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;
+}
+