diff --git a/hriemann.cabal b/hriemann.cabal
--- a/hriemann.cabal
+++ b/hriemann.cabal
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 02c6f9cc6fa0ddb8bf2db0ae03e66a26f59d2620504af25e742ac84f44752bbf
+-- hash: 27fb5d42fe1036839a8e668517e27953974a2b64365c4f7be64b9ad838268da7
 
 name:           hriemann
-version:        0.3.3.1
+version:        0.3.3.2
 synopsis:       A Riemann Client for Haskell
 description:    A Riemann Client for Haskell
 category:       Monitoring
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
     , protocol-buffers
     , protocol-buffers-descriptor
     , scientific
+    , stm
     , text
     , time
     , unagi-chan
diff --git a/src/Network/Monitoring/Riemann/TCP.hs b/src/Network/Monitoring/Riemann/TCP.hs
--- a/src/Network/Monitoring/Riemann/TCP.hs
+++ b/src/Network/Monitoring/Riemann/TCP.hs
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@
   , Port
   ) where
 
-import Control.Concurrent (MVar, newMVar, putMVar, takeMVar)
-import Control.Exception (try)
+import Control.Concurrent.STM (atomically)
+import Control.Concurrent.STM.TVar (TVar, newTVarIO, readTVarIO, writeTVar)
+import Control.Exception (IOException, try)
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import qualified Data.Binary.Put as Put
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BS
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as BC
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@
   , _status :: TCPStatus
   }
 
-type TCPConnection = MVar ClientInfo
+type TCPConnection = TVar ClientInfo
 
 data TCPStatus
   = CnxClosed
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@
 tcpConnection :: HostName -> Port -> IO TCPConnection
 tcpConnection _hostname _port = do
   clientInfo <- doConnect $ ClientInfo {_status = CnxClosed, ..}
-  newMVar clientInfo
+  newTVarIO clientInfo
 
 doConnect :: ClientInfo -> IO ClientInfo
 doConnect clientInfo@(_status -> CnxOpen _) = pure clientInfo
@@ -117,23 +119,25 @@
 sendMsg client msg = go True
   where
     go reconnect = do
-      clientInfo <- takeMVar client
+      putStrLn $ "SENDING " <> show reconnect
+      clientInfo <- readTVarIO client
       case (_status clientInfo, reconnect) of
-        (CnxClosed, True) -> pure $ Left msg
-        (CnxClosed, False) -> do
+        (CnxClosed, True) -> do
           newInfo <- doConnect clientInfo
-          putMVar client newInfo
+          atomically $ writeTVar client newInfo
           go False
+        (CnxClosed, False) -> pure $ Left msg
         (CnxOpen (s, _), _) -> do
-          NSB.sendAll s $ msgToByteString msg
-          bs <- NSB.recv s 4096
-          case decodeMsg bs of
-            Right m -> do
-              putMVar client clientInfo
-              pure $ Right m
+          response <-
+            first (show :: IOException -> String) <$>
+            try
+              (do NSB.sendAll s $ msgToByteString msg
+                  NSB.recv s 4096)
+          case decodeMsg =<< response of
             Left _ -> do
-              putMVar client (clientInfo {_status = CnxClosed})
+              atomically $ writeTVar client (clientInfo {_status = CnxClosed})
               pure $ Left msg
+            Right m -> pure $ Right m
 
 {-|
     Send a list of Riemann events