diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index fc9a6f4e36..da8950b02b 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -26942,3 +26942,10 @@ David  8 April 2005
         error_numbers.h
         gui_rpc_client.C,h
         network.C,h
+
+David  8 April 2005
+    - debugged asynchronous connect for GUI RPC
+
+    lib/
+        boinc_cmd.C
+        gui_rpc_client.C,h
diff --git a/lib/boinc_cmd.C b/lib/boinc_cmd.C
index 86cd80dded..2ba2800a38 100644
--- a/lib/boinc_cmd.C
+++ b/lib/boinc_cmd.C
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include "boinc_win.h"
 #include "win_net.h"
+#else
+#include <cstdio>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #endif
+
 #include <vector>
 using std::vector;
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
-#include <cstdio>
-#endif
-
 #include "gui_rpc_client.h"
 #include "error_numbers.h"
 
@@ -130,11 +130,28 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         passwd = argv[i+1];
         i += 2;
     }
-    retval = rpc.init(hostname);
+#if 1
+    retval = rpc.init(hostname, false);
     if (retval) {
         fprintf(stderr, "can't connect\n");
         exit(1);
     }
+#else
+    retval = rpc.init(hostname, true);
+    while (1) {
+        retval = rpc.init_poll();
+        if (!retval) break;
+        if (retval == ERR_RETRY) {
+            printf("sleeping\n");
+            sleep(1);
+            continue;
+        }
+        fprintf(stderr, "can't connect: %d\n", retval);
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    printf("connected\n");
+#endif
+
     if (passwd) {
         retval = rpc.authorize(passwd);
         if (retval) {
diff --git a/lib/gui_rpc_client.C b/lib/gui_rpc_client.C
index 8a9c6a9aea..191defade6 100644
--- a/lib/gui_rpc_client.C
+++ b/lib/gui_rpc_client.C
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
-#include <netinet/in.h>
-#include <netinet/tcp.h>
-#include <arpa/inet.h>
-#include <netdb.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "diagnostics.h"
@@ -950,7 +946,6 @@ void RPC_CLIENT::close() {
 
 int RPC_CLIENT::init(const char* host, bool asynch) {
     int retval;
-    sockaddr_in addr;
     addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
     addr.sin_port = htons(GUI_RPC_PORT_ALT);
 
@@ -973,8 +968,15 @@ int RPC_CLIENT::init(const char* host, bool asynch) {
     if (retval) return retval;
 
     if (asynch) {
-        boinc_socket_asynch(sock, true);
+        tried_alt_port = false;
+        retval = boinc_socket_asynch(sock, true);
+        if (retval) {
+            printf("asynch error: %d\n", retval);
+        }
         retval = connect(sock, (const sockaddr*)(&addr), sizeof(addr));
+        printf("connect: %d %s\n", retval, host);
+        perror("connect");
+        return 0;
     } else {
         retval = connect(sock, (const sockaddr*)(&addr), sizeof(addr));
         if (retval) {
@@ -999,6 +1001,7 @@ int RPC_CLIENT::init(const char* host, bool asynch) {
 int RPC_CLIENT::init_poll() {
     fd_set read_fds, write_fds, error_fds;
     struct timeval tv;
+    int retval;
 
     FD_ZERO(&read_fds);
     FD_ZERO(&write_fds);
@@ -1009,10 +1012,30 @@ int RPC_CLIENT::init_poll() {
     FD_SET(sock, &error_fds);
 
     tv.tv_sec = tv.tv_usec = 0;
-    select(FD_SETSIZE, &read_fds, &write_fds, &error_fds, &tv);
+    int n = select(FD_SETSIZE, &read_fds, &write_fds, &error_fds, &tv);
+    printf("select: %d\n",n);
     if (FD_ISSET(sock, &error_fds)) return ERR_CONNECT;
-    if (FD_ISSET(sock, &read_fds)) {
-        boinc_socket_asynch(sock, false);
+    if (FD_ISSET(sock, &write_fds)) {
+        printf("read set\n");
+        retval = get_socket_error(sock);
+        printf("socket error %d\n", retval);
+        if (retval) {
+            if (tried_alt_port) {
+                return retval;
+            } else {
+                boinc_close_socket(sock);
+                retval = boinc_socket(sock);
+                retval = boinc_socket_asynch(sock, true);
+                addr.sin_port = htons(GUI_RPC_PORT);
+                retval = connect(sock, (const sockaddr*)(&addr), sizeof(addr));
+                return ERR_RETRY;
+                tried_alt_port = true;
+            }
+        }
+        retval = boinc_socket_asynch(sock, false);
+        if (retval) {
+            printf("asynch error: %d\n", retval);
+        }
         return 0;
     }
     return ERR_RETRY;
@@ -1058,7 +1081,11 @@ int RPC_CLIENT::send_request(const char* p) {
         p
     );
     int n = send(sock, buf, strlen(buf), 0);
-    if (n < 0) return ERR_WRITE;
+    if (n < 0) {
+        printf("send: %d\n", n);
+        perror("send");
+        return ERR_WRITE;
+    }
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/gui_rpc_client.h b/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
index 056245129b..5733e2a762 100644
--- a/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
+++ b/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <netinet/tcp.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
 #endif
 
 #include "miofile.h"
@@ -389,6 +394,9 @@ class RPC_CLIENT {
 public:
     int sock;
     int client_version;
+    bool tried_alt_port;
+    sockaddr_in addr;
+
     int send_request(const char*);
     int get_reply(char*&);
     RPC_CLIENT();