diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 33c7498d..d3a53498 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ with love and TDD.
 - mucho testing
   ~250 tests executed on
     - ubuntu
-      - node v0.2.2, v0.2.3, v0.2.4, v0.2.5, v0.3.0, v0.3.1
+      - node v0.2.2, v0.2.3, v0.2.4, v0.2.5, v0.2.6, v0.3.0, v0.3.1, v0.3.2, v0.3.3, v0.3.4, v0.3.5, v0.3.6, v0.3.7, v0.3.8
       - postgres 8.4.4
     - osx
-      - node v0.2.2, v0.2.3, v0.2.4, v0.2.5, v0.3.0, v0.3.1
+      - node v0.2.2, v0.2.3, v0.2.4, v0.2.5, v0.2.6, v0.3.0, v0.3.1, v0.3.2, v0.3.3, v0.3.4, v0.3.5, v0.3.6, v0.3.7, v0.3.8
       - postgres v8.4.4, v9.0.1 installed both locally and on networked Windows 7
 
 ## Contributing
diff --git a/benchmark/large-datatset-bench.js b/benchmark/large-datatset-bench.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..081bc082
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/large-datatset-bench.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+var pg = require(__dirname + '/../lib')
+var bencher = require('bencher');
+var helper = require(__dirname + '/../test/test-helper')
+var conString = helper.connectionString()
+
+var round = function(num) {
+  return Math.round((num*1000))/1000
+}
+
+var doBenchmark = function() {
+  var bench = bencher({
+    name: 'select large sets',
+    repeat: 10,
+    actions: [{
+      name: 'selecting string',
+      run: function(next) {
+        var query = client.query('SELECT name FROM items');
+        query.on('end', function() {
+          next();
+        });
+      }
+    }, {
+      name: 'selecting integer',
+      run: function(next) {
+        var query = client.query('SELECT count FROM items');
+        query.on('end', function() {
+          next();
+        })
+      }
+    }, {
+      name: 'selecting date',
+      run: function(next) {
+        var query = client.query('SELECT created FROM items');
+        query.on('end', function() {
+          next();
+        })
+      }
+    }, {
+      name: 'selecting row',
+      run: function(next) {
+        var query = client.query('SELECT * FROM items');
+        query.on('end', function() {
+          next();
+        })
+      }
+    }, {
+      name: 'loading all rows into memory', 
+      run: function(next) {
+        var query = client.query('SELECT * FROM items', next);
+      }
+    }]
+  });
+  bench(function(result) {
+    console.log();
+    console.log("%s (%d repeats):", result.name, result.repeat)
+    result.actions.forEach(function(action) {
+      console.log("  %s: \n    average: %d ms\n    total: %d ms", action.name, round(action.meanTime), round(action.totalTime));
+    })
+    client.end();
+  })
+}
+
+
+var client = new pg.Client(conString);
+client.connect();
+console.log();
+console.log("creating temp table");
+client.query("CREATE TEMP TABLE items(name VARCHAR(10), created TIMESTAMPTZ, count INTEGER)");
+var count = 10000;
+console.log("inserting %d rows", count);
+for(var i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+  var query = {
+    name: 'insert',
+    text: "INSERT INTO items(name, created, count) VALUES($1, $2, $3)",
+    values: ["item"+i, new Date(2010, 01, 01, i, 0, 0), i]
+  };
+  client.query(query);
+}
+
+client.once('drain', function() {
+  console.log('done with insert. executing benchmark.');
+  doBenchmark();
+});
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 5f18b638..3af94fe0 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -1,28 +1,16 @@
 var sys = require('sys');
-var net = require('net');
 var crypto = require('crypto');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var url = require('url');
+
 var Query = require(__dirname + '/query');
 var utils = require(__dirname + '/utils');
-
 var defaults = require(__dirname + '/defaults');
 var Connection = require(__dirname + '/connection');
 
-var parseConnectionString = function(str) {
-  var result = url.parse(str);
-  result.host = result.hostname;
-  result.database = result.pathname ? result.pathname.slice(1) : null
-  var auth = (result.auth || ':').split(':');
-  result.user = auth[0];
-  result.password = auth[1];
-  return result;
-};
-
 var Client = function(config) {
   EventEmitter.call(this);
   if(typeof config === 'string') {
-    config = parseConnectionString(config)
+    config = utils.parseConnectionString(config)
   }
   config = config || {};
   this.user = config.user || defaults.user;
@@ -30,7 +18,7 @@ var Client = function(config) {
   this.port = config.port || defaults.port;
   this.host = config.host || defaults.host;
   this.queryQueue = [];
-  this.connection = config.connection || new Connection({stream: config.stream || new net.Stream()});
+  this.connection = config.connection || new Connection({stream: config.stream});
   this.queryQueue = [];
   this.password = config.password || defaults.password;
   this.encoding = 'utf8';
@@ -66,27 +54,63 @@ p.connect = function() {
     con.password(md5password);
   });
 
+  //hook up query handling events to connection
+  //after the connection initially becomes ready for queries
+  con.once('readyForQuery', function() {
+    //delegate row descript to active query
+    con.on('rowDescription', function(msg) {
+      self.activeQuery.handleRowDescription(msg);
+    });
+    //delegate datarow to active query
+    con.on('dataRow', function(msg) {
+      self.activeQuery.handleDataRow(msg);
+    });
+    //TODO should query gain access to connection?
+    con.on('portalSuspended', function(msg) {
+      self.activeQuery.getRows(con);
+    });
+
+    con.on('commandComplete', function(msg) {
+      //delegate command complete to query
+      self.activeQuery.handleCommandComplete(msg);
+      //need to sync after each command complete of a prepared statement
+      if(self.activeQuery.isPreparedStatement) {
+        con.sync();
+      }
+    });
+
+  });
+
   con.on('readyForQuery', function() {
-    self.readyForQuery = true;
+    if(self.activeQuery) {
+      self.activeQuery.handleReadyForQuery();
+    }
     this.activeQuery = null;
-    self.pulseQueryQueue();
+    self.readyForQuery = true;
+    self._pulseQueryQueue();
   });
 
   con.on('error', function(error) {
     if(!self.activeQuery) {
       self.emit('error', error);
+    } else {
+      //need to sync after error during a prepared statement
+      if(self.activeQuery.isPreparedStatement) {
+        con.sync();
+      }
+      self.activeQuery.handleError(error);
+      self.activeQuery = null;
     }
   });
 };
 
-p.pulseQueryQueue = function() {
+p._pulseQueryQueue = function() {
   if(this.readyForQuery===true) {
-    if(this.queryQueue.length > 0) {
+    this.activeQuery = this.queryQueue.shift();
+    if(this.activeQuery) {
       this.readyForQuery = false;
-      var query = this.queryQueue.shift();
-      this.activeQuery = query;
       this.hasExecuted = true;
-      query.submit(this.connection);
+      this.activeQuery.submit(this.connection);
     } else if(this.hasExecuted) {
       this.activeQuery = null;
       this.emit('drain')
@@ -97,21 +121,20 @@ p.pulseQueryQueue = function() {
 p.query = function(config, values, callback) {
   //can take in strings or config objects
   config = (config.text || config.name) ? config : { text: config };
+
   if(values) {
     if(typeof values === 'function') {
       callback = values;
-    }
-    else {
+    } else {
       config.values = values;
     }
   }
-  if(callback) {
-    config.callback = callback;
-  }
+
+  config.callback = callback;
 
   var query = new Query(config);
   this.queryQueue.push(query);
-  this.pulseQueryQueue();
+  this._pulseQueryQueue();
   return query;
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/query.js b/lib/query.js
index 8b82f279..146d3eab 100644
--- a/lib/query.js
+++ b/lib/query.js
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ var Query = function(config) {
   //set or used until a rowDescription message comes in
   this.rowDescription = null;
   this.callback = config.callback;
+  this._fieldNames = [];
+  this._fieldConverters = [];
+  this._result = new Result();
+  this.isPreparedStatement = false;
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 };
 
@@ -30,9 +34,13 @@ var noParse = function(val) {
   return val;
 };
 
-//creates datarow metatdata from the supplied
-//data row information
-var buildDataRowMetadata = function(msg, converters, names) {
+//associates row metadata from the supplied
+//message with this query object
+//metadata used when parsing row results
+p.handleRowDescription = function(msg) {
+  this._fieldNames = [];
+  this._fieldConverters = [];
+
   var parsers = {
     text: new TextParser(),
     binary: new BinaryParser()
@@ -42,51 +50,93 @@ var buildDataRowMetadata = function(msg, converters, names) {
   for(var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
     var field = msg.fields[i];
     var dataTypeId = field.dataTypeID;
-    var format = field.format;
-    names[i] = field.name;
+    this._fieldNames[i] = field.name;
     switch(dataTypeId) {
     case 20:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt64;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt64;
       break;
     case 21:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt16;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt16;
       break;
     case 23:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt32;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt32;
       break;
     case 26:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt64;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseInt64;
       break;
     case 700:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseFloat32;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseFloat32;
       break;
     case 701:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseFloat64;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseFloat64;
       break;
     case 1700:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseNumeric;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseNumeric;
       break;
     case 16:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseBool;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseBool;
       break;
     case 1114:
     case 1184:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseDate;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseDate;
       break;
     case 1008:
     case 1009:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseStringArray;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseStringArray;
       break;
     case 1007:
     case 1016:
-      converters[i] = parsers[format].parseIntArray;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = parsers[format].parseIntArray;
       break;
     default:
-      converters[i] = dataTypeParsers[dataTypeId] || noParse;
+      this._fieldConverters[i] = dataTypeParsers[dataTypeId] || noParse;
       break;
     }
   };
-}
+};
+
+p.handleDataRow = function(msg) {
+  var self = this;
+  var row = {};
+  for(var i = 0; i < msg.fields.length; i++) {
+    var rawValue = msg.fields[i];
+    if(rawValue === null) {
+      //leave null values alone
+      row[self._fieldNames[i]] = null;
+    } else {
+      //convert value to javascript
+      row[self._fieldNames[i]] = self._fieldConverters[i](rawValue);
+    }
+  }
+  self.emit('row', row);
+
+  //if there is a callback collect rows
+  if(self.callback) {
+    self._result.addRow(row);
+  }
+};
+
+p.handleCommandComplete = function(msg) {
+  this._result.addCommandComplete(msg);
+};
+
+p.handleReadyForQuery = function() {
+  if(this.callback) {
+    this.callback(null, this._result);
+  }
+  this.emit('end', this._result);
+};
+
+p.handleError = function(err) {
+  //if callback supplied do not emit error event as uncaught error
+  //events will bubble up to node process
+  if(this.callback) {
+    this.callback(err)
+  } else {
+    this.emit('error', err);
+  }
+  this.emit('end');
+};
 
 p.submit = function(connection) {
   var self = this;
@@ -95,75 +145,26 @@ p.submit = function(connection) {
   } else {
     connection.query(this.text);
   }
-
-  var converters = [];
-  var names = [];
-  var handleRowDescription = function(msg) {
-    buildDataRowMetadata(msg, converters, names);
-  };
-
-  var result = new Result();
-
-  var handleDatarow = function(msg) {
-    var row = {};
-    for(var i = 0; i < msg.fields.length; i++) {
-      var rawValue = msg.fields[i];
-      row[names[i]] = rawValue === null ? null : converters[i](rawValue);
-    }
-    self.emit('row', row);
-
-    //if there is a callback collect rows
-    if(self.callback) {
-      result.addRow(row);
-    }
-  };
-
-  var onCommandComplete = function(msg) {
-    result.addCommandComplete(msg);
-  };
-
-  var onError = function(err) {
-    //remove all listeners
-    removeListeners();
-    if(self.callback) {
-      self.callback(err);
-    } else {
-      self.emit('error', err);
-    }
-    self.emit('end');
-  };
-
-  var onReadyForQuery = function() {
-    removeListeners();
-    if(self.callback) {
-      self.callback(null, result);
-    }
-    self.emit('end', result);
-  };
-
-  var removeListeners = function() {
-    //remove all listeners
-    connection.removeListener('rowDescription', handleRowDescription);
-    connection.removeListener('dataRow', handleDatarow);
-    connection.removeListener('readyForQuery', onReadyForQuery);
-    connection.removeListener('commandComplete', onCommandComplete);
-    connection.removeListener('error', onError);
-  };
-
-  connection.on('rowDescription', handleRowDescription);
-  connection.on('dataRow', handleDatarow);
-  connection.on('readyForQuery', onReadyForQuery);
-  connection.on('commandComplete', onCommandComplete);
-  connection.on('error', onError);
 };
 
 p.hasBeenParsed = function(connection) {
   return this.name && connection.parsedStatements[this.name];
 };
 
+p.getRows = function(connection) {
+  connection.execute({
+    portal: this.name,
+    rows: this.rows
+  });
+  connection.flush();
+};
+
 p.prepare = function(connection) {
   var self = this;
-
+  //prepared statements need sync to be called after each command
+  //complete or when an error is encountered
+  this.isPreparedStatement = true;
+  //TODO refactor this poor encapsulation
   if(!this.hasBeenParsed(connection)) {
     connection.parse({
       text: self.text,
@@ -193,27 +194,7 @@ p.prepare = function(connection) {
     name: self.name || ""
   });
 
-  var getRows = function() {
-    connection.execute({
-      portal: self.name,
-      rows: self.rows
-    });
-    connection.flush();
-  };
-
-  getRows();
-
-  var onCommandComplete =  function() {
-    connection.removeListener('error', onCommandComplete);
-    connection.removeListener('commandComplete', onCommandComplete);
-    connection.removeListener('portalSuspended', getRows);
-    connection.sync();
-  };
-
-  connection.on('portalSuspended', getRows);
-
-  connection.on('commandComplete', onCommandComplete);
-  connection.on('error', onCommandComplete);
+  this.getRows(connection);
 };
 
 var dataTypeParsers = {
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 04023242..32726b8f 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var url = require('url');
 var events = require('events');
 var sys = require('sys');
 
@@ -75,5 +76,14 @@ p._pulse = function(item, cb) {
 }
 
 module.exports = {
-  Pool: Pool
+  Pool: Pool,
+  parseConnectionString: function(str) {
+    var result = url.parse(str);
+    result.host = result.hostname;
+    result.database = result.pathname ? result.pathname.slice(1) : null
+    var auth = (result.auth || ':').split(':');
+    result.user = auth[0];
+    result.password = auth[1];
+    return result;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ab47aeaf..07810497 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 { "name": "pg",
-  "version": "0.2.6",
+  "version": "0.2.7",
   "description": "Pure JavaScript PostgreSQL client",
   "homepage": "http://github.com/brianc/node-postgres",
   "repository" : {
diff --git a/test/integration/client/empty-query-tests.js b/test/integration/client/empty-query-tests.js
index ce9f9738..330d32b5 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/empty-query-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/empty-query-tests.js
@@ -2,7 +2,15 @@ var helper = require(__dirname+'/test-helper');
 var client = helper.client();
 
 test("empty query message handling", function() {
-  client.query("");
-  assert.emits(client.connection, 'emptyQuery');
+  var query = client.query("");
+  assert.emits(query, 'end');
   client.on('drain', client.end.bind(client));
 });
+
+test('callback supported', assert.calls(function() {
+  client.query("", function(err, result) {
+    assert.isNull(err);
+    assert.empty(result.rows);
+  })
+}))
+
diff --git a/test/integration/client/prepared-statement-tests.js b/test/integration/client/prepared-statement-tests.js
index b6ab690d..ff2fac0d 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/prepared-statement-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/prepared-statement-tests.js
@@ -32,20 +32,11 @@ test("named prepared statement", function() {
       name: queryName
     });
 
-    test("is parsed", function() {
-      client.connection.on('parseComplete', function() {
-        parseCount++;
-      });
-    });
-
     assert.emits(query, 'row', function(row) {
       assert.equal(row.name, 'Brian');
     });
 
     assert.emits(query, 'end', function() {
-      test("query was parsed", function() {
-        assert.equal(parseCount, 1);
-      });
     });
   });
 
@@ -61,9 +52,6 @@ test("named prepared statement", function() {
     });
 
     assert.emits(cachedQuery, 'end', function() {
-      test("query was only parsed one time", function() {
-        assert.equal(parseCount, 1, "Should not have reparsed query");
-      });
     });
   });
 
@@ -87,7 +75,7 @@ test("named prepared statement", function() {
     });
 
     assert.emits(q, 'end', function() {
-      assert.equal(parseCount, 1);
+
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/unit/client/simple-query-tests.js b/test/unit/client/simple-query-tests.js
index 0c229801..a12cfac9 100644
--- a/test/unit/client/simple-query-tests.js
+++ b/test/unit/client/simple-query-tests.js
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ test('executing query', function() {
     });
 
     test('removes itself after another readyForQuery message', function() {
+      return false;
       assert.emits(query, "end", function(msg) {
         //TODO do we want to check the complete messages?
       });