diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingService.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingService.java
index 3ce7a83984..62695d9ed1 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingService.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingService.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
+import net.i2p.client.I2PSessionException;
 import net.i2p.data.Destination;
 import net.i2p.util.LHMCache;
 
@@ -66,11 +67,15 @@ class DummyNamingService extends NamingService {
 
         // Try Base32 decoding
         if (hostname.length() == BASE32_HASH_LENGTH + 8 && hostname.toLowerCase(Locale.US).endsWith(".b32.i2p") &&
-            _context.getBooleanPropertyDefaultTrue(PROP_B32)) {
-            d = LookupDest.lookupBase32Hash(_context, hostname.substring(0, BASE32_HASH_LENGTH));
-            if (d != null) {
-                putCache(hostname, d);
-                return d;
+                _context.getBooleanPropertyDefaultTrue(PROP_B32)) {
+            try {
+                d = LookupDest.lookupBase32Hash(_context, hostname.substring(0, BASE32_HASH_LENGTH));
+                if (d != null) {
+                    putCache(hostname, d);
+                    return d;
+                }
+            } catch (I2PSessionException i2pse) {
+                _log.warn("couldn't lookup b32",i2pse);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/LookupDest.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/LookupDest.java
index c8b960cc6c..79f269efc1 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/LookupDest.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/client/naming/LookupDest.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class LookupDest {
     protected LookupDest(I2PAppContext context) {}
 
     /** @param key 52 chars (do not include the .b32.i2p suffix) */
-    static Destination lookupBase32Hash(I2PAppContext ctx, String key) {
+    static Destination lookupBase32Hash(I2PAppContext ctx, String key) throws I2PSessionException {
         byte[] h = Base32.decode(key);
         if (h == null)
             return null;
@@ -56,27 +56,30 @@ class LookupDest {
     ****/
 
     /** @param h 32 byte hash */
-    static Destination lookupHash(I2PAppContext ctx, byte[] h) {
+    static Destination lookupHash(I2PAppContext ctx, byte[] h) throws I2PSessionException {
         Hash key = Hash.create(h);
         Destination rv = null;
+        I2PClient client = new I2PSimpleClient();
+        Properties opts = new Properties();
+        String s = ctx.getProperty(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_HOST);
+        if (s != null)
+            opts.put(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_HOST, s);
+        s = ctx.getProperty(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_PORT);
+        if (s != null)
+            opts.put(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_PORT, s);
+        I2PSession session = null;
         try {
-            I2PClient client = new I2PSimpleClient();
-            Properties opts = new Properties();
-            String s = ctx.getProperty(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_HOST);
-            if (s != null)
-                opts.put(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_HOST, s);
-            s = ctx.getProperty(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_PORT);
-            if (s != null)
-                opts.put(I2PClient.PROP_TCP_PORT, s);
-            I2PSession session = client.createSession(null, opts);
+            session = client.createSession(null, opts);
             session.connect();
             rv = session.lookupDest(key, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
-            session.destroySession();
-        } catch (I2PSessionException ise) {}
+        } finally {
+            if (session != null)
+                session.destroySession();
+        }
         return rv;
     }
 
-    public static void main(String args[]) {
+    public static void main(String args[]) throws I2PSessionException {
         Destination dest = lookupBase32Hash(I2PAppContext.getGlobalContext(), args[0]);
         if (dest == null)
             System.out.println("Destination not found!");
diff --git a/core/java/test/junit/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingServiceTest.java b/core/java/test/junit/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingServiceTest.java
index d523b2b1c2..439f4baa9d 100644
--- a/core/java/test/junit/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingServiceTest.java
+++ b/core/java/test/junit/net/i2p/client/naming/DummyNamingServiceTest.java
@@ -1,18 +1,38 @@
 package net.i2p.client.naming;
 
+import java.util.Properties;
+
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 
 import net.i2p.I2PAppContext;
+import net.i2p.client.I2PClient;
+import net.i2p.client.I2PSession;
+import net.i2p.client.I2PSimpleClient;
 import net.i2p.data.Destination;
 
 
 public class DummyNamingServiceTest extends TestCase {
     private I2PAppContext _context;
 
-    public void setUp() {
+    public void setUp() throws Exception {
         _context = new I2PAppContext();
+        verifySession();
     }
 
+    /** makes sure we can create a session */
+    private void verifySession() throws Exception {
+        I2PClient client = new I2PSimpleClient();
+        Properties opts = new Properties();
+        I2PSession session = null;
+        try {
+            session = client.createSession(null, opts);
+            session.connect();
+        } finally {
+            if (session != null)
+                session.destroySession();
+        }
+    }
+    
     public void testLookup() throws Exception{
         // The good b64 and b32 are the destination of www.i2p2.i2p =)
         String goodB64 = "-KR6qyfPWXoN~F3UzzYSMIsaRy4quickbrownfoxXSzUQXQdi2Af1TV2UMH3PpPuNu-GwrqihwmLSkPFg4fv4yQQY3E10VeQVuI67dn5vlan3NGMsjqxoXTSHHt7C3nX3szXK90JSoO~tRMDl1xyqtKm94-RpIyNcLXofd0H6b02683CQIjb-7JiCpDD0zharm6SU54rhdisIUVXpi1xYgg2pKVpssL~KCp7RAGzpt2rSgz~RHFsecqGBeFwJdiko-6CYW~tcBcigM8ea57LK7JjCFVhOoYTqgk95AG04-hfehnmBtuAFHWklFyFh88x6mS9sbVPvi-am4La0G0jvUJw9a3wQ67jMr6KWQ~w~bFe~FDqoZqVXl8t88qHPIvXelvWw2Y8EMSF5PJhWw~AZfoWOA5VQVYvcmGzZIEKtFGE7bgQf3rFtJ2FAtig9XXBsoLisHbJgeVb29Ew5E7bkwxvEe9NYkIqvrKvUAt1i55we0Nkt6xlEdhBqg6xXOyIAAAA";