diff --git a/CouchDB.cabal b/CouchDB.cabal
--- a/CouchDB.cabal
+++ b/CouchDB.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:           CouchDB
-Version:        0.8.0.1
+Version:        0.8.0.2
 Cabal-Version:	>= 1.2.4
 Copyright:      Copyright (c) 2008 Arjun Guha and Brendan Hickey
 License:        BSD3
diff --git a/src/Database/CouchDB.hs b/src/Database/CouchDB.hs
--- a/src/Database/CouchDB.hs
+++ b/src/Database/CouchDB.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
   , newDoc
   , updateDoc
   , deleteDoc
+  , forceDeleteDoc
+  , getDocPrim
   , getDoc
   , getAndUpdateDoc
   , getAllDocIds
@@ -98,6 +100,19 @@
     otherwise -> 
       error $ "updateDoc error.\n" ++ (show r) ++ rspBody r
 
+
+-- |Delete a doc by document identifier (revision number not needed).  This
+-- operation first retreives the document to get its revision number.  It fails
+-- if the document doesn't exist or there is a conflict.
+forceDeleteDoc :: String -- ^ database
+               -> String -- ^ document identifier
+               -> CouchMonad Bool
+forceDeleteDoc db doc = do
+  r <- getDocPrim db doc
+  case r of
+    Just (id,rev,_) -> deleteDoc db (id,rev)
+    Nothing -> return False
+
 deleteDoc :: String  -- ^database
           -> (JSString,JSString) -- ^document and revision
           -> CouchMonad Bool
@@ -141,6 +156,24 @@
         val -> fail $ "error parsing: " ++ encode (toJSObject result)
     (4,0,4) -> return Nothing -- doc does not exist
     otherwise -> error (show r)
+
+-- |Gets a document as a raw JSON value.  Returns the document id,
+-- revision and value as a 'JSObject'.  These fields are queried lazily,
+-- and may fail later if the response from the server is malformed.
+getDocPrim :: String -- ^database name
+           -> String -- ^document name
+           -> CouchMonad (Maybe (JSString,JSString,[(String,JSValue)]))
+           -- ^'Nothing' if the document does not exist.
+getDocPrim db doc = do
+  r <- request' (db ++ "/" ++ doc) GET
+  case rspCode r of
+    (2,0,0) -> do
+      let obj = couchResponse (rspBody r)
+      let ~(JSString rev) = fromJust $ lookup "_rev" obj
+      let ~(JSString id) = fromJust $ lookup "_id" obj
+      return $ Just (id,rev,obj)
+    (4,0,4) -> return Nothing -- doc does not exist
+    code -> fail $ "getDocPrim: " ++ show code ++ " error"
 
 getAndUpdateDoc :: (JSON a)
                 => String -- ^database
diff --git a/src/Database/CouchDB/HTTP.hs b/src/Database/CouchDB/HTTP.hs
--- a/src/Database/CouchDB/HTTP.hs
+++ b/src/Database/CouchDB/HTTP.hs
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@
     let (CouchMonad m') = k a
     m' conn'
 
+  fail msg = CouchMonad $ \conn -> do
+    errorM "couchdb" msg
+    fail "internal error"   
+
 instance MonadIO CouchMonad where
 
   liftIO m = CouchMonad $ \conn -> m >>= \a -> return (a,conn)
@@ -86,13 +90,9 @@
   liftIO $ debugM "couchdb.http" $ concat [show url," ", show method]
   response <- liftIO $ sendHTTP conn (Request url method allHeaders body)
   case response of
-    Left ErrorClosed -> do
-      liftIO $ errorM "couchdb.http" "connection closed; reopening"
-      reopenConnection
-      request path query method headers body
     Left connErr -> do
-      liftIO $ errorM "couchdb.http" ("send failed: " ++ show connErr)
-      fail (show connErr)
+      liftIO $ errorM "couchdb.http" ("request failed: " ++ show connErr)
+      fail "server error"
     Right response -> return response
 
 runCouchDB :: String -- ^hostname
diff --git a/src/Database/CouchDB/JSON.hs b/src/Database/CouchDB/JSON.hs
--- a/src/Database/CouchDB/JSON.hs
+++ b/src/Database/CouchDB/JSON.hs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   , jsonObject
   , jsonField
   , jsonBool
+  , jsonIsTrue
   ) where
 
 import Text.JSON
@@ -36,3 +37,8 @@
   Just v -> readJSON v
   Nothing -> fail $ "could not find the field " ++ field
 
+-- |'True' when the field is defined and is true.  Otherwise, 'False'.
+jsonIsTrue :: String -> [(String,JSValue)] -> Result Bool
+jsonIsTrue field obj = case lookup field obj of
+  Just (JSBool True) -> return True
+  otherwise -> return False