diff --git a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMHandlerFactory.java b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMHandlerFactory.java
index b814124f84..d40b5352e9 100644
--- a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMHandlerFactory.java
+++ b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMHandlerFactory.java
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ class SAMHandlerFactory {
 
         // Message format: HELLO VERSION [MIN=v1] [MAX=v2]
         Properties props = SAMUtils.parseParams(line);
-        if (!"HELLO".equals(props.getProperty(SAMUtils.COMMAND)) ||
-            !"VERSION".equals(props.getProperty(SAMUtils.OPCODE))) {
+        if (!"HELLO".equals(props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND)) ||
+            !"VERSION".equals(props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE))) {
             throw new SAMException("Must start with HELLO VERSION");
         }
-        props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
-        props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
 
         String minVer = props.getProperty("MIN");
         if (minVer == null) {
diff --git a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv1Handler.java b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv1Handler.java
index e779e05fa1..d2cba4b82d 100644
--- a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv1Handler.java
+++ b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv1Handler.java
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InterruptedIOException;
 import java.net.ConnectException;
 import java.net.NoRouteToHostException;
+import java.net.Socket;
+import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
 import java.nio.channels.SocketChannel;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ class SAMv1Handler extends SAMHandler implements SAMRawReceiver, SAMDatagramRece
 
     protected final long _id;
     private static final AtomicLong __id = new AtomicLong();
+    private static final int FIRST_READ_TIMEOUT = 60*1000;
     
     /**
      * Create a new SAM version 1 handler.  This constructor expects
@@ -105,6 +108,7 @@ class SAMv1Handler extends SAMHandler implements SAMRawReceiver, SAMDatagramRece
             _log.debug("SAM handling started");
 
         try {
+            boolean gotFirstLine = false;
             while (true) {
                 if (shouldStop()) {
                     if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
@@ -122,33 +126,38 @@ class SAMv1Handler extends SAMHandler implements SAMRawReceiver, SAMDatagramRece
                 	break;
                 }
                 buf.setLength(0);
-                // TODO set timeout first time
-                ReadLine.readLine(clientSocketChannel.socket(), buf, 0);
+                // first time, set a timeout
+                try {
+                    Socket sock = clientSocketChannel.socket();
+                    ReadLine.readLine(sock, buf, gotFirstLine ? 0 : FIRST_READ_TIMEOUT);
+                    sock.setSoTimeout(0);
+                } catch (SocketTimeoutException ste) {
+                    writeString("SESSION STATUS RESULT=I2P_ERROR MESSAGE=\"command timeout, bye\"\n");
+                    break;
+                }
                 msg = buf.toString();
 
                 if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG)) {
                     _log.debug("New message received: [" + msg + ']');
                 }
                 props = SAMUtils.parseParams(msg);
-                domain = props.getProperty(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
+                domain = (String) props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
                 if (domain == null) {
                     if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
                         _log.debug("Ignoring newline");
                     continue;
                 }
-                opcode = props.getProperty(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
+                opcode = (String) props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
                 if (opcode == null) {
                     if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
                         _log.debug("Error in message format");
                     break;
                 }
-                props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
-                props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
                 if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG)) {
                     _log.debug("Parsing (domain: \"" + domain
                                + "\"; opcode: \"" + opcode + "\")");
                 }
-
+                gotFirstLine = true;
                 if (domain.equals("STREAM")) {
                     canContinue = execStreamMessage(opcode, props);
                 } else if (domain.equals("DATAGRAM")) {
@@ -360,16 +369,11 @@ class SAMv1Handler extends SAMHandler implements SAMRawReceiver, SAMDatagramRece
     /* Parse and execute a NAMING message */
   protected boolean execNamingMessage(String opcode, Properties props) {
         if (opcode.equals("LOOKUP")) {
-            if (props.isEmpty()) {
-                _log.debug("No parameters specified in NAMING LOOKUP message");
-                return false;
-            }
-            
             String name = props.getProperty("NAME");
             if (name == null) {
                 if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
                     _log.debug("Name to resolve not specified in NAMING message");
-                return false;
+                return writeString("NAMING REPLY RESULT=KEY_NOT_FOUND NAME=\"\" MESSAGE=\"Must specify NAME\"\n");
             }
 
             Destination dest = null ;
diff --git a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv3Handler.java b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv3Handler.java
index 6723c2624e..032538b0c8 100644
--- a/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv3Handler.java
+++ b/apps/sam/java/src/net/i2p/sam/SAMv3Handler.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class SAMv3Handler extends SAMv1Handler
 	private volatile boolean streamForwardingSocket;
 	private final boolean sendPorts;
 	private long _lastPing;
+	private static final int FIRST_READ_TIMEOUT = 60*1000;
 	private static final int READ_TIMEOUT = 3*60*1000;
 	
 	interface Session {
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ class SAMv3Handler extends SAMv1Handler
 			InputStream in = socket.getInputStream();
 
 			StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder(1024);
+			boolean gotFirstLine = false;
 			while (true) {
 				if (shouldStop()) {
 					if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
@@ -329,23 +331,28 @@ class SAMv3Handler extends SAMv1Handler
 					}
 				} else {
 					buf.setLength(0);					
-					// TODO first time, set a timeout
-					ReadLine.readLine(socket, buf, 0);
+					// first time, set a timeout
+					try {
+						ReadLine.readLine(socket, buf, gotFirstLine ? 0 : FIRST_READ_TIMEOUT);
+						socket.setSoTimeout(0);
+					} catch (SocketTimeoutException ste) {
+						writeString("SESSION STATUS RESULT=I2P_ERROR MESSAGE=\"command timeout, bye\"\n");
+						break;
+					}
 					line = buf.toString();
 				}
 
 				if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
 					_log.debug("New message received: [" + line + ']');
 				props = SAMUtils.parseParams(line);
-				domain = props.getProperty(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
+				domain = (String) props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
 				if (domain == null) {
 					if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG))
 						_log.debug("Ignoring newline");
 					continue;
 				}
-				opcode = props.getProperty(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
-				props.remove(SAMUtils.COMMAND);
-				props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
+				gotFirstLine = true;
+				opcode = (String) props.remove(SAMUtils.OPCODE);
 				if (_log.shouldLog(Log.DEBUG)) {
 					_log.debug("Parsing (domain: \"" + domain
 							+ "\"; opcode: \"" + opcode + "\")");