diff --git a/mk_livestatus/errors.py b/mk_livestatus/errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb048e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mk_livestatus/errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+
+class LivestatusError(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/mk_livestatus/livestatus.py b/mk_livestatus/livestatus.py
index 25ccdf9..a1f39eb 100644
--- a/mk_livestatus/livestatus.py
+++ b/mk_livestatus/livestatus.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
+from .errors import LivestatusError
 
 import socket
 import json
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ def call(self):
     __call__ = call
 
     def __str__(self):
-        request = 'GET %s' % (self._resource)
+        request = 'GET %s\nResponseHeader: fixed16' % (self._resource)
         if self._columns and any(self._columns):
             request += '\nColumns: %s' % (' '.join(self._columns))
         if self._filters:
@@ -44,27 +45,63 @@ def filter(self, filter_str):
         self._filters.append(filter_str)
         return self
 
+    def close(self):
+        pass
+
 
 class Socket(object):
-    def __init__(self, peer):
+    def __init__(self, peer, encoding="latin-1"):
         self.peer = peer
+        self.socket = None
+        self.fd = None
+        self.encoding = encoding
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         return Query(self, name)
 
+    def cleanup(self):
+
+        try:
+            self.fd.close()
+            del(self.fd)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        try:
+            self.socket.close()
+            del(self.socket)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
     def call(self, request):
         try:
             if len(self.peer) == 2:
-                s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+                self.socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+                self.socket.setsockopt(socket.SOL_SOCKET, socket.SO_KEEPALIVE, 1)
+                self.socket.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_TCP, socket.TCP_KEEPIDLE, 1)
+                self.socket.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_TCP, socket.TCP_KEEPINTVL, 3)
+                self.socket.setsockopt(socket.IPPROTO_TCP, socket.TCP_KEEPCNT, 5)
             else:
-                s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-            s.connect(self.peer)
-            s.send(request)
-            s.shutdown(socket.SHUT_WR)
-            rawdata = s.makefile().read()
+                self.socket = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+            self.socket.connect(self.peer)
+            self.socket.send(request)
+            self.socket.shutdown(socket.SHUT_WR)
+            self.fd = self.socket.makefile()
+            rawdata = self.fd.read()
+            self.cleanup()
+        except Exception as err:
+            self.cleanup()
+            raise LivestatusError("Failed to connect to Livestatus.  Reason: %s" % (err))
+        else:
             if not rawdata:
-                return []
-            data = json.loads(rawdata)
+                raise LivestatusError("Livestatus service returned no data.")
+            data = self.validateHeader(rawdata)
+            data = json.loads(data, encoding=self.encoding)
             return [dict(zip(data[0], value)) for value in data[1:]]
-        finally:
-            s.close()
+
+    def validateHeader(self, rawdata):
+        header = rawdata[0:16]
+        if header[0:3] == "200":
+            data = rawdata[16:]
+            return data
+        else:
+            raise LivestatusError("The Livestatus query contained an error. Reason: %s" % (rawdata[16:]))