diff --git a/SparkleLib/SparkleHelpers.cs b/SparkleLib/SparkleHelpers.cs
index 741648d7..86fa20c8 100755
--- a/SparkleLib/SparkleHelpers.cs
+++ b/SparkleLib/SparkleHelpers.cs
@@ -65,10 +65,19 @@ namespace SparkleLib {
                 string [] files = Directory .GetFiles(path);
 
                 foreach (string file in files)
-                    File.SetAttributes (file, FileAttributes.Normal);
+                    if (!IsSymlink (file))
+                        File.SetAttributes (file, FileAttributes.Normal);
             }
         }
 
+        // Check if a file is a symbolic link
+        public static bool IsSymlink (string file)
+        {
+            FileAttributes attr = File.GetAttributes (file);
+
+            return ((attr & FileAttributes.ReparsePoint) ==
+                    FileAttributes.ReparsePoint);
+        }
 
         // Converts a UNIX timestamp to a more usable time object
         public static DateTime UnixTimestampToDateTime (int timestamp)
diff --git a/SparkleLib/SparkleListenerTcp.cs b/SparkleLib/SparkleListenerTcp.cs
index ee82127a..15274b9b 100755
--- a/SparkleLib/SparkleListenerTcp.cs
+++ b/SparkleLib/SparkleListenerTcp.cs
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ namespace SparkleLib {
                         
                     } catch (SocketException e) {
                         SparkleHelpers.DebugInfo ("ListenerTcp", "Could not connect to " + Server + ": " + e.Message);
+
+                        OnDisconnected ();
                     }
                 })
             );
@@ -132,8 +134,14 @@ namespace SparkleLib {
 
                     string to_send = "subscribe " + folder_identifier + "\n";
 
-                    lock (this.mutex) {
-                        this.socket.Send (Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes (to_send));
+                    try {
+
+                        lock (this.mutex) {
+                            this.socket.Send (Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes (to_send));
+                        }
+                    } catch (SocketException e) {
+                      SparkleHelpers.DebugInfo ("ListenerTcp", "Could not connect to " + Server + ": " + e.Message);
+                      OnDisconnected ();
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -145,8 +153,15 @@ namespace SparkleLib {
             string to_send = "announce " + announcement.FolderIdentifier
                 + " " + announcement.Message + "\n";
 
-            lock (this.mutex) {
-                this.socket.Send (Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes (to_send));
+            try {
+
+                lock (this.mutex) {
+                    this.socket.Send (Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes (to_send));
+                }
+            } catch (SocketException e) {
+              SparkleHelpers.DebugInfo ("ListenerTcp", "Could not connect to " + Server + ": " + e.Message);
+
+              OnDisconnected ();
             }
         }