diff --git a/st/library/fromSQS.go b/st/library/fromSQS.go
index 14692c4d..6dd9a999 100644
--- a/st/library/fromSQS.go
+++ b/st/library/fromSQS.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package library
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"log"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/goamz/goamz/aws"
 	"github.com/goamz/goamz/sqs"
@@ -13,92 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nytlabs/streamtools/st/util"
 )
 
-// lots of this code stolen brazenly from JP https://github.com/jprobinson
-func (b *FromSQS) listener() {
-	log.Println("in listener")
-	b.lock.Lock()
-	// OK I KNOW that everything inside this lock is bad. This is a quick fix. Promise to do better in the future. 
-	log.Println("in lock")
-	accessKey, ok := b.auth["AccessKey"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		b.Error("could not assert AccessKey to a string")
-		b.listening = false
-		b.lock.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-	accessSecret, ok := b.auth["AccessSecret"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		b.Error("could not assert AccessSecret to a string")
-		b.listening = false
-		b.lock.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-	queueName, ok := b.auth["QueueName"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		b.Error("could not assert queue name to a string")
-		b.listening = false
-		b.lock.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-	maxN, ok := b.auth["MaxNumberOfMessages"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		b.Error("could not assert MaxNumberOfMessages to a string")
-		b.listening = false
-		b.lock.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-	log.Println("authenticating with aws")
-	auth := aws.Auth{AccessKey: accessKey, SecretKey: accessSecret}
-	sqsClient := sqs.New(auth, aws.USEast)
-	log.Println("getting SQS queue")
-	queue, err := sqsClient.GetQueue(queueName)
-	if err != nil {
-		b.Error(err)
-		b.listening = false
-		b.lock.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-
-	log.Println("setting listening flag")
-	b.listening = true
-	b.lock.Unlock()
-
-	params := map[string]string{
-		"WaitTimeSeconds":"1",
-		"MaxNumberOfMessages":maxN,
-	}
-
-	var resp *sqs.ReceiveMessageResponse
-	log.Println("starting read loop")
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-b.stop:
-			log.Println("Exiting SQS read loop")
-			return
-		default:
-			resp, err = queue.ReceiveMessageWithParameters(params)
-			if err != nil {
-				b.Error(err)
-			}
-			if len(resp.Messages) == 0 {
-				break
-			}
-			for _, m := range resp.Messages {
-				select {
-				case b.fromListener <- []byte(m.Body):
-				default:
-					log.Println("discarding messages")
-					log.Println(len(b.fromListener))
-					continue
-				}
-
-				if _, err = queue.DeleteMessage(&m); err != nil {
-					b.Error(err)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
 
 // specify those channels we're going to use to communicate with streamtools
 type FromSQS struct {
@@ -111,7 +27,7 @@ type FromSQS struct {
 	lock         sync.Mutex
 	listening    bool
 	fromListener chan []byte
-	auth         map[string]interface{}
+	auth         map[string]string
 	stop         chan bool
 }
 
@@ -130,7 +46,7 @@ func (b *FromSQS) Setup() {
 	b.out = b.Broadcast()
 	b.fromListener = make(chan []byte, 1000)
 	b.stop = make(chan bool)
-	b.auth = map[string]interface{}{
+	b.auth = map[string]string{
 		"QueueName":           "",
 		"AccessKey":           "",
 		"AccessSecret":        "",
@@ -138,20 +54,82 @@ func (b *FromSQS) Setup() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (b *FromSQS) stopListening() {
-	log.Println("attempting to stop SQS reader")
-	log.Println(b.listening)
-	if b.listening {
-		log.Println("sending stop")
-		b.stop <- true
-		log.Println("sent stop")
-		b.listening = false
+func (b *FromSQS) runReader(sem chan bool, outChan chan []byte, stopChan chan bool, auth map[string]string) {
+	log.Println("starting new reader")
+	t := time.Now()
+	err := listener(auth["AccessKey"], auth["AccessSecret"], auth["QueueName"], auth["MaxNumberOfMessages"], outChan, stopChan)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Error(err)
+		if time.Since(t) < 1*time.Second {
+			log.Println("reader failed in less than one second")
+			b.Error(errors.New("reader died rapidly - check SQS reader parameters"))
+			// here we don't free up a seperate reader
+		} else {
+			log.Println("freeing reader")
+			<-sem
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func stopAllReaders(stopChans []chan bool) {
+	for _, stopChan := range stopChans {
+		close(stopChan)
+	}
+}
+
+// lots of this code stolen brazenly from JP https://github.com/jprobinson
+func listener(key, secret, queueName, maxN string, outChan chan []byte, stopChan chan bool) error {
+	auth := aws.Auth{AccessKey: key, SecretKey: secret}
+	sqsClient := sqs.New(auth, aws.USEast)
+	log.Println("getting SQS queue")
+	queue, err := sqsClient.GetQueue(queueName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	params := map[string]string{
+		"WaitTimeSeconds":     "1",
+		"MaxNumberOfMessages": maxN,
+	}
+
+	var resp *sqs.ReceiveMessageResponse
+	log.Println("starting read loop")
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-stopChan:
+			log.Println("Exiting SQS read loop")
+			return nil
+		default:
+			resp, err = queue.ReceiveMessageWithParameters(params)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if len(resp.Messages) == 0 {
+				break
+			}
+			for _, m := range resp.Messages {
+				select {
+				case outChan <- []byte(m.Body):
+				default:
+					log.Println("discarding messages")
+					log.Println(len(outChan))
+					continue
+				}
+				_, err = queue.DeleteMessage(&m)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
 
 // Run is the block's main loop. Here we listen on the different channels we set up.
 func (b *FromSQS) Run() {
 	var err error
+	numReaders := 10
+	stopChans := make([]chan bool, 0)
+	semChan := make(chan bool, numReaders)
 
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -164,11 +142,20 @@ func (b *FromSQS) Run() {
 				}
 			}
 
-			b.stopListening()
-			log.Println("starting new listener")
-			go b.listener()
+			stopAllReaders(stopChans)
+			stopChans = make([]chan bool, 0)
+
+			go func() {
+				for {
+					semChan <- true // maintain pressure
+					stopChan := make(chan bool, 1)
+					stopChans = append(stopChans, stopChan)
+					go b.runReader(semChan, b.fromListener, stopChan, b.auth)
+				}
+			}()
+
 		case <-b.quit:
-			b.stopListening()
+			stopAllReaders(stopChans)
 			return
 		case msg := <-b.fromListener:
 			var outMsg interface{}