diff --git a/bin/cli.js b/bin/cli.js
index 46e73c1..f0ba6df 100755
--- a/bin/cli.js
+++ b/bin/cli.js
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@ var config = require('rc')('couch2elastic4sync', {
   load: {
     swallowErrors: false
   },
-  checkpointSize: 20
+  checkpointSize: 20,
+  retry : {
+    times: 10,
+    interval: 200
+  },
+  shutdown: {
+    times: 5,
+    interval: 2000
+  }
 })
 if (!config.elasticsearch) {
   console.log('No elasticsearch search.')
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index f526726..b0ad756 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
+var async = require('async')
 var follow = require('follow')
 var request = require('request')
 var jsonist = require('jsonist')
 var remove_meta = require('./remove-meta')
 var template = require('lodash.template')
+var once = require('lodash.once')
 
 module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
+  var _retry = async.retry.bind(null, config.retry)
   var follow_config = {
     db: config.database,
     include_docs: true,
@@ -14,9 +17,30 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
   var updating_checkpoint_counter = false
   var last_seen_seq
   var pending = {}
+  var _shutdown_attempts = 0
+  var _shutdown_last_pending
 
   var shutdown = function () {
-    if (Object.keys(pending).length) return
+    log.info('shutdown called')
+    var _remain = Object.keys(pending).length
+    if (_remain > 0) {
+      if (!_shutdown_last_pending) _shutdown_last_pending = _remain
+      if (_remain < _shutdown_last_pending) {
+        _shutdown_last_pending = _remain
+        log.info({pending: _remain}, 'still processing')
+        return setTimeout(shutdown, config.shutdown.interval);
+      }
+
+
+      if (_shutdown_attempts > config.shutdown.times) {
+        log.error('shutdown wait time exceeded. shutting down anyway.')
+
+      } else {
+        log.info({pending: _remain, attempts: _shutdown_attempts++}, 'there are pending keys, sleeping')
+        return setTimeout(shutdown, config.shutdown.interval);
+      }
+    }
+
     if (!last_seen_seq) return process.exit(0)
     jsonist.put(config.seq_url, {_meta: {seq: last_seen_seq }}, function (err, resp) {
       if (err) log.error('Could not record sequence in elasticsearch', last_seen_seq, err)
@@ -27,7 +51,8 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
   }
 
   var onDone = function (log, _id, _rev, type, seq, err, resp) {
-    last_seen_seq = seq
+    if (seq > last_seen_seq) last_seen_seq = seq
+    delete pending[seq]
     if (err) return log.error('error occured', type, _id, _rev, err)
     log.info({change: seq}, 'success. ', type, _id, _rev, err)
     checkpoint_counter++
@@ -41,7 +66,7 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
         log.info({change: seq}, 'stored in elasticsearch. ')
       })
     }
-    delete pending[seq]
+
   }
 
   var feed = follow(follow_config, function (err, change) {
@@ -52,11 +77,16 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
 
     var doc = change.doc
     var es_doc_url = config.elasticsearch + '/' + change.id
+    var compiled
+    if (config.urlTemplate) {
+      compiled = template(es_doc_url)
+      es_doc_url = compiled(doc)
+    }
+    var _onDone
+
     if (doc._deleted) {
       // delete the doc from es
       if (config.urlTemplate) {
-        var compiled = template(es_doc_url)
-
         // we need the prev doc. hack attack
         request({
           url: config.database + '/' + change.id + '?revs=true&open_revs=all'
@@ -73,21 +103,17 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
           }, function (err, resp, _prev_doc) {
             try {
               es_doc_url = compiled(_prev_doc)
-              jsonist.delete(es_doc_url, onDone.bind(null, log, doc._id, null, 'delete', change.seq))
+              _retry(jsonist.delete.bind(null, es_doc_url), onDone.bind(null, log, doc._id, null, 'delete', change.seq))
             } catch (e) {}
           })
         })
         return
         // end of finding prev doc for delete of a urlTemplate
       } else {
-        return jsonist.delete(es_doc_url, onDone.bind(null, log, doc._id, null, 'delete', change.seq))
+        return _retry(jsonist.delete.bind(null, es_doc_url), onDone.bind(null, log, doc._id, null, 'delete', change.seq))
       }
     }
-    // adjust the url if its a urlTemplate
-    if (config.urlTemplate) {
-      var compiled = template(es_doc_url)
-      es_doc_url = compiled(doc)
-    }
+
     var _rev = doc._rev
     if (config.mapper) {
       try {
@@ -106,13 +132,14 @@ module.exports = function (config, log, since) {
     if (config.removeMeta) {
       doc = remove_meta(doc)
     }
-    jsonist.put(es_doc_url, doc, onDone.bind(null, log, change.doc._id, _rev, 'update', change.seq))
+    _retry(jsonist.put.bind(null, es_doc_url, doc),  onDone.bind(null, log, change.doc._id, _rev, 'update', change.seq))
   })
 
+  var _shutdown = once(shutdown)
   if (config.endOnCatchup) {
     feed.on('catchup', function () {
       feed.pause()
-      setInterval(shutdown, 400)
+      setInterval(_shutdown, 400)
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 36c7be6..258c846 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
   "main": "./lib/index.js",
   "bin": "./bin/cli.js",
   "dependencies": {
+    "async": "^1.5.2",
     "bunyan": "^1.5.1",
     "follow": "^0.12.1",
     "hyperquest": "^1.2.0",
     "jsonfilter": "^1.1.2",
     "jsonist": "^1.3.0",
+    "lodash.once": "^4.0.0",
     "lodash.template": "^4.2.0",
     "md5": "^2.0.0",
     "mkdirp": "^0.5.1",