diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index d73431e..7ebae46 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ static int parseCmdArgs(int argc, char** argv, Config *config)
 		{
 			config->noSerial=true;
 		}
-		
 		else if (std::string(argv[i]) == "-r" || std::string(argv[i]) == "--rates")
 		{
 			printRates();
@@ -135,12 +134,32 @@ int openSerialPort(const Config& config)
 	return serial;
 }
 
-void serialConnect(const Config& config, int* serial)
+int serialPortReconnect(Config& config, std::string err)
 {
-    if(*serial != -1)
-		close(*serial);
-    std::cout<<"Using serial port: "<<config.portFileName<<" at "<<config.baud<<" baud\n";
-    *serial = serialport_init(config.portFileName.c_str(), config.baud);
+	std::cout<<"serial port execption "<<err<<"\ntrying to reopen\n";
+
+	sleep(10);
+	int serial = openSerialPort(config);
+	if(serial == -1)
+	{
+
+		if(config.portFileName == "/dev/ttyUSB0")
+		{
+			std::cout<<"Could not reopen "<<config.portFileName<<" trying /dev/ttyUSB1\n";
+			config.portFileName = "/dev/ttyUSB1";
+			serial = openSerialPort(config);
+		}
+		else if(config.portFileName == "/dev/ttyUSB1")
+		{
+			std::cout<<"Could not reopen "<<config.portFileName<<" trying /dev/ttyUSB0\n";
+			config.portFileName = "/dev/ttyUSB0";
+			serial = openSerialPort(config);
+		}
+
+		if(serial == -1)
+			std::cout<<"Could not reopen "<<config.portFileName<<'\n';
+	}
+	return serial;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
@@ -160,8 +179,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	int serial = openSerialPort(config);
 	if(!config.noSerial)
 	{
-		serialConnect(config, &serial);
-		if(serial == -1) return 1;
+		if(serial == -1)
+			return 1;
 		else 
 		{
 			struct epoll_event ev = {};
@@ -212,7 +231,17 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 				clientsMutex.lock();
 				std::cout<<"client poll\n";
 				if(ev.events & EPOLLIN)
-					client->run(&clients, serial, config.verbose);
+				{
+					try
+					{
+						client->run(&clients, serial, config.verbose);
+					}
+					catch(serialIoException& ex)
+					{
+						close(serial);
+						serialPortReconnect(config, ex.what());
+					}
+				}
 				if((ev.events & (EPOLLHUP | EPOLLERR)) || client->isDisconnected()) 
 				{
 					client->cleanUp();
@@ -227,8 +256,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 				ssize_t readlen = sRead(serial, buffer, 4096);
 				if(readlen < 0 && (errno != EAGAIN || errno != EWOULDBLOCK)) 
 				{
-					std::cout<<"Serial port error reconnecting\n";
-					serialConnect(config, &serial);
+					close(serial);
+					serialPortReconnect(config, strerror(errno));
 				}
 				if(config.verbose)
 				{
diff --git a/serial_io.h b/serial_io.h
index f0c99b3..0e78d0f 100644
--- a/serial_io.h
+++ b/serial_io.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 #include <iostream>
 #include <stdexcept>
+#include <string.h>
 #endif
 
 #define BAUDRATE B38400
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ class serialIoException: public std::runtime_error
         int fd;
         int errorNumber;
         serialIoException(int fd_, int errorNumber_):
-        std::runtime_error("file descriptor error, fd: " + std::to_string(fd_) + " errno: " + std::to_string(errorNumber_) + "\n"), fd(fd_), errorNumber(errorNumber_)
+        std::runtime_error("file descriptor error, fd: " + std::to_string(fd_) + " error: " + strerror(errorNumber_) + "\n"), fd(fd_), errorNumber(errorNumber_)
         {}
 };
 #endif