diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e1b95fe..9f93984 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "influx-writer"
-version = "0.14.0"
+version = "0.18.1"
 authors = ["Jonathan Strong <jonathan.strong@gmail.com>"]
 edition = "2018"
 description = "opinionated influxdb client"
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ slog-term = "2"
 uuid = { version = "0.8", features = ["serde", "v4", "slog"] }
 slog-async = "2"
 smallvec = "0.6"
-crossbeam-channel = "0.3"
+crossbeam-channel = "0.5"
 pretty_toa = "1.0.0"
-signal-hook = { version = "0.1.15", optional = true }
+signal-hook = { version = "0.3.8", optional = true }
 
-decimal = { version = "2.4.2", registry = "mmcxi" }
+decimal = { version = "2.4.3", registry = "mmcxi" }
 decimal-macros = { version = "0.3", registry = "mmcxi" }
 
 [features]
diff --git a/examples/write.rs b/examples/write.rs
index 497f8d0..88a07a5 100644
--- a/examples/write.rs
+++ b/examples/write.rs
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ const N_PER: usize = 567;
 fn main() {
     let start = Instant::now();
     let term = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
-    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::SIGINT, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
-    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::SIGTERM, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
-    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::SIGQUIT, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
+    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::consts::signal::SIGINT, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
+    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::consts::signal::SIGTERM, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
+    signal_hook::flag::register(signal_hook::consts::signal::SIGQUIT, Arc::clone(&term)).unwrap();
 
     let decorator = slog_term::TermDecorator::new().stdout().force_color().build();
     let drain = slog_term::FullFormat::new(decorator).use_utc_timestamp().build().fuse();
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 1c603aa..d1c4b58 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ cargo +args='':
 check +args='':
     @just cargo check {{args}}
 
+bench +args='':
+    @just cargo bench {{args}}
+
 build name +args='':
     @just cargo build --bin {{name}} {{args}}
 
@@ -22,4 +25,24 @@ test +args='':
 doc +args='':
     @just cargo doc --open --document-private-items {{args}}
 
+# just rebuild docs, don't open browser page again
+redoc +args='': 
+    @just cargo doc {{args}}
+
+publish +args='':
+    @just cargo publish --registry mmcxi {{args}}
+
+update +args='':
+    @just cargo update {{args}}
+
+# blow away build dir and start all over again
+rebuild:
+    just cargo clean
+    just update
+    just test
+
+# display env variables that will be used for building
+show-build-env:
+    @ env | rg RUST --color never
+
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 12e0c64..f984f30 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ impl Default for InfluxWriter {
 
 impl Clone for InfluxWriter {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
-        debug_assert!(self.thread.is_some());
         let thread = self.thread.as_ref().map(|x| Arc::clone(x));
         InfluxWriter {
             host: self.host.to_string(),
@@ -322,7 +321,12 @@ impl InfluxWriter {
     ///
     #[inline]
     pub fn send(&self, m: OwnedMeasurement) -> Result<(), SendError<Option<OwnedMeasurement>>> {
-        self.tx.send(Some(m))
+        //if self.thread.is_none() {
+        //    let _ = self.tx.try_send(Some(m));
+        //    Ok(())
+        //} else {
+            self.tx.send(Some(m))
+        //}
     }
 
     #[inline]
@@ -354,8 +358,9 @@ impl InfluxWriter {
     #[inline]
     pub fn is_full(&self) -> bool { self.tx.is_full() }
 
+    /// provides a shell interface that immediately drops measurements sent to it
     pub fn placeholder() -> Self {
-        let (tx, _) = bounded(1024);
+        let (tx, _) = bounded(1);
         Self {
             host: String::new(),
             db: String::new(),
@@ -364,6 +369,10 @@ impl InfluxWriter {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn is_placeholder(&self) -> bool {
+        self.thread.is_none() && self.host == ""
+    }
+
     pub fn new(host: &str, db: &str) -> Self {
         let noop_logger = slog::Logger::root(slog::Discard.fuse(), o!());
         Self::with_logger_and_opt_creds(host, db, None, &noop_logger)
@@ -1177,6 +1186,57 @@ mod tests {
     #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
     use test::{black_box, Bencher};
 
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
+    #[bench]
+    fn send_to_disconnected_channel(b: &mut Bencher) {
+        let (tx, _): (Sender<Option<OwnedMeasurement>>, Receiver<Option<OwnedMeasurement>>) = bounded(1);
+        let time = now();
+        b.iter(|| {
+            const VERSION: &str = "1.0.0";
+            let color = "red";
+            let m = measure!(@make_meas test, i(n, 1), t(color), v(VERSION), tm(time));
+            tx.send(Some(m))
+        })
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
+    #[bench]
+    fn try_send_to_disconnected_channel(b: &mut Bencher) {
+        let (tx, _): (Sender<Option<OwnedMeasurement>>, Receiver<Option<OwnedMeasurement>>) = bounded(1);
+        let time = now();
+        b.iter(|| {
+            const VERSION: &str = "1.0.0";
+            let color = "red";
+            let m = measure!(@make_meas test, i(n, 1), t(color), v(VERSION), tm(time));
+            tx.try_send(Some(m))
+        })
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
+    #[bench]
+    fn send_to_disconnected_channel_via_placeholder(b: &mut Bencher) {
+        let time = now();
+        let influx = InfluxWriter::placeholder();
+        b.iter(|| {
+            const VERSION: &str = "1.0.0";
+            let color = "red";
+            measure!(influx, test, i(n, 1), t(color), v(VERSION), tm(time));
+        })
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
+    #[bench]
+    fn send_to_connected_channel_via_measure(b: &mut Bencher) {
+        let time = now();
+        let influx = InfluxWriter::new("localhost", "test");
+        b.iter(|| {
+            const VERSION: &str = "1.0.0";
+            let color = "red";
+            measure!(influx, bench, i(n, 1), t(color), v(VERSION), tm(time));
+        })
+    }
+
     #[ignore]
     #[cfg(feature = "unstable")]
     #[bench]