diff --git a/Control/Workflow/Binary/BinDefs.hs b/Control/Workflow/Binary/BinDefs.hs
--- a/Control/Workflow/Binary/BinDefs.hs
+++ b/Control/Workflow/Binary/BinDefs.hs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
   get = get >>= \(_ :: String) -> return $ unsafePerformIO .  forkIO $ return ()
 
 
-instance Binary a => Binary (WFRef a) where
+instance Binary (WFRef a) where
   put (WFRef n ref)= do
      put n
      put $ keyObjDBRef ref
diff --git a/Control/Workflow/IDynamic.hs b/Control/Workflow/IDynamic.hs
--- a/Control/Workflow/IDynamic.hs
+++ b/Control/Workflow/IDynamic.hs
@@ -35,9 +35,7 @@
 import Data.Map as M(empty)
 import Control.Workflow.GenSerializer
 import Data.HashTable as HT
---import Debug.Trace
 
---a !> b = trace b a
 
 
 
diff --git a/Control/Workflow/Text.hs b/Control/Workflow/Text.hs
--- a/Control/Workflow/Text.hs
+++ b/Control/Workflow/Text.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE
-              OverlappingInstances
+{-# LANGUAGE  OverlappingInstances
             , UndecidableInstances
             , ExistentialQuantification
             , ScopedTypeVariables
@@ -59,16 +58,15 @@
 , WorkflowList
 , PMonadTrans (..)
 , MonadCatchIO (..)
-
 , throw
 , Indexable(..)
-, MonadIO(..)
 -- * Start/restart workflows
 , start
 , exec
 , exec1d
 , exec1
 , wfExec
+, startWF
 , restartWorkflows
 , WFErrors(..)
 -- * Lifting to the Workflow monad
@@ -83,6 +81,7 @@
 , readWFRef
 , writeWFRef
 -- * Workflow inspect
+, waitWFActive
 , getAll
 , safeFromIDyn
 , getWFKeys
@@ -95,12 +94,15 @@
 -- * Trace logging
 , logWF
 -- * Termination of workflows
+, clearRunningFlag
 , killThreadWF
 , killWF
 , delWF
 , killThreadWF1
 , killWF1
 , delWF1
+, delWFHistory
+, delWFHistory1
 -- * Log writing policy
 , syncWrite
 , SyncMode(..)
@@ -112,4 +114,5 @@
 import Control.Workflow.Text.TextDefs
 
 #include "Workflow.inc.hs"
+
 
diff --git a/Control/Workflow/Text/TextDefs.hs b/Control/Workflow/Text/TextDefs.hs
--- a/Control/Workflow/Text/TextDefs.hs
+++ b/Control/Workflow/Text/TextDefs.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import Control.Concurrent
 import Data.TCache
 
+
 instance Serialize a => Serializer ST ST a where
   serial     = showp
   deserial   = readp
@@ -34,7 +35,6 @@
 
 
 instance Serialize IDynamic where
-
 
    showp (IDyn t)=
     case unsafePerformIO $ readIORef t of
diff --git a/Control/Workflow/Workflow.inc.hs b/Control/Workflow/Workflow.inc.hs
--- a/Control/Workflow/Workflow.inc.hs
+++ b/Control/Workflow/Workflow.inc.hs
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@
 import Control.Workflow.IDynamic
 import Unsafe.Coerce
 import Control.Workflow.Stat
-
+--
 --import Debug.Trace
 --a !> b= trace b a
 
 
-type Workflow m l= WF  Stat  m l  -- not so scary
+type Workflow m = WF  Stat  m   -- not so scary
 
 type WorkflowList m a b= [(String,  a -> Workflow m  b) ]
 
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@
             let sref = getDBRef $ key s''
             s'<- liftIO . atomically $ do
               s <- if isControl
-                     then readDBRef  sref  >>= justify ("step: readDBRef: not found:" ++ keyObjDBRef sref)
+                     then readDBRef  sref  >>= unjustify ("step: readDBRef: not found:" ++ keyObjDBRef sref)
                      else return s''
               let versionss= versions s
               let dynx=  toIDyn x'
@@ -392,8 +392,8 @@
             liftIO syncIt
             return (s', x') )
 
-justify str Nothing = error str
-justify _ (Just x) = return x
+unjustify str Nothing = error str
+unjustify _ (Just x) = return x
 
 
 
@@ -402,14 +402,13 @@
 -- | the programmer has to handle inconsistencies in the workflow state
 -- | using `killWF` or `delWF` in case of exception.
 start
-    :: (Monad m
+    :: ( Monad m
        , MonadIO m
        , Indexable a
        , TwoSerializer w r a b
        , Typeable a
-       , Indexable b
        , Typeable b)
-    => String                       -- ^ name thar identifies the workflow.
+    => String                        -- ^ name thar identifies the workflow.
     -> (a -> Workflow m b)           -- ^ workflow to execute
     -> a                             -- ^ initial value (ever use the initial value for restarting the workflow)
     -> m  (Either WFErrors b)        -- ^ result of the computation
@@ -417,8 +416,7 @@
       ei <- getState  namewf f1 v
       case ei of
           Right (name, f, stat) ->
-            --to reify the first Dynamic obhect
-            runWF name (f  . fromIDyn . Prelude.head $ versions stat) stat  >>= return  .  Right
+            runWF name (f  v) stat  >>= return  .  Right
 
           Left error -> return $  Left  error
 
@@ -456,7 +454,7 @@
                getStateSTM
        Just(Running map) ->  do
          let key= keyWF namewf  v
-         let stat1= stat0{wfName= key , versions= [toIDyn v]}
+         let stat1= stat0{wfName= key,versions=[toIDyn v]}
          case M.lookup key map of
            Nothing -> do                        -- no workflow started for this object
              mythread <- unsafeIOToSTM $ myThreadId
@@ -484,7 +482,7 @@
 runWF :: (Monad m,MonadIO m
          , DynSerializer w r b, Typeable b)
          =>  String ->  Workflow m b -> Stat  -> m  b
-runWF n f  s= do
+runWF n f s= do
    sync <- liftIO $!  do
           (sync,_) <-  atomically $ readTVar  tvSyncWrite
           when (sync ==Synchronous)  syncCache
@@ -501,6 +499,21 @@
       Just(Running map) <-  readDBRef tvRunningWfs
       writeDBRef tvRunningWfs . Running $ M.delete   n   map -- `debug` "clearFromRunningList"
 
+-- | start or continue a workflow  from a list of workflows in the IO monad with exception handling. The excepton is returned as a Left value
+startWF
+    ::  ( MonadIO m
+        , TwoSerializer w r a b
+        , Typeable a
+        , Indexable a
+        , Typeable b)
+    =>  String                        -- ^ name of workflow in the workflow list
+    -> a                             -- ^ initial value (ever use the initial value even to restart the workflow)
+    -> WorkflowList m  a b              -- ^ function to execute
+    -> m (Either WFErrors b)        -- ^  result of the computation
+startWF namewf v wfs=
+   case Prelude.lookup namewf wfs of
+     Nothing -> return $ Left NotFound
+     Just f -> start namewf f v
 
 -- | re-start the non finished workflows in the list, for all the initial values that they may have been called
 restartWorkflows
@@ -591,6 +604,15 @@
 getWFHistory :: (Indexable a, DynSerializer w r a) => String -> a -> IO (Maybe Stat)
 getWFHistory wfname x=  getResource stat0{wfName=  keyWF wfname  x}
 
+waitWFActive wf= do
+      r <- threadWF wf
+      case r of        -- wait for change in the wofkflow state
+            Just (_, Nothing) -> retry
+            _ -> return ()
+      where
+      threadWF wf= do
+               Just(Running map) <-  readDBRef tvRunningWfs
+               return $ M.lookup wf map
 
 
 -- | kill the executing thread if not killed, but not its state.
@@ -645,6 +667,13 @@
     Nothing -> return()
     Just (Running map) -> do
       atomically . writeDBRef tvRunningWfs . Running $! M.delete   name   map
+      delWFHistory1 name
+
+delWFHistory name1 x= do
+      let name= keyWF name1 x
+      delWFHistory1 name
+
+delWFHistory1 name =
       atomically . withSTMResources [] $ const resources{  toDelete= [stat0{wfName= name}] }
 
 -- | a version of `delWF` for workflows started wit no parameter by `exec1`
@@ -665,8 +694,8 @@
     Nothing  ->
       return (map, Nothing)
 
--- | Return the the workflow reference to the last logged result , usually, the last result stored by `step`.
--- wiorkflow references can be can be accessed (to its content) outside of the workflow
+-- | Return the reference to the last logged result , usually, the last result stored by `step`.
+-- wiorkflow references can be accessed outside of the workflow
 -- . They also can be (de)serialized.
 --
 -- WARNING getWFRef can produce  casting errors  when the type demanded
@@ -894,5 +923,4 @@
                   | otherwise  = fromIntegral $  delta
         threadDelay $ delay  * 1000000
         if delta <= 0 then   return () else wait $  delta - (fromIntegral delay )
-
 
diff --git a/Demos/sequence.hs b/Demos/sequence.hs
--- a/Demos/sequence.hs
+++ b/Demos/sequence.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 module Main where
-import Control.Workflow.Binary
+import Control.Workflow.Text
 import Control.Concurrent(threadDelay)
 import System.IO (hFlush,stdout)
 
diff --git a/Workflow.cabal b/Workflow.cabal
--- a/Workflow.cabal
+++ b/Workflow.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: Workflow
-version: 0.5.8.0
+version: 0.5.8.1
 
 build-type: Simple
 license: BSD3
@@ -35,8 +35,12 @@
              .
              New in this release,
                   .
-                  * registerType is no longer needed
+                  * 0.5.8.1 solved a bug that caused a "casting failure"
                   .
+                  * 0.5.8:
+                  .
+                  *registerType is no longer needed
+                  .
                   * Configurable state persistence (for example, in databases) . Default in files
                   .
                   * Added Data.Binary  serialization (Use `Control.Workflow.Binary`) besides Text serialization  (`Control.Wokflow.Text`)
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@
                  .
                  * Persisten communications facilities trough persistent data objects, inspection of workflow states ,  persistent  queues, persistent timeouts and, new in this release, References to internal workflow objects WFRef's
                  .
-                 * workflow management and monitoriing, view workflow history and intermediate results.
+                 * workflow management and monitoring, view workflow history and intermediate results.