diff --git a/lib/connection.js b/lib/connection.js
index 49722c2d..ccc5571b 100644
--- a/lib/connection.js
+++ b/lib/connection.js
@@ -267,6 +267,11 @@ p.sendCopyFromChunk = function (chunk) {
 p.endCopyFrom = function () {
   this.stream.write(this.writer.add(emptyBuffer).flush(0x63));
 }
+p.sendCopyFail = function (msg) {
+  //this.stream.write(this.writer.add(emptyBuffer).flush(0x66));
+  this.writer.addCString(msg);
+  this._send(0x66);
+}
 //parsing methods
 p.setBuffer = function(buffer) {
   if(this.lastBuffer) {    //we have unfinished biznaz
diff --git a/lib/query.js b/lib/query.js
index a3330231..5f22a66b 100644
--- a/lib/query.js
+++ b/lib/query.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ var Query = function(config, values, callback) {
   this.types = config.types;
   this.name = config.name;
   this.binary = config.binary;
-  this.stream  = config.stream;
+  this.stream = config.stream;
   //use unique portal name each time
   this.portal = config.portal || ""
   this.callback = config.callback;
@@ -170,9 +170,14 @@ p.prepare = function(connection) {
   this.getRows(connection);
 };
 p.streamData = function (connection) {
-  this.stream.startStreamingToConnection(connection);
+  if ( this.stream ) this.stream.startStreamingToConnection(connection);
+  else connection.sendCopyFail('No source stream defined'); 
 };
 p.handleCopyFromChunk = function (chunk) {
-  this.stream.handleChunk(chunk);    
+  if ( this.stream ) this.stream.handleChunk(chunk);    
+  else {
+    // TODO: signal the problem somehow
+    //this.handleError(new Error('error', 'No destination stream defined'));
+  }
 }
 module.exports = Query;