Index: src/worldengine/GXmlDataController.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/worldengine/GXmlDataController.cpp	(revision 547)
+++ src/worldengine/GXmlDataController.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -1306,6 +1306,14 @@
 
 void GXmlDataController::sendUserMessage(QString message, QString destination)
 {
+  //@todo: this doesn't work???
+//   XMPP::Jid destjid;
+//   destjid.set(destination);
+//   if (!destjid.isValid())
+//   {
+//     qWarning(QString("Destination %1 not a valid JID, not sending message!").arg(destination));
+//     return;
+//   }
   QDomDocument d;
   QDomElement e = d.createElement("message");
   d.appendChild(e);
Index: src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.cpp	(revision 547)
+++ src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -94,19 +94,22 @@
 : GXmlNetwork(parent,name),
   Active(FALSE),
   Connected(FALSE),
+  Connecting(FALSE),
   XmppLayerCreated(FALSE),
   XmppConnector(NULL),
   Tls(NULL),
   TlsHandler(NULL),
   Stream(NULL),
   NetworkId(full_jid),
-  MessageQueue(new GXmppMessageQueue())
+  MessageQueue(new GXmppMessageQueue()),
+  StayConnected(FALSE)
 {
   connect(qApp,SIGNAL(aboutToQuit()),this,SLOT(closeNetwork()));
 
-  QTimer* heartbeat_timer = new QTimer(this,"heartbeat timer");
-  connect(heartbeat_timer,SIGNAL(timeout()),this,SLOT(sendHeartbeat()));
-  heartbeat_timer->start(55000);
+//   QTimer* heartbeat_timer = new QTimer(this,"heartbeat timer");
+//   connect(heartbeat_timer,SIGNAL(timeout()),this,SLOT(sendHeartbeat()));
+//   heartbeat_timer->start(55000);
+  // see XMPP::ClientStream::setNoopTime() which is now used
 }
 
 GXmppNetwork::~GXmppNetwork()
@@ -123,8 +126,9 @@
 {
   if (XmppLayerCreated)
   {
-    qWarning("XMPP Layer already created!");
-    return true;
+    qWarning("XMPP Layer already created! Destroying it first...");
+    this->deleteXmppLayer(true);
+    qWarning("XMPP Layer now destroyed");
   }
     
   //XMPP related setup
@@ -241,6 +245,11 @@
     XmppConnector=NULL;
   }
   
+  this->Connected = false;
+  this->Connecting = false;
+  this->Active = false;
+  this->XmppLayerCreated = false;
+  
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -296,6 +305,14 @@
 
 bool GXmppNetwork::initNetwork()
 {
+  if (this->Connecting)
+  {
+    qWarning("Already in the process of connecting the network");
+    return false;
+  }
+  
+  this->Connecting = true;
+  
   QMutexLocker lock(this);
   if (!this->createXmppLayer())
   {
@@ -332,7 +349,7 @@
     Tls->setCertificateStore(certStore);
   }
   
-//   Stream->setNoopTime(55000); // every 55 seconds
+  Stream->setNoopTime(55000); // every 55 seconds
   qDebug("Connecting XMPP network with JID " + this->getNetworkId());
   qDebug("Warning: if you get a segmentation fault next, this probably means");
   qDebug("         that the server you want to connect to (the domain part");
@@ -344,15 +361,22 @@
   return true;
 }
 
+void GXmppNetwork::reconnectNetwork()
+{
+  QTimer::singleShot(100,this,SLOT(initNetwork()));
+}
+
 bool GXmppNetwork::closeNetwork()
 {
   QMutexLocker lock(this);
+  this->StayConnected = false;
   if (this->Connected)
   {
     qDebug("Disconnecting XMPP Stream...");
     this->Stream->close();
     this->Connected = false;
     this->Active = false; // correct place?
+    this->Connecting = false;
     return true;
   }
   else
@@ -379,6 +403,15 @@
     qWarning("Destination is empty, not sending message!");
     return false;
   }
+  
+  //@todo this doesn't seem to be functional(??)
+  XMPP::Jid destjid(destination);
+  if (!destjid.isValid())
+  {
+    qWarning(QString("Destination %1 not a valid JID, not sending message!").arg(destination));
+    return false;
+  }
+  
 //   qDebug(QString("type range for user events: %1 to %2").arg(QString::number(QEvent::User)).arg(QString::number(QEvent::MaxUser)));
   QDomDocument d;
   QDomElement e = d.createElement("message");
@@ -386,15 +419,24 @@
   e.setAttribute("to",destination);
   e.appendChild(d.importNode(data,"true"));
   
-  if (!this->isSubscribed(destination))
+  if (!this->isSubscribed(destination) || !this->isConnected())
   {
-    qWarning(QString("Delaying sending of message, destination %1 is not yet available").arg(destination));
+    if (!this->isConnected() && this->StayConnected)
+    {
+      qWarning("Network is not connected! Reconnecting...");
+      this->reconnectNetwork();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      qWarning(QString("Delaying sending of message, destination %1 is not yet available").arg(destination));
+      this->makeDestinationAvailable(destination);
+    }
     this->MessageQueue->add(destination,d.toString());
-    this->makeDestinationAvailable(destination);
   }
   else
   {
-    QApplication::postEvent(this,new QNetworkSendEvent(d.toString()));
+    this->send(d.toString());
+//     QApplication::postEvent(this,new QNetworkSendEvent(d.toString()));
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -455,7 +497,7 @@
 
 bool GXmppNetwork::isConnected()
 {
-  if (this->Active && this->Connected && Stream->isAuthenticated())
+  if (this->Active && this->Connected && Stream->isAuthenticated() && Stream->isActive())
     return true;
   else
     return false;
@@ -505,7 +547,9 @@
 
 void GXmppNetwork::clientStreamConnected()
 {
+  this->Connecting = false;
   this->Connected = true;
+  this->StayConnected = true;
   qDebug("XMPP Stream connected");
 }
 
@@ -553,7 +597,12 @@
 
 void GXmppNetwork::clientStreamConnectionClosed()
 {
-  qDebug("XMPP Stream connection closed");
+  qDebug("XMPP Stream connection closed.");
+  if (this->StayConnected)
+  {
+    qDebug("Using timer for delayed recreation of the XMPP layer...");
+    this->reconnectNetwork();
+  }
 }
 
 void GXmppNetwork::clientStreamDelayedCloseFinished()
@@ -765,7 +814,7 @@
   }
   else if(err == XMPP::ClientStream::ErrProtocol)
   {
-    s = "conntest: XMPP protocol error";
+    s = "XMPP protocol error";
   }
   else if(err == XMPP::ClientStream::ErrStream)
   {
@@ -870,6 +919,12 @@
     s = "broken security layer (SASL)";
 
   qWarning(s);
+  
+  if (!this->isConnected() && this->StayConnected)
+  {
+    qWarning("XMPP Stream got disconnected, reconnecting...");
+    QTimer::singleShot(100,this,SLOT(initNetwork()));
+  }
 }
 
 //END XMPP slots and signals for network management //
Index: src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.h
===================================================================
--- src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.h	(revision 547)
+++ src/worldengine/GXmppNetwork.h	(working copy)
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@
   bool Connected;
   
   /**
+   * Currently connecting?
+   */
+  bool Connecting;
+  
+  /**
    * XMPP related objects created.
    */
   bool XmppLayerCreated;
@@ -130,6 +135,14 @@
    */
   GXmppMessageQueue* MessageQueue;
   
+  /**
+   * Set to true if the network should stay connected.
+   * In this case reinitializing the network will be done
+   * automatically if the network got disconnected.
+   * closeNetwork() sets this to false before shutting down.
+   */
+  bool StayConnected;
+  
   protected slots:
   
   /**
@@ -208,6 +221,13 @@
    * Initialization.
    */
   virtual bool initNetwork();
+  
+  /**
+   * Issues a single shot timer to call initNetwork()
+   * Useful when wanting to reconnect but being in the middle
+   * of something (that is, in a slot)
+   */
+  virtual void reconnectNetwork();
    
   /**
    * Shuts down the network.