diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ distrend_SOURCES = $(SERVER_SOURCES) \
 	src/server/user_mgr.c \
 	src/server/user_mgr.h \
 	src/server/listen.h \
-	src/server/listen.c \ 
+	src/server/listen.c \
 	src/server/mysql.h \
 	src/server/mysql.c
 distrend_LDADD = libdistrencommon.la
diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -164,8 +164,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
   /** MySQL Connection */
-  MYSQL *conn;
-  *conn = mysqlConnect();
+  struct distrend_mysql_con *conn;
+  if(mysqlConnect(&conn))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: mysqlConnect() failed\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
+      return 1;
+    }
 
   /** pre-loaded jobs for testing */
   prepare_distrenjob(&general_info, 1, "awesome", "LordOfWar", 8, 1, 100, 640, 480);
@@ -206,8 +210,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       	  clientstatus = CLIENTSTATUS_IDLE; // Sets the client back to idle
       	  finish_frame(&general_info, job, frame->num); // @TODO: Make sure this actually works.
       	}
-      	// Check the connection to the database
-      	mysqlPing(conn);
     } /* while(!general_info.config->die) */
 
   distrend_unlisten(general_info.config->listens, clients);
@@ -217,7 +219,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   /** free() paths */
   free(general_info.files.geninfo);
-  mysql_close(conn);
+  mysqlDisconnect(conn);
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/server/mysql.c b/src/server/mysql.c
--- a/src/server/mysql.c
+++ b/src/server/mysql.c
@@ -30,40 +30,94 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
-MYSQL mysqlConnect(){
-  MYSQL *conn;
+/**
+   local types
+ */
+
+#define SEVENTY_FIVE 75
+
+struct distrend_mysql_con 
+{
+  MYSQL *mysqlconn;
+  short pointlesscheck;
+};
+
+struct distrend_mysql_result
+{
+  MYSQL_RES *result;
+};
+
+/** 
+    funcs
+ */
+
+int mysqlConnect(struct distrend_mysql_con **conn)
+{
+  MYSQL *mysqlconn;
 
   char *server = "zserver1";
   char *user = "distren";
   char *password = "secretpassword";
   char *database = "distren";
 
-  conn = mysql_init(NULL);
-  mysql_options(conn, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT,"true");
+  mysqlconn = mysql_init(NULL);
+  mysql_options(mysqlconn, MYSQL_OPT_RECONNECT,"true");
 
-  if(!mysql_real_connect(conn, server, user, password, database, 0, NULL, 0))
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(conn));
+  if(!mysql_real_connect(mysqlconn, server, user, password, database, 0, NULL, 0))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(mysqlconn));
+      return 1;
+    }
 
-  return *conn;
+  *conn = malloc(sizeof(struct distrend_mysql_con));
+  (*conn)->mysqlconn = mysqlconn;
+  (*conn)->pointlesscheck = SEVENTY_FIVE;
+
+  return 0;
 }
 
-MYSQL_RES mysqlQuery(MYSQL *conn, char *query){
-  if (mysql_query(conn, query))
-     fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(conn));
-
-  MYSQL_RES *result;
-  result = mysql_use_result(conn);
-  return *result;
-}
+int mysqlDisconnect(distrend_mysql_con_t conn)
+{
+  /**
+     check if this handle is valid
+   */
+  if(conn->pointlesscheck != SEVENTY_FIVE)
+    fprintf(stderr, "warning, I was passed a bad struct distrend_mysql_con...\n");
 
-// Check if connection is alive, reconnect if broken.
-int mysqlPing(MYSQL *conn){
-  if(mysql_ping(conn)){
-    fprintf(stderr, "MySQL Connection broken, attempting reconnection...");
-    return 1;
-  }
-  else
-    return 0; // Connection is still alive
+  /**
+     invalidate handle :-D
+   */
+  conn->pointlesscheck ++;
+
+  mysql_close(conn->mysqlconn);
+  free(conn);
+
+  return 0;
 }
 
 
+distrend_mysql_result_t mysqlQuery(distrend_mysql_con_t conn, char *query)
+{
+  MYSQL_RES *result;
+  distrend_mysql_result_t distrenresult;
+
+  /**
+     pointless sanity check
+  */
+  if(conn->pointlesscheck != SEVENTY_FIVE)
+    fprintf(stderr, "warning, I was passed a bad struct distrend_mysql_con...\n");
+  
+  /** make sure that connection is still alive
+   */
+  if(mysql_ping(conn->mysqlconn))
+    fprintf(stderr, "MySQL Connection _was_ broken or may be broken, I'm not sure exactly what this return value means\n");
+
+  if (mysql_query(conn->mysqlconn, query))
+     fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mysql_error(conn->mysqlconn));
+
+  result = mysql_use_result(conn->mysqlconn);
+
+  distrenresult = malloc(sizeof(struct distrend_mysql_result));
+  return distrenresult;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/server/mysql.h b/src/server/mysql.h
--- a/src/server/mysql.h
+++ b/src/server/mysql.h
@@ -22,10 +22,31 @@
 #ifndef MYSQL_H_
 #define MYSQL_H_
 
-#include <mysql/mysql.h>
+struct distrend_mysql_con;
+struct distrend_mysql_result;
+
+typedef struct distrend_mysql_con *distrend_mysql_con_t;
+typedef struct distrend_mysql_restul *distrend_mysql_result_t;
+
+/**
+   initiates a MySQL connection
+   @param conn, pointer will be set to the struct
+   @return 0 on success
+ */
+int mysqlConnect(distrend_mysql_con_t *conn);
 
-MYSQL mysqlConnect();
-MYSQL_RES mysqlQuery(MYSQL *conn, char *query);
-int mysqlPing(MYSQL *conn);
+/**
+   cleans and disconnects MySQL connection
+   @param conn connection to clean
+   @return 0 onh success
+*/
+int mysqlDiscconnect(distrend_mysql_con_t conn);
+
+/**
+   performs mysql query.
+   errors will be logged to the user by this function.
+   @return pointer to query handle on success, NULL on failure
+ */
+distrend_mysql_result_t mysqlQuery(struct distrend_mysql_con *conn, char *query);
 
 #endif /* MYSQL_H_ */