diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 1aaea3b0..9e4d9631 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -537,11 +537,16 @@ func (w *reply) writeClient(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 				i += j
 			}
 			n = i
+			// TODO(mg): is the loop correct?
 		}
 	case "", "udp", "udp4", "udp6":
 		for a := 0; a < attempts; a++ {
+			println("DOING", a)
 			setTimeouts(w)
 			n, err = w.conn.(*net.UDPConn).Write(p)
+			if err == nil {
+				return
+			}
 			if err != nil {
 				if e, ok := err.(net.Error); ok && e.Timeout() {
 					continue
diff --git a/ex/fks-shield/shield.go b/ex/fks-shield/shield.go
index 4d95eb34..aa88d126 100644
--- a/ex/fks-shield/shield.go
+++ b/ex/fks-shield/shield.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func serve(w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg, c *Cache) {
 		c.Insert(p)
 		return
 	} else {
+		log.Printf("fks-shield: failed to get answer " + e.Error())
 		// w.Write(SERFVAIL)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ex/q/q.go b/ex/q/q.go
index 674adc18..b079506d 100644
--- a/ex/q/q.go
+++ b/ex/q/q.go
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ Flags:
 			c.Net = "udp6"
 		}
 	}
+	c.Attempts = 6
 
 	m := new(dns.Msg)
 	m.MsgHdr.Authoritative = *aa