diff --git a/src/bin/client-demo.rs b/src/bin/client-demo.rs
index 8626f7b138..e8b5124598 100644
--- a/src/bin/client-demo.rs
+++ b/src/bin/client-demo.rs
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ use atty::{is, Stream};
 use getopts::Options;
 use rayon::prelude::*;
 use solana::crdt::{get_ip_addr, Crdt, ReplicatedData};
+use solana::hash::Hash;
 use solana::mint::MintDemo;
 use solana::ncp::Ncp;
 use solana::signature::{GenKeys, KeyPair, KeyPairUtil};
 use solana::streamer::default_window;
 use solana::thin_client::ThinClient;
+use solana::timing::{duration_as_ms, duration_as_s};
 use solana::transaction::Transaction;
 use std::env;
 use std::fs::File;
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ use std::process::exit;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 use std::thread::sleep;
+use std::thread::Builder;
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use std::time::Instant;
@@ -37,16 +40,118 @@ fn print_usage(program: &str, opts: Options) {
     print!("{}", opts.usage(&brief));
 }
 
+fn sample_tx_count(
+    thread_addr: Arc<RwLock<SocketAddr>>,
+    exit: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    maxes: Arc<RwLock<Vec<(f64, u64)>>>,
+    first_count: u64,
+    v: ReplicatedData,
+    sample_period: u64,
+) {
+    let mut client = mk_client(&thread_addr, &v);
+    let mut now = Instant::now();
+    let mut initial_tx_count = client.transaction_count();
+    let mut max_tps = 0.0;
+    let mut total;
+    loop {
+        let tx_count = client.transaction_count();
+        let duration = now.elapsed();
+        now = Instant::now();
+        let sample = tx_count - initial_tx_count;
+        initial_tx_count = tx_count;
+        println!("{}: Transactions processed {}", v.transactions_addr, sample);
+        let ns = duration.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000 + u64::from(duration.subsec_nanos());
+        let tps = (sample * 1_000_000_000) as f64 / ns as f64;
+        if tps > max_tps {
+            max_tps = tps;
+        }
+        println!("{}: {} tps", v.transactions_addr, tps);
+        total = tx_count - first_count;
+        println!(
+            "{}: Total Transactions processed {}",
+            v.transactions_addr, total
+        );
+        sleep(Duration::new(sample_period, 0));
+
+        if exit.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            println!("exiting validator thread");
+            maxes.write().unwrap().push((max_tps, total));
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn generate_and_send_txs(
+    client: &mut ThinClient,
+    keypair_pairs: &Vec<&[KeyPair]>,
+    leader: &ReplicatedData,
+    txs: i64,
+    last_id: &mut Hash,
+    threads: usize,
+    client_addr: Arc<RwLock<SocketAddr>>,
+) {
+    println!(
+        "Signing transactions... {} {}",
+        keypair_pairs.len(),
+        keypair_pairs[0].len()
+    );
+    let signing_start = Instant::now();
+    let transactions: Vec<_> = keypair_pairs
+        .par_iter()
+        .map(|chunk| Transaction::new(&chunk[0], chunk[1].pubkey(), 1, *last_id))
+        .collect();
+
+    let duration = signing_start.elapsed();
+    let ns = duration.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000 + u64::from(duration.subsec_nanos());
+    let bsps = txs as f64 / ns as f64;
+    let nsps = ns as f64 / txs as f64;
+    println!(
+        "Done. {} thousand signatures per second, {}us per signature",
+        bsps * 1_000_000_f64,
+        nsps / 1_000_f64
+    );
+
+    println!("Transfering {} transactions in {} batches", txs, threads);
+    let transfer_start = Instant::now();
+    let sz = transactions.len() / threads;
+    let chunks: Vec<_> = transactions.chunks(sz).collect();
+    chunks.into_par_iter().for_each(|txs| {
+        println!(
+            "Transferring 1 unit {} times... to {:?}",
+            txs.len(),
+            leader.transactions_addr
+        );
+        let client = mk_client(&client_addr, &leader);
+        for tx in txs {
+            client.transfer_signed(tx.clone()).unwrap();
+        }
+    });
+    println!(
+        "Transfer done. {:?} ms {} tps",
+        duration_as_ms(&transfer_start.elapsed()),
+        txs as f32 / (duration_as_s(&transfer_start.elapsed()))
+    );
+
+    *last_id = client.get_last_id();
+}
+
 fn main() {
     env_logger::init();
     let mut threads = 4usize;
     let mut num_nodes = 1usize;
+    let mut time_sec = 60;
 
     let mut opts = Options::new();
     opts.optopt("l", "", "leader", "leader.json");
     opts.optopt("c", "", "client port", "port");
     opts.optopt("t", "", "number of threads", &format!("{}", threads));
     opts.optflag("d", "dyn", "detect network address dynamically");
+    opts.optopt(
+        "s",
+        "",
+        "send transactions for this many seconds",
+        &format!("{}", time_sec),
+    );
     opts.optopt(
         "n",
         "",
@@ -83,6 +188,9 @@ fn main() {
     if matches.opt_present("n") {
         num_nodes = matches.opt_str("n").unwrap().parse().expect("integer");
     }
+    if matches.opt_present("s") {
+        time_sec = matches.opt_str("s").unwrap().parse().expect("integer");
+    }
 
     let leader = if matches.opt_present("l") {
         read_leader(matches.opt_str("l").unwrap())
@@ -122,7 +230,7 @@ fn main() {
     let mut client = mk_client(&client_addr, &leader);
 
     println!("Get last ID...");
-    let last_id = client.get_last_id();
+    let mut last_id = client.get_last_id();
     println!("Got last ID {:?}", last_id);
 
     let mut seed = [0u8; 32];
@@ -134,85 +242,50 @@ fn main() {
     let keypairs = rnd.gen_n_keypairs(demo.num_accounts);
     let keypair_pairs: Vec<_> = keypairs.chunks(2).collect();
 
-    println!("Signing transactions...");
-    let now = Instant::now();
-    let transactions: Vec<_> = keypair_pairs
-        .into_par_iter()
-        .map(|chunk| Transaction::new(&chunk[0], chunk[1].pubkey(), 1, last_id))
-        .collect();
-    let duration = now.elapsed();
-    let ns = duration.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000 + u64::from(duration.subsec_nanos());
-    let bsps = txs as f64 / ns as f64;
-    let nsps = ns as f64 / txs as f64;
-    println!(
-        "Done. {} thousand signatures per second, {}us per signature",
-        bsps * 1_000_000_f64,
-        nsps / 1_000_f64
-    );
-
     let first_count = client.transaction_count();
     println!("initial count {}", first_count);
 
-    println!("Transfering {} transactions in {} batches", txs, threads);
-    let sz = transactions.len() / threads;
-    let chunks: Vec<_> = transactions.chunks(sz).collect();
-    chunks.into_par_iter().for_each(|txs| {
-        println!(
-            "Transferring 1 unit {} times... to {:?}",
-            txs.len(),
-            leader.transactions_addr
-        );
-        let client = mk_client(&client_addr, &leader);
-        for tx in txs {
-            client.transfer_signed(tx.clone()).unwrap();
-        }
-    });
-
-    let sample_period = 1; // in seconds
     println!("Sampling tps every second...",);
-    let maxes: Vec<_> = validators
-        .into_par_iter()
-        .map(|val| {
-            let mut client = mk_client(&client_addr, &val);
-            let mut now = Instant::now();
-            let mut initial_tx_count = client.transaction_count();
-            let mut max_tps = 0.0;
-            let mut total = 0;
-            for i in 0..100 {
-                let tx_count = client.transaction_count();
-                let duration = now.elapsed();
-                now = Instant::now();
-                let sample = tx_count - initial_tx_count;
-                initial_tx_count = tx_count;
-                println!(
-                    "{}: Transactions processed {}",
-                    val.transactions_addr, sample
-                );
-                let ns = duration.as_secs() * 1_000_000_000 + u64::from(duration.subsec_nanos());
-                let tps = (sample * 1_000_000_000) as f64 / ns as f64;
-                if tps > max_tps {
-                    max_tps = tps;
-                }
-                println!("{}: {} tps", val.transactions_addr, tps);
-                total = tx_count - first_count;
-                println!(
-                    "{}: Total Transactions processed {}",
-                    val.transactions_addr, total
-                );
-                if total == transactions.len() as u64 {
-                    break;
-                }
-                if i > 20 && sample == 0 {
-                    break;
-                }
-                sleep(Duration::new(sample_period, 0));
-            }
-            (max_tps, total)
+
+    let maxes = Arc::new(RwLock::new(Vec::new()));
+    let sample_period = 1; // in seconds
+    let v_threads: Vec<_> = validators
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|v| {
+            let exit = signal.clone();
+            let thread_addr = client_addr.clone();
+            let maxes = maxes.clone();
+            Builder::new()
+                .name("solana-client-sample".to_string())
+                .spawn(move || {
+                    sample_tx_count(thread_addr, exit, maxes, first_count, v, sample_period);
+                })
+                .unwrap()
         })
         .collect();
+
+    let time = Duration::new(time_sec, 0);
+    let now = Instant::now();
+    while now.elapsed() < time {
+        generate_and_send_txs(
+            &mut client,
+            &keypair_pairs,
+            &leader,
+            txs,
+            &mut last_id,
+            threads,
+            client_addr.clone(),
+        );
+    }
+
+    signal.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    for t in v_threads {
+        t.join().unwrap();
+    }
+
     let mut max_of_maxes = 0.0;
     let mut total_txs = 0;
-    for (max, txs) in &maxes {
+    for (max, txs) in maxes.read().unwrap().iter() {
         if *max > max_of_maxes {
             max_of_maxes = *max;
         }
@@ -223,9 +296,9 @@ fn main() {
         max_of_maxes,
         sample_period,
         total_txs,
-        maxes.len()
+        maxes.read().unwrap().len()
     );
-    signal.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+
     for t in c_threads {
         t.join().unwrap();
     }
@@ -237,6 +310,10 @@ fn mk_client(locked_addr: &Arc<RwLock<SocketAddr>>, r: &ReplicatedData) -> ThinC
     let transactions_socket = UdpSocket::bind(addr.clone()).unwrap();
     addr.set_port(port + 1);
     let requests_socket = UdpSocket::bind(addr.clone()).unwrap();
+    requests_socket
+        .set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(1, 0)))
+        .unwrap();
+
     addr.set_port(port + 2);
     ThinClient::new(
         r.requests_addr,
diff --git a/src/thin_client.rs b/src/thin_client.rs
index 58174ab732..bb8bd6f83e 100644
--- a/src/thin_client.rs
+++ b/src/thin_client.rs
@@ -121,17 +121,19 @@ impl ThinClient {
         let req = Request::GetTransactionCount;
         let data =
             serialize(&req).expect("serialize GetTransactionCount in pub fn transaction_count");
-        self.requests_socket
-            .send_to(&data, &self.requests_addr)
-            .expect("buffer error in pub fn transaction_count");
         let mut done = false;
         while !done {
-            let resp = self.recv_response().expect("transaction count dropped");
-            info!("recv_response {:?}", resp);
-            if let &Response::TransactionCount { .. } = &resp {
-                done = true;
+            self.requests_socket
+                .send_to(&data, &self.requests_addr)
+                .expect("buffer error in pub fn transaction_count");
+
+            if let Ok(resp) = self.recv_response() {
+                info!("recv_response {:?}", resp);
+                if let &Response::TransactionCount { .. } = &resp {
+                    done = true;
+                }
+                self.process_response(resp);
             }
-            self.process_response(resp);
         }
         self.transaction_count
     }
@@ -142,16 +144,18 @@ impl ThinClient {
         info!("get_last_id");
         let req = Request::GetLastId;
         let data = serialize(&req).expect("serialize GetLastId in pub fn get_last_id");
-        self.requests_socket
-            .send_to(&data, &self.requests_addr)
-            .expect("buffer error in pub fn get_last_id");
         let mut done = false;
         while !done {
-            let resp = self.recv_response().expect("get_last_id response");
-            if let &Response::LastId { .. } = &resp {
-                done = true;
+            self.requests_socket
+                .send_to(&data, &self.requests_addr)
+                .expect("buffer error in pub fn get_last_id");
+
+            if let Ok(resp) = self.recv_response() {
+                if let &Response::LastId { .. } = &resp {
+                    done = true;
+                }
+                self.process_response(resp);
             }
-            self.process_response(resp);
         }
         self.last_id.expect("some last_id")
     }