diff --git a/Network/Mail/SMTP.hs b/Network/Mail/SMTP.hs
--- a/Network/Mail/SMTP.hs
+++ b/Network/Mail/SMTP.hs
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@
 import Network.Mail.Mime hiding (simpleMail)
 
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as BS
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as B
-import qualified Data.ByteString as S
+import qualified Data.ByteString as B
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B8
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BL
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as TL
 import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as TL
@@ -80,100 +80,119 @@
 tryCommand :: Int -> SMTPConnection -> Command -> ReplyCode
            -> IO ByteString
 tryCommand tries st cmd expectedReply = do
-    (code, msg) <- sendCommand st cmd
-    if code == expectedReply 
+    (code, msg) <- tryCommandNoFail tries st cmd expectedReply
+    if code == expectedReply
       then return msg
-      else if tries > 1
-        then tryCommand (tries - 1) st cmd expectedReply
-        else do
-          closeSMTP st
-          fail $ "Unexpected reply to: " ++ show cmd ++ 
-            ", Expected reply code: " ++ show expectedReply ++
-            ", Got this instead: " ++ show code ++ " " ++ show msg
+      else do
+        closeSMTP st
+        fail $ "Unexpected reply to: " ++ show cmd ++
+          ", Expected reply code: " ++ show expectedReply ++
+          ", Got this instead: " ++ show code ++ " " ++ show msg
 
+tryCommandNoFail :: Int -> SMTPConnection -> Command -> ReplyCode
+                 -> IO (ReplyCode, ByteString)
+tryCommandNoFail tries st cmd expectedReply = do
+  (code, msg) <- sendCommand st cmd
+  if code == expectedReply
+    then return (code, msg)
+    else if tries > 1
+      then tryCommandNoFail (tries - 1) st cmd expectedReply
+      else return (code, msg)
+
 -- | Create an 'SMTPConnection' from an already connected Handle
 connectStream :: Handle -> IO SMTPConnection
-connectStream st =
-    do (code1, _) <- parseResponse st
-       unless (code1 == 220) $
-              do hClose st
-                 fail "cannot connect to the server"
-       senderHost <- getHostName
-       msg <- tryCommand 3 (SMTPC st []) (EHLO $ BS.pack senderHost) 250
-       return (SMTPC st (tail $ BS.lines msg))
+connectStream st = do
+    (code1, _) <- parseResponse st
+    unless (code1 == 220) $ do
+        hClose st
+        fail "cannot connect to the server"
+    senderHost <- getHostName
+    (code, initialMsg) <- tryCommandNoFail 3 (SMTPC st []) (EHLO $ B8.pack senderHost) 250
+    if code == 250
+      then return (SMTPC st (tail $ B8.lines initialMsg))
+      else do -- EHLO failed, try HELO
+        msg <- tryCommand 3 (SMTPC st []) (HELO $ B8.pack senderHost) 250
+        return (SMTPC st (tail $ B8.lines msg))
 
 parseResponse :: Handle -> IO (ReplyCode, ByteString)
-parseResponse st =
-    do (code, bdy) <- readLines
-       return (read $ BS.unpack code, BS.unlines bdy)
-    where readLines =
-              do l <- BS.hGetLine st
-                 let (c, bdy) = BS.span isDigit l
-                 if not (BS.null bdy) && BS.head bdy == '-'
-                    then do (c2, ls) <- readLines
-                            return (c2, BS.tail bdy:ls)
-                    else return (c, [BS.tail bdy])
+parseResponse st = do
+    (code, bdy) <- readLines
+    return (read $ B8.unpack code, B8.unlines bdy)
+  where
+    readLines = do
+        l <- B8.hGetLine st
+        let (c, bdy) = B8.span isDigit l
+        if not (B8.null bdy) && B8.head bdy == '-'
+           then do (c2, ls) <- readLines
+                   return (c2, B8.tail bdy:ls)
+           else return (c, [B8.tail bdy])
 
 
 -- | Send a 'Command' to the SMTP server
 sendCommand :: SMTPConnection -> Command -> IO (ReplyCode, ByteString)
-sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (DATA dat) =
-    do bsPutCrLf conn "DATA"
-       (code, _) <- parseResponse conn
-       unless (code == 354) $ fail "this server cannot accept any data."
-       mapM_ sendLine $ split dat
-       sendLine dot
-       parseResponse conn
-    where 
-      sendLine = bsPutCrLf conn
-      split = map (padDot . stripCR) . BS.lines
-      -- remove \r at the end of a line
-      stripCR s = if cr `BS.isSuffixOf` s then BS.init s else s
-      -- duplicate . at the start of a line
-      padDot s = if dot `BS.isPrefixOf` s then dot <> s else s
-      cr = BS.pack "\r"
-      dot = BS.pack "."
 
+sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (DATA dat) = do
+    bsPutCrLf conn "DATA"
+    (code, _) <- parseResponse conn
+    unless (code == 354) $ fail "this server cannot accept any data."
+    mapM_ sendLine $ split dat
+    sendLine dot
+    parseResponse conn
+  where
+    sendLine = bsPutCrLf conn
+    split = map (padDot . stripCR) . B8.lines
+    -- remove \r at the end of a line
+    stripCR s = if cr `B8.isSuffixOf` s then B8.init s else s
+    -- duplicate . at the start of a line
+    padDot s = if dot `B8.isPrefixOf` s then dot <> s else s
+    cr = B8.pack "\r"
+    dot = B8.pack "."
 
-sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (AUTH LOGIN username password) =
-    do bsPutCrLf conn command
-       _ <- parseResponse conn
-       bsPutCrLf conn userB64
-       _ <- parseResponse conn
-       bsPutCrLf conn passB64
-       (code, msg) <- parseResponse conn
-       unless (code == 235) $ fail "authentication failed."
-       return (code, msg)
-    where command = "AUTH LOGIN"
-          (userB64, passB64) = encodeLogin username password
-sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (AUTH at username password) =
-    do bsPutCrLf conn command
-       (code, msg) <- parseResponse conn
-       unless (code == 334) $ fail "authentication failed."
-       bsPutCrLf conn $ auth at (BS.unpack msg) username password
-       parseResponse conn
-    where command = BS.pack $ unwords ["AUTH", show at]
-sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) meth =
-    do bsPutCrLf conn command
-       parseResponse conn
-    where command = case meth of
-                      (HELO param) -> "HELO " <> param
-                      (EHLO param) -> "EHLO " <> param
-                      (MAIL param) -> "MAIL FROM:<" <> param <> ">"
-                      (RCPT param) -> "RCPT TO:<" <> param <> ">"
-                      (EXPN param) -> "EXPN " <> param
-                      (VRFY param) -> "VRFY " <> param
-                      (HELP msg)   -> if BS.null msg
-                                        then "HELP\r\n"
-                                        else "HELP " <> msg
-                      NOOP         -> "NOOP"
-                      RSET         -> "RSET"
-                      QUIT         -> "QUIT"
-                      DATA{}       -> 
-                          error "BUG: DATA pattern should be matched by sendCommand patterns"
-                      AUTH{}       ->
-                          error "BUG: AUTH pattern should be matched by sendCommand patterns"
+sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (AUTH LOGIN username password) = do
+    bsPutCrLf conn command
+    _ <- parseResponse conn
+    bsPutCrLf conn userB64
+    _ <- parseResponse conn
+    bsPutCrLf conn passB64
+    (code, msg) <- parseResponse conn
+    unless (code == 235) $ fail "authentication failed."
+    return (code, msg)
+  where
+    command = "AUTH LOGIN"
+    (userB64, passB64) = encodeLogin username password
 
+sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) (AUTH at username password) = do
+    bsPutCrLf conn command
+    (code, msg) <- parseResponse conn
+    unless (code == 334) $ fail "authentication failed."
+    bsPutCrLf conn $ auth at (B8.unpack msg) username password
+    parseResponse conn
+  where
+    command = B8.pack $ unwords ["AUTH", show at]
+
+sendCommand (SMTPC conn _) meth = do
+    bsPutCrLf conn command
+    parseResponse conn
+  where
+    command = case meth of
+        (HELO param) -> "HELO " <> param
+        (EHLO param) -> "EHLO " <> param
+        (MAIL param) -> "MAIL FROM:<" <> param <> ">"
+        (RCPT param) -> "RCPT TO:<" <> param <> ">"
+        (EXPN param) -> "EXPN " <> param
+        (VRFY param) -> "VRFY " <> param
+        (HELP msg)   -> if B8.null msg
+                          then "HELP\r\n"
+                          else "HELP " <> msg
+        NOOP         -> "NOOP"
+        RSET         -> "RSET"
+        QUIT         -> "QUIT"
+        DATA{}       ->
+            error "BUG: DATA pattern should be matched by sendCommand patterns"
+        AUTH{}       ->
+            error "BUG: AUTH pattern should be matched by sendCommand patterns"
+
+
 -- | Send 'QUIT' and close the connection.
 closeSMTP :: SMTPConnection -> IO ()
 closeSMTP c@(SMTPC conn _) = sendCommand c QUIT >> hClose conn
@@ -267,14 +286,14 @@
          -> FilePath -- ^ path to file 
          -> IO Part
 filePart ct fp = do
-    content <- B.readFile fp
+    content <- BL.readFile fp
     return $ Part ct Base64 (Just $ T.pack (takeFileName fp)) [] content 
 
-lazyToStrict :: B.ByteString -> S.ByteString
-lazyToStrict = S.concat . B.toChunks
+lazyToStrict :: BL.ByteString -> B.ByteString
+lazyToStrict = B.concat . BL.toChunks
 
-crlf :: BS.ByteString
-crlf = BS.pack "\r\n"
+crlf :: B8.ByteString
+crlf = B8.pack "\r\n"
 
 bsPutCrLf :: Handle -> ByteString -> IO ()
-bsPutCrLf h s = BS.hPut h s >> BS.hPut h crlf >> hFlush h
+bsPutCrLf h s = B8.hPut h s >> B8.hPut h crlf >> hFlush h
diff --git a/Network/Mail/SMTP/Auth.hs b/Network/Mail/SMTP/Auth.hs
--- a/Network/Mail/SMTP/Auth.hs
+++ b/Network/Mail/SMTP/Auth.hs
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@
 type UserName = String
 type Password = String
 
-data AuthType = PLAIN
-              | LOGIN
-              | CRAM_MD5
-                deriving Eq
+data AuthType
+    = PLAIN
+    | LOGIN
+    | CRAM_MD5
+    deriving Eq
 
 instance Show AuthType where
     showsPrec d at = showParen (d>app_prec) $ showString $ showMain at
diff --git a/Network/Mail/SMTP/Types.hs b/Network/Mail/SMTP/Types.hs
--- a/Network/Mail/SMTP/Types.hs
+++ b/Network/Mail/SMTP/Types.hs
@@ -17,42 +17,44 @@
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import Network.Mail.Mime
 
-data Command = HELO ByteString
-             | EHLO ByteString
-             | MAIL ByteString
-             | RCPT ByteString
-             | DATA ByteString
-             | EXPN ByteString
-             | VRFY ByteString
-             | HELP ByteString
-             | AUTH AuthType UserName Password
-             | NOOP
-             | RSET
-             | QUIT
-               deriving (Show, Eq)
+data Command
+    = HELO ByteString
+    | EHLO ByteString
+    | MAIL ByteString
+    | RCPT ByteString
+    | DATA ByteString
+    | EXPN ByteString
+    | VRFY ByteString
+    | HELP ByteString
+    | AUTH AuthType UserName Password
+    | NOOP
+    | RSET
+    | QUIT
+    deriving (Show, Eq)
 
 type ReplyCode = Int
 
-data Response = Ok
-              | SystemStatus
-              | HelpMessage
-              | ServiceReady
-              | ServiceClosing
-              | UserNotLocal
-              | CannotVerify
-              | StartMailInput
-              | ServiceNotAvailable
-              | MailboxUnavailable
-              | ErrorInProcessing
-              | InsufficientSystemStorage
-              | SyntaxError
-              | ParameterError
-              | CommandNotImplemented
-              | BadSequence
-              | ParameterNotImplemented
-              | MailboxUnavailableError
-              | UserNotLocalError
-              | ExceededStorage
-              | MailboxNotAllowed
-              | TransactionFailed
-                deriving (Show, Eq)
+data Response
+    = Ok
+    | SystemStatus
+    | HelpMessage
+    | ServiceReady
+    | ServiceClosing
+    | UserNotLocal
+    | CannotVerify
+    | StartMailInput
+    | ServiceNotAvailable
+    | MailboxUnavailable
+    | ErrorInProcessing
+    | InsufficientSystemStorage
+    | SyntaxError
+    | ParameterError
+    | CommandNotImplemented
+    | BadSequence
+    | ParameterNotImplemented
+    | MailboxUnavailableError
+    | UserNotLocalError
+    | ExceededStorage
+    | MailboxNotAllowed
+    | TransactionFailed
+    deriving (Show, Eq)
diff --git a/smtp-mail.cabal b/smtp-mail.cabal
--- a/smtp-mail.cabal
+++ b/smtp-mail.cabal
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 -- documentation, see http://haskell.org/cabal/users-guide/
 
 name:                smtp-mail
-version:             0.1.4.3
+version:             0.1.4.4
 synopsis:            Simple email sending via SMTP
 -- description:         
 homepage:            http://github.com/jhickner/smtp-mail