
-         */
         c->state = conn_closed;
         close(c->sfd);
         return;
     }
     LIBEVENT_THREAD *thread = c->thread;
-    item->sfd = sfd;
-    /* pass in the state somehow?
-    item->init_state = conn_closing; */
-    item->event_flags = c->event_flags;
-    item->conn = c;
+    item->sfd = c->sfd;
+    item->init_state = conn_new_cmd;
+    item->c = c;
+
+    cq_push(thread->new_conn_queue, item);
+
+    buf[0] = 'r';
+    if (write(thread->notify_send_fd, buf, 1) != 1) {
+        perror("Writing to thread notify pipe");
+    }
 }
-#endif
 
 /* This misses the allow_new_conns flag :( */
 void sidethread_conn_close(conn *c) {