diff --git a/exec/totemsrp.c b/exec/totemsrp.c
index 07c08e57..2eb3f772 100644
--- a/exec/totemsrp.c
+++ b/exec/totemsrp.c
@@ -968,9 +968,11 @@ void deliver_messages_from_recovery_to_regular (void)
 	void *ptr;
 	struct mcast *mcast;
 
+printf ("recovery to regular %d-%d\n", 1, my_aru);
 	/*
 	 * Move messages from recovery to regular sort queue
 	 */
+// todo should i be initialized to 0 or 1 ?
 	for (i = 1; i <= my_aru; i++) {
 		res = sq_item_get (&recovery_sort_queue, i, &ptr);
 		if (res != 0) {
@@ -1016,6 +1018,8 @@ static void memb_state_operational_enter (void)
 
 	deliver_messages_from_recovery_to_regular ();
 
+	printf ("Delivering to app %d to %d\n",
+		my_old_high_seq_delivered, my_high_ring_delivered);
 	messages_deliver_to_app (0, &my_old_high_seq_delivered, my_high_ring_delivered);
 
 	/*
@@ -1071,6 +1075,8 @@ static void memb_state_operational_enter (void)
 	my_failed_list_entries = 0;
 // TODO the recovery messages are leaked
 
+	my_old_high_seq_delivered = 0;
+
 	totemsrp_log_printf (totemsrp_log_level_notice, "entering OPERATIONAL state.\n");
 	memb_state = MEMB_STATE_OPERATIONAL;
 	return;
@@ -1273,7 +1279,9 @@ j++;
 	my_seq_unchanged = 0;
 	my_high_seq_received = 0;
 	my_install_seq = 0;
-	my_old_high_seq_delivered = my_high_seq_delivered;
+	if (my_old_high_seq_delivered == 0) {
+		my_old_high_seq_delivered = my_high_seq_delivered;
+	}
 
 	totemsrp_log_printf (totemsrp_log_level_notice, "entering RECOVERY state.\n");
 	reset_token_timeout (); // REVIEWED
@@ -2424,7 +2432,14 @@ static void memb_ring_id_store (
 
 	fd = open (filename, O_WRONLY, 0777);
 	if (fd == -1) {
-		printf ("Couldn't store the ring id %s\n", strerror (errno));
+		fd = open (filename, O_CREAT|O_RDWR, 0777);
+	}
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		totemsrp_log_printf (totemsrp_log_level_notice,
+			"Couldn't store new ring id %llx to stable storage (%s)\n",
+				commit_token->ring_id.seq, strerror (errno));
+		assert (0);
+		return;
 	}
 	totemsrp_log_printf (totemsrp_log_level_notice,
 		"Storing new sequence id for ring %d\n", commit_token->ring_id.seq);
@@ -2557,6 +2572,8 @@ static int message_handler_orf_token (
 	int forward_token;
 	int mcasted;
 	int last_aru;
+	int low_water;
+
 #ifdef GIVEINFO
 	struct timeval tv_current;
 	struct timeval tv_diff;
@@ -2713,8 +2730,12 @@ if (random () % 100 < 10) {
 				 * has recovered all messages it can recover
 				 * (ie: its retrans queue is empty)
 				 */
+				low_water = my_aru;
+				if (low_water > my_last_aru) {
+					low_water = my_last_aru;
+				}
 				if (queue_is_empty (&retrans_message_queue) == 0 ||
-					my_aru != my_high_seq_received) {
+					low_water != my_high_seq_received) {
 
 					if (token->retrans_flg == 0) {
 						token->retrans_flg = 1;
@@ -2724,8 +2745,10 @@ if (random () % 100 < 10) {
 				if (token->retrans_flg == 1 && my_set_retrans_flg) {
 					token->retrans_flg = 0;
 				}
-printf ("token retrans flag is %d my set retrans flag%d retrans queue empty %d count %d\n",
-	token->retrans_flg, my_set_retrans_flg, queue_is_empty (&retrans_message_queue), my_retrans_flg_count);
+printf ("token retrans flag is %d my set retrans flag%d retrans queue empty %d count %d, low_water %d aru %d\n", 
+	token->retrans_flg, my_set_retrans_flg,
+	queue_is_empty (&retrans_message_queue), my_retrans_flg_count,
+	low_water, token->aru);
 				if (token->retrans_flg == 0) { 
 					my_retrans_flg_count += 1;
 				} else {
@@ -2744,10 +2767,14 @@ my_high_seq_received);
 				}
 				if (my_retrans_flg_count >= 3 && token->aru >= my_install_seq) {
 					my_rotation_counter += 1;
+				} else {
+					my_rotation_counter = 0;
 				}
 				if (my_rotation_counter == 2) {
-printf ("retrans flag count %d token aru %d install seq %d aru %d %d\n", my_retrans_flg_count,
-	token->aru, my_install_seq, my_aru, token->seq);
+				printf ("retrans flag count %d token aru %d install seq %d aru %d %d\n",
+					my_retrans_flg_count, token->aru, my_install_seq,
+					my_aru, token->seq);
+
 					memb_state_operational_enter ();
 					my_rotation_counter = 0;
 					my_retrans_flg_count = 0;
@@ -3236,7 +3263,9 @@ if (random()%100 < 10) {
 			break;
 
 		case MEMB_STATE_COMMIT:
-			 if (memb_commit_token->ring_id.seq == my_ring_id.seq) {
+			if (memcmp (&memb_commit_token->ring_id, &my_ring_id,
+				sizeof (struct memb_ring_id)) == 0) {
+//			 if (memb_commit_token->ring_id.seq == my_ring_id.seq) {
 				memb_state_recovery_enter (memb_commit_token);
 			}
 			break;