diff --git a/lib/memcache.js b/lib/memcache.js
index 8b826ad..43bbbec 100644
--- a/lib/memcache.js
+++ b/lib/memcache.js
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@
  */
 
 var tcp = require('net'),
-    util = require('util');
+    util = require('util'),
+    EventEmitter = require('events');
 
 var crlf = "\r\n";
 var crlf_len = crlf.length;
+var self;
 
 var error_replies = ['ERROR', 'NOT_FOUND', 'CLIENT_ERROR', 'SERVER_ERROR'];
 
@@ -42,12 +44,12 @@ var Client = exports.Client = function(port, host) {
     this.handles = [];
 };
 
-util.inherits(Client, process.EventEmitter);
+util.inherits(Client, EventEmitter);
 
 Client.prototype.connect = function () {
 	if (!this.conn) {
 	    this.conn = new tcp.createConnection(this.port, this.host);
-		var self = this;
+		self = this;
 	    this.conn.addListener("connect", function () {
 	        this.setTimeout(0);          // try to stay connected.
 	        this.setNoDelay();
@@ -107,7 +109,12 @@ Client.prototype.dispatchHandles = function() {
 Client.prototype.query = function(query, type, callback) {
 	this.callbacks.push({ type: type, fun: callback });
 	this.sends++;
-	this.conn.write(query + crlf);
+	if (this.conn !== null) {
+		this.conn.write(query + crlf);
+	} else {
+		// Server has crashed or in another way become unavailable, connection closed.
+		self.emit("close");
+	}
 };
 
 Client.prototype.close = function() {
@@ -271,11 +278,11 @@ Client.prototype.handle_get = function(buffer) {
     var end_indicator_len = 3;
     var result_len = 0;
 
-    if (buffer.indexOf('END') == 0) {
+    if (buffer.lastIndexOf('END') == 0) {
         return [result_value, end_indicator_len + crlf_len];
-    } else if (buffer.indexOf('VALUE') == 0 && buffer.indexOf('END') != -1) {
+    } else if (buffer.indexOf('VALUE') == 0 && buffer.lastIndexOf('END') != -1) {
         first_line_len = buffer.indexOf(crlf) + crlf_len;
-        var end_indicator_start = buffer.indexOf('END');
+        var end_indicator_start = buffer.lastIndexOf('END');
         result_len = end_indicator_start - first_line_len - crlf_len;
         result_value = buffer.substr(first_line_len, result_len);
         return [result_value, first_line_len + parseInt(result_len, 10) + crlf_len + end_indicator_len + crlf_len]