diff --git a/lib/core-net/client/connect2.c b/lib/core-net/client/connect2.c
index 394283530..4dac3f5aa 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/client/connect2.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/client/connect2.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ struct lws *
 lws_client_connect_2_dnsreq(struct lws *wsi)
 {
 	struct addrinfo *result = NULL;
-	const char *meth = NULL, *ads;
+	const char *meth = NULL;
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_IPV6)
 	struct sockaddr_in addr;
 	const char *iface;
@@ -151,17 +151,11 @@ lws_client_connect_2_dnsreq(struct lws *wsi)
 	 */
 
 	if (!wsi->cli_hostname_copy) {
-		if (wsi->stash && wsi->stash->cis[CIS_HOST])
-			wsi->cli_hostname_copy =
-					lws_strdup(wsi->stash->cis[CIS_HOST]);
-#if defined(LWS_ROLE_H1) || defined(LWS_ROLE_H2)
-		else {
-			char *pa = lws_hdr_simple_ptr(wsi,
-					      _WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS);
-			if (pa)
-				wsi->cli_hostname_copy = lws_strdup(pa);
-		}
-#endif
+		const char *pa = lws_wsi_client_stash_item(wsi, CIS_HOST,
+					_WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS);
+
+		if (pa)
+			wsi->cli_hostname_copy = lws_strdup(pa);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -171,6 +165,10 @@ lws_client_connect_2_dnsreq(struct lws *wsi)
 
 	meth = lws_wsi_client_stash_item(wsi, CIS_METHOD,
 					 _WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_METHOD);
+	/* consult active connections to find out disposition */
+
+	adsin = lws_wsi_client_stash_item(wsi, CIS_ADDRESS,
+					  _WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS);
 
 	/* we only pipeline connections that said it was okay */
 
@@ -187,11 +185,6 @@ lws_client_connect_2_dnsreq(struct lws *wsi)
 		    strcmp(meth, "UDP") && strcmp(meth, "MQTT"))
 		goto solo;
 
-	/* consult active connections to find out disposition */
-
-	adsin = lws_wsi_client_stash_item(wsi, CIS_ADDRESS,
-					  _WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS);
-
 	if (!adsin)
 		/*
 		 * This cannot happen since user code must provide the client
@@ -256,24 +249,19 @@ solo:
 		lws_context_unlock(wsi->a.context);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * unix socket destination?
-	 */
-
-	if (wsi->stash)
-		ads = wsi->stash->cis[CIS_ADDRESS];
-	else
-		ads = lws_hdr_simple_ptr(wsi, _WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS);
-
 	/*
 	 * Since address must be given at client creation, should not be
 	 * possible, but necessary to satisfy coverity
 	 */
-	if (!ads)
+	if (!adsin)
 		return NULL;
 
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_UNIX_SOCK)
-	if (*ads == '+') {
+	/*
+	 * unix socket destination?
+	 */
+
+	if (*adsin == '+') {
 		wsi->unix_skt = 1;
 		n = 0;
 		goto next_step;
@@ -305,7 +293,7 @@ solo:
 	 * Priority 1: connect to http proxy */
 
 	if (wsi->a.vhost->http.http_proxy_port) {
-		ads = wsi->a.vhost->http.http_proxy_address;
+		adsin = wsi->a.vhost->http.http_proxy_address;
 		port = (int)wsi->a.vhost->http.http_proxy_port;
 #else
 		if (0) {
@@ -317,7 +305,7 @@ solo:
 
 	} else if (wsi->a.vhost->socks_proxy_port) {
 		lwsl_client("Sending SOCKS Greeting\n");
-		ads = wsi->a.vhost->socks_proxy_address;
+		adsin = wsi->a.vhost->socks_proxy_address;
 		port = (int)wsi->a.vhost->socks_proxy_port;
 #endif
 	} else {
@@ -334,7 +322,7 @@ solo:
 	 */
 	lwsi_set_state(wsi, LRS_WAITING_DNS);
 
-	lwsl_info("%s: %s: lookup %s:%u\n", __func__, wsi->lc.gutag, ads, port);
+	lwsl_info("%s: %s: lookup %s:%u\n", __func__, wsi->lc.gutag, adsin, port);
 	wsi->conn_port = (uint16_t)port;
 
 #if !defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_ASYNC_DNS)
@@ -343,7 +331,7 @@ solo:
 		/*
 		 * blocking dns resolution
 		 */
-		n = lws_getaddrinfo46(wsi, ads, &result);
+		n = lws_getaddrinfo46(wsi, adsin, &result);
 	}
 #else
 	/* this is either FAILED, CONTINUING, or already called connect_4 */
@@ -351,7 +339,7 @@ solo:
 	if (lws_fi(&wsi->fic, "dnsfail"))
 		return lws_client_connect_3_connect(wsi, NULL, NULL, -4, NULL);
 	else
-		n = lws_async_dns_query(wsi->a.context, wsi->tsi, ads,
+		n = lws_async_dns_query(wsi->a.context, wsi->tsi, adsin,
 				LWS_ADNS_RECORD_A, lws_client_connect_3_connect,
 				wsi, NULL);
 
@@ -367,7 +355,7 @@ solo:
 #if defined(LWS_WITH_UNIX_SOCK)
 next_step:
 #endif
-	return lws_client_connect_3_connect(wsi, ads, result, n, NULL);
+	return lws_client_connect_3_connect(wsi, adsin, result, n, NULL);
 
 //#if defined(LWS_WITH_SYS_ASYNC_DNS)
 failed1:
diff --git a/lib/core-net/vhost.c b/lib/core-net/vhost.c
index ed8827e4d..10919cb34 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/vhost.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/vhost.c
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ lws_protocol_vh_priv_zalloc(struct lws_vhost *vhost,
 {
 	int n = 0;
 
-	if (!vhost || !prot)
+	if (!vhost || !prot || !vhost->protocols || !prot->name)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* allocate the vh priv array only on demand */
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ lws_protocol_vh_priv_zalloc(struct lws_vhost *vhost,
 		vhost->protocol_vh_privs = (void **)lws_zalloc(
 				(size_t)vhost->count_protocols * sizeof(void *),
 				"protocol_vh_privs");
+
 		if (!vhost->protocol_vh_privs)
 			return NULL;
 	}
@@ -261,12 +262,17 @@ lws_protocol_vh_priv_zalloc(struct lws_vhost *vhost,
 
 	if (n == vhost->count_protocols) {
 		n = 0;
-		while (n < vhost->count_protocols &&
-		       strcmp(vhost->protocols[n].name, prot->name))
+		while (n < vhost->count_protocols) {
+			if (vhost->protocols[n].name &&
+			    !strcmp(vhost->protocols[n].name, prot->name))
+				break;
 			n++;
+		}
 
-		if (n == vhost->count_protocols)
+		if (n == vhost->count_protocols) {
+			lwsl_err("%s: unknown protocol %p\n", __func__, prot);
 			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
 	vhost->protocol_vh_privs[n] = lws_zalloc((size_t)size, "vh priv");
@@ -279,7 +285,8 @@ lws_protocol_vh_priv_get(struct lws_vhost *vhost,
 {
 	int n = 0;
 
-	if (!vhost || !vhost->protocol_vh_privs || !prot)
+	if (!vhost || !vhost->protocols ||
+	    !vhost->protocol_vh_privs || !prot || !prot->name)
 		return NULL;
 
 	while (n < vhost->count_protocols && &vhost->protocols[n] != prot)
@@ -287,9 +294,12 @@ lws_protocol_vh_priv_get(struct lws_vhost *vhost,
 
 	if (n == vhost->count_protocols) {
 		n = 0;
-		while (n < vhost->count_protocols &&
-		       strcmp(vhost->protocols[n].name, prot->name))
+		while (n < vhost->count_protocols) {
+			if (vhost->protocols[n].name &&
+			    !strcmp(vhost->protocols[n].name, prot->name))
+				break;
 			n++;
+		}
 
 		if (n == vhost->count_protocols) {
 			lwsl_err("%s: unknown protocol %p\n", __func__, prot);
@@ -442,12 +452,25 @@ lws_protocol_init_vhost(struct lws_vhost *vh, int *any)
 		 * prepared in case the protocol handler wants to touch them
 		 */
 
-		if (pvo || !vh->pvo) {
+		if (pvo
+#if !defined(LWS_WITH_PLUGINS)
+				/*
+				 * with plugins, you have to explicitly
+				 * instantiate them with pvos
+				 */
+				|| !vh->pvo
+#endif
+		) {
 			lwsl_info("%s: init %s.%s\n", __func__, vh->name,
 					vh->protocols[n].name);
 			if (vh->protocols[n].callback((struct lws *)lwsa,
 				LWS_CALLBACK_PROTOCOL_INIT, NULL,
-				(void *)(pvo ? pvo->options : NULL), 0)) {
+#if !defined(LWS_WITH_PLUGINS)
+				(void *)(pvo ? pvo->options : NULL),
+#else
+				(void *)pvo->options,
+#endif
+				0)) {
 				if (vh->protocol_vh_privs && vh->protocol_vh_privs[n]) {
 					lws_free(vh->protocol_vh_privs[n]);
 					vh->protocol_vh_privs[n] = NULL;
diff --git a/lib/core-net/wsi.c b/lib/core-net/wsi.c
index 07d605542..001ab794f 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/wsi.c
+++ b/lib/core-net/wsi.c
@@ -1065,8 +1065,10 @@ _lws_generic_transaction_completed_active_conn(struct lws **_wsi, char take_vh_l
 
 	/* take over his copy of his endpoint as an active connection */
 
-	wnew->cli_hostname_copy = wsi->cli_hostname_copy;
-	wsi->cli_hostname_copy = NULL;
+	if (!wnew->cli_hostname_copy && wsi->cli_hostname_copy) {
+		wnew->cli_hostname_copy = wsi->cli_hostname_copy;
+		wsi->cli_hostname_copy = NULL;
+	}
 	wnew->keep_warm_secs = wsi->keep_warm_secs;
 
 	/*