/* register callback to be informed about target events */
        target_register_event_callback(gdb_target_callback_event_handler, connection);
 
-       /* a gdb session just attached, try to put the target in halt mode
-        * or alterantively try to issue a reset.
-        *
-        * GDB connection will fail if e.g. register read packets fail,
-        * otherwise resetting/halting the target could have been left to GDB init
-        * scripts
+       /* a gdb session just attached, try to put the target in halt mode.
         * 
         * DANGER!!!! 
-        * We need a synchronous halt, lest connect will fail.
-        * Also there is no guarantee that poll() will be invoked
-        * between here and serving the first packet, so the halt()
-        * statement above is *NOT* sufficient
+        * 
+        * If the halt fails(e.g. target needs a reset, JTAG communication not
+        * working, etc.), then the GDB connect will succeed as
+        * the get_gdb_reg_list() will lie and return a register list with
+        * dummy values.
+        * 
+        * This allows GDB monitor commands to be run from a GDB init script to
+        * initialize the target
+        * 
+        * Also, since the halt() is asynchronous target connect will be
+        * instantaneous and thus avoiding annoying timeout problems during
+        * connect. 
         */
-       if ((retval = gdb_service->target->type->halt(gdb_service->target)) != ERROR_OK)
-       {
-               ERROR("error(%d) when trying to halt target, falling back to \"reset\"", retval);
-               command_run_line(connection->cmd_ctx, "reset");
-       }
-       command_run_line(connection->cmd_ctx, "halt");
+       gdb_service->target->type->halt(gdb_service->target);
        
        /* remove the initial ACK from the incoming buffer */
        if ((retval = gdb_get_char(connection, &initial_ack)) != ERROR_OK)
        }
        else
        {
-               if ((retval = gdb_error(connection, retval)) != ERROR_OK)
-                       return retval;
+               retval = gdb_error(connection, retval);
        }
 
        free(buffer);
 
-       return ERROR_OK;
+       return retval;
 }
 
 int gdb_write_memory_binary_packet(connection_t *connection, target_t *target, char *packet, int packet_size)
 
        register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "targets", handle_targets_command, COMMAND_EXEC, NULL);
        register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "daemon_startup", handle_daemon_startup_command, COMMAND_CONFIG, NULL);
        register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "target_script", handle_target_script_command, COMMAND_CONFIG, NULL);
-       register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "run_and_halt_time", handle_run_and_halt_time_command, COMMAND_CONFIG, NULL);
+       register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "run_and_halt_time", handle_run_and_halt_time_command, COMMAND_CONFIG, "<target> <run time ms>");
        register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "working_area", handle_working_area_command, COMMAND_ANY, "working_area <target#> <address> <size> <'backup'|'nobackup'> [virtual address]");
        register_command(cmd_ctx, NULL, "virt2phys", handle_virt2phys_command, COMMAND_ANY, "virt2phys <virtual address>");
 
        
        if (argc < 3)
        {
-               ERROR("target command requires at least three arguments: <type> <endianess> <reset_mode>");
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        /* search for the specified target */
                                else
                                {
                                        ERROR("endianness must be either 'little' or 'big', not '%s'", args[1]);
-                                       exit(-1);
+                                       return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
                                }
                                
                                /* what to do on a target reset */
                                else
                                {
                                        ERROR("unknown target startup mode %s", args[2]);
-                                       exit(-1);
+                                       return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
                                }
                                (*last_target_p)->run_and_halt_time = 1000; /* default 1s */
                                
        if (!found)
        {
                ERROR("target '%s' not found", args[0]);
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
 
        return ERROR_OK;
        if (argc < 3)
        {
                ERROR("incomplete target_script command");
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        target = get_target_by_num(strtoul(args[0], NULL, 0));
        
        if (!target)
        {
-               ERROR("target number '%s' not defined", args[0]);
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        if (strcmp(args[1], "reset") == 0)
        else
        {
                ERROR("unknown event type: '%s", args[1]);
-               exit(-1);       
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        return ERROR_OK;
        
        if (argc < 2)
        {
-               ERROR("incomplete run_and_halt_time command");
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        target = get_target_by_num(strtoul(args[0], NULL, 0));
        
        if (!target)
        {
-               ERROR("target number '%s' not defined", args[0]);
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        
        target->run_and_halt_time = strtoul(args[1], NULL, 0);
        
        if (!target)
        {
-               ERROR("target number '%s' not defined", args[0]);
-               exit(-1);
+               return ERROR_COMMAND_SYNTAX_ERROR;
        }
        target_free_all_working_areas(target);
        
        }
        
        image_size = 0x0;
+       retval = ERROR_OK;
        for (i = 0; i < image.num_sections; i++)
        {
                buffer = malloc(image.sections[i].size);
                
                if ((retval = image_read_section(&image, i, 0x0, image.sections[i].size, buffer, &buf_cnt)) != ERROR_OK)
                {
-                       ERROR("image_read_section failed with error code: %i", retval);
-                       command_print(cmd_ctx, "image reading failed, download aborted");
                        free(buffer);
-                       image_close(&image);
-                       return ERROR_OK;
+                       break;
+               }
+               if ((retval = target_write_buffer(target, image.sections[i].base_address, buf_cnt, buffer)) != ERROR_OK)
+               {
+                       free(buffer);
+                       break;
                }
-               target_write_buffer(target, image.sections[i].base_address, buf_cnt, buffer);
                image_size += buf_cnt;
                command_print(cmd_ctx, "%u byte written at address 0x%8.8x", buf_cnt, image.sections[i].base_address);
                
        }
 
        duration_stop_measure(&duration, &duration_text);
-       command_print(cmd_ctx, "downloaded %u byte in %s", image_size, duration_text);
+       if (retval==ERROR_OK)
+       {
+               command_print(cmd_ctx, "downloaded %u byte in %s", image_size, duration_text);
+       }
        free(duration_text);
        
        image_close(&image);
 
-       return ERROR_OK;
+       return retval;
 
 }
 
        u32 address;
        u32 size;
        u8 buffer[560];
-       int retval;
+       int retval=ERROR_OK;
        
        duration_t duration;
        char *duration_text;
                retval = target->type->read_memory(target, address, 4, this_run_size / 4, buffer);
                if (retval != ERROR_OK)
                {
-                       command_print(cmd_ctx, "Reading memory failed %d", retval);
                        break;
                }
                
-               fileio_write(&fileio, this_run_size, buffer, &size_written);
+               retval = fileio_write(&fileio, this_run_size, buffer, &size_written);
+               if (retval != ERROR_OK)
+               {
+                       break;
+               }
                
                size -= this_run_size;
                address += this_run_size;
        fileio_close(&fileio);
 
        duration_stop_measure(&duration, &duration_text);
-       command_print(cmd_ctx, "dumped %"PRIi64" byte in %s", fileio.size, duration_text);
+       if (retval==ERROR_OK)
+       {
+               command_print(cmd_ctx, "dumped %"PRIi64" byte in %s", fileio.size, duration_text);
+       }
        free(duration_text);
        
        return ERROR_OK;
        }
        
        image_size = 0x0;
+       retval=ERROR_OK;
        for (i = 0; i < image.num_sections; i++)
        {
                buffer = malloc(image.sections[i].size);
                }
                if ((retval = image_read_section(&image, i, 0x0, image.sections[i].size, buffer, &buf_cnt)) != ERROR_OK)
                {
-                       ERROR("image_read_section failed with error code: %i", retval);
-                       command_print(cmd_ctx, "image reading failed, verify aborted");
                        free(buffer);
-                       image_close(&image);
-                       return ERROR_OK;
+                       break;
                }
                
                /* calculate checksum of image */
                
                if( retval != ERROR_OK )
                {
-                       command_print(cmd_ctx, "could not calculate checksum, verify aborted");
                        free(buffer);
-                       image_close(&image);
-                       return ERROR_OK;
+                       break;
                }
                
                if( checksum != mem_checksum )
                                                command_print(cmd_ctx, "Verify operation failed address 0x%08x. Was 0x%02x instead of 0x%02x\n", t + image.sections[i].base_address, data[t], buffer[t]);
                                                free(data);
                                                free(buffer);
-                                               image_close(&image);
-                                               return ERROR_OK;
+                                               retval=ERROR_FAIL;
+                                               goto done;
                                        }
                                }
                        }
                free(buffer);
                image_size += buf_cnt;
        }
-       
+done:  
        duration_stop_measure(&duration, &duration_text);
-       command_print(cmd_ctx, "verified %u bytes in %s", image_size, duration_text);
+       if (retval==ERROR_OK)
+       {
+               command_print(cmd_ctx, "verified %u bytes in %s", image_size, duration_text);
+       }
        free(duration_text);
        
        image_close(&image);
        
-       return ERROR_OK;
+       return retval;
 }
 
 int handle_bp_command(struct command_context_s *cmd_ctx, char *cmd, char **args, int argc)