--- a/gkrellmpc.c
+++ b/gkrellmpc.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ void mpc_create_plugin (GtkWidget *vbox, gint first_create) {
 	/* Create the status decal */
 	mpc_status_decal = gkrellm_create_decal_pixmap(mpc_panel, gkrellm_decal_misc_pixmap(), gkrellm_decal_misc_mask(), N_MISC_DECALS, style, 0, t);
 	mpc_status_decal->x = w - mpc_status_decal->w;
-	gkrellm_draw_decal_pixmap(mpc_panel, mpc_status_decal, (mpc_mpd ? D_MISC_LED1 : D_MISC_LED0));
+	gkrellm_draw_decal_pixmap(mpc_panel, mpc_status_decal, (mpc_mpd_connected() ? D_MISC_LED1 : D_MISC_LED0));
 
 	/* Update t */
 	t += mpc_label_decal->h > mpc_status_decal->h ? mpc_label_decal->h : mpc_status_decal->h;
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ void mpc_update_plugin () {
 	static gint	x_scroll;
 
 	/* Try to connect to mpd */
-	if (!mpc_mpd && mpc_ticker->ten_second_tick) {
+	if (!mpc_mpd_connected() && mpc_ticker->ten_second_tick) {
 		mpc_mpd_connect();
 	}
 
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ void mpc_sync_with_mpd() {
 	status = mpc_mpd_get("status\n");
 	currentsong = mpc_mpd_get("currentsong\n");
 
-	if (!mpc_mpd) {
+	if (!mpc_mpd_connected()) {
 		mpc_update_label(_("NO MPD"));
 		mpc_update_songname("");
 		gtk_tooltips_set_tip(mpc_tooltip, mpc_panel->drawing_area, _("MPD is not running"), NULL);
--- a/mpd.c
+++ b/mpd.c
@@ -12,18 +12,32 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
 
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+
 GIOChannel   * mpc_mpd = NULL;
+pthread_mutex_t mpc_mutex = { { 0, 0, 0, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE_NP, 0, { 0 } } }; //PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+
+gboolean mpc_mpd_connected() {
+	if(pthread_mutex_trylock(&mpc_mutex)){
+		return (FALSE);
+	}
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&mpc_mutex);
+	return (gboolean)mpc_mpd;
+}
 
 /*
  * Connects to the MPD server, sets up the mpd object, sets the status decal to ON
  */
-gboolean mpc_mpd_connect() {
+void* mpc_mpd_connect_worker(void* arg) {
 	int sockfd;
 	struct hostent *server;
 	struct sockaddr_in serv_addr;
 	gchar * line;
 	gchar ** parts;
 	gboolean retval;
+	
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&mpc_mutex);
 
 	if (mpc_mpd) {
 		/*
@@ -33,11 +47,11 @@ gboolean mpc_mpd_connect() {
 	}
 
 	if (!mpc_conf_hostname || !mpc_conf_port) {
-		return (FALSE);
+		goto err;
 	}
 
-	if ((sockfd = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1) return(FALSE);
-	if (!(server = gethostbyname(mpc_conf_hostname))) return(FALSE);
+	if ((sockfd = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1) goto err;
+	if (!(server = gethostbyname(mpc_conf_hostname))) goto err;
 
 	bzero((char *) &serv_addr, sizeof(serv_addr));
 	serv_addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
@@ -46,7 +60,7 @@ gboolean mpc_mpd_connect() {
 			server->h_length);
 	serv_addr.sin_port = htons(mpc_conf_port);
 
-	if (connect(sockfd, (struct sockaddr*)&serv_addr, sizeof(serv_addr)) < 0) return(FALSE);
+	if (connect(sockfd, (struct sockaddr*)&serv_addr, sizeof(serv_addr)) < 0) goto err;
 	
 	/* Getup the mpd object */
 	mpc_mpd = g_io_channel_unix_new(sockfd);
@@ -72,29 +86,39 @@ gboolean mpc_mpd_connect() {
 		retval = FALSE;
 	}
 
-	if (retval) {
-		gkrellm_draw_decal_pixmap(mpc_panel, mpc_status_decal, D_MISC_LED1);
-		mpc_update_label(_("MPD"));
-		mpc_update_songname("");
-	}
+err:	
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&mpc_mutex);
+	return NULL;
+}
 
-	return(retval);
+gboolean mpc_mpd_connect() {
+	pthread_attr_t attr;
+	pthread_t thread_id;
+	
+	if(pthread_mutex_trylock(&mpc_mutex)){
+		return (FALSE);
+	}
+	
+	pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+	pthread_create(&thread_id, &attr, mpc_mpd_connect_worker, NULL);
+	
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&mpc_mutex);
+	
+	return (FALSE);
 }
 
 /*
  * Disconnects from MPD, destroys the mpd object, sets the status decal to off
  */
 gboolean mpc_mpd_disconnect() {
-
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&mpc_mutex);
 	if (mpc_mpd) {
 		g_io_channel_shutdown(mpc_mpd, FALSE, NULL);
 		free(mpc_mpd);
 		mpc_mpd = NULL;
 	}
 	
-	gkrellm_draw_decal_pixmap(mpc_panel, mpc_status_decal, D_MISC_LED0);
-	mpc_update_label(_("NO MPD"));
-	mpc_update_songname("");
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&mpc_mutex);
 	return (TRUE);
 }
 
--- a/mpd.h
+++ b/mpd.h
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ gboolean     mpc_mpd_disconnect();
 gboolean     mpc_mpd_do(gchar *);
 GHashTable * mpc_mpd_get(gchar *);
 GPtrArray  * mpc_mpd_get_clumps(gchar *, gboolean);
+gboolean     mpc_mpd_connected();
 
 #endif