diff --git a/lib/init-website.php b/lib/init-website.php
index 8f04d97d..445bbc7c 100644
--- a/lib/init-website.php
+++ b/lib/init-website.php
@@ -19,8 +19,24 @@
 
 	if ($fBucketVal > CONST_ConnectionBucket_WaitLimit && $fBucketVal < CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit)
 	{
-		sleep(($fBucketVal - CONST_ConnectionBucket_WaitLimit)/CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate);
-		$fBucketVal = doBucket($aBucketKeys, 0, 0, CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit);
+		$m = getBucketMemcache();
+		$iCurrentSleeping = $m->increment('sleepCounter');
+		if (false === $iCurrentSleeping)
+		{
+			$m->add('sleepCounter', 0);
+			$iCurrentSleeping = $m->increment('sleepCounter');
+		}
+		if ($iCurrentSleeping >= CONST_ConnectionBucket_MaxSleeping)
+		{
+			// Too many threads sleeping already.  This becomes a hard block.
+			$fBucketVal = doBucket($aBucketKeys, CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit, CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate, CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			sleep(($fBucketVal - CONST_ConnectionBucket_WaitLimit)/CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate);
+			$fBucketVal = doBucket($aBucketKeys, CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate, CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate, CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit);
+		}
+		$m->decrement('sleepCounter');
 	}
 
 	if (strpos(CONST_BlockedIPs, ','.$_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"].',') !== false || $fBucketVal >= CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit)
diff --git a/lib/lib.php b/lib/lib.php
index 0af91e2d..91fe21b2 100644
--- a/lib/lib.php
+++ b/lib/lib.php
@@ -919,9 +919,14 @@
 
 	function getBucketMemcache()
 	{
+		static $m;
+
 		if (!CONST_ConnectionBucket_MemcacheServerAddress) return null;
-	        $m = new Memcached();
-        	$m->addServer(CONST_ConnectionBucket_MemcacheServerAddress, CONST_ConnectionBucket_MemcacheServerPort);
+		if (!isset($m))
+		{
+		        $m = new Memcached();
+        		$m->addServer(CONST_ConnectionBucket_MemcacheServerAddress, CONST_ConnectionBucket_MemcacheServerPort);
+		}
 		return $m;
 	}
 
diff --git a/settings/settings.php b/settings/settings.php
index 65604035..6bf526ca 100644
--- a/settings/settings.php
+++ b/settings/settings.php
@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_LeakRate', 1);
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_BlockLimit', 10);
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_WaitLimit', 6);
+	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_MaxSleeping', 10);
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_Cost_Reverse', 1);
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_Cost_Search', 2);
 	@define('CONST_ConnectionBucket_Cost_Details', 3);
 
+	// Override this function to add an adjustment factor to the cost
+	// based on server load. e.g. getBlockingProcesses
 	if (!function_exists('user_busy_cost'))
 	{
 		function user_busy_cost()
diff --git a/utils/blocks.php b/utils/blocks.php
index 4d323115..4732abb1 100755
--- a/utils/blocks.php
+++ b/utils/blocks.php
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 
 	if ($aResult['list'])
 	{
+		$iCurrentSleeping = $m->get('sleepCounter');
+		echo "\n Sleeping blocks count: $iCurrentSleeping\n";
+
 		$aBlocks = getBucketBlocks();
 		echo "\n";
 		printf(" %-40s | %12s | %7s | %13s | %16s | %31s\n", "Key", "Total Blocks", "Current", "Still Blocked", "Last Req Blocked", "Last Block Time");
@@ -36,5 +39,6 @@
 
 	if ($aResult['delete'])
 	{
+		$m->set('sleepCounter', 0);
 		clearBucketBlocks();
 	}