diff --git a/service/build.bat b/service/build.bat
index ce595fe8..35349264 100644
--- a/service/build.bat
+++ b/service/build.bat
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ REM See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 REM limitations under the License.
 REM
 SET REPO_URL=https://github.com/openziti/ziti-tunnel-sdk-c.git
-SET ZITI_TUNNEL_REPO_BRANCH=v0.7.34
+SET ZITI_TUNNEL_REPO_BRANCH=v0.8.3
 REM override the c sdk used in the build - leave blank for the same as specified in the tunneler sdk
 SET ZITI_SDK_C_BRANCH=
 REM the number of TCP connections the tunneler sdk can have at any one time
diff --git a/service/cziti/dns.go b/service/cziti/dns.go
index b7ce7a0a..9a4f6292 100644
--- a/service/cziti/dns.go
+++ b/service/cziti/dns.go
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ func (dns *dnsImpl) RegisterService(svcId string, dnsNameToReg string, port uint
 			ip:         ip,
 			ctx:        zid,
 			network:    currentNetwork,
-			dnsEnabled: zid.Active,
 			refCount:   1,
 		}
 		log.Infof("mapping hostname %s to ip %s as dns %s", dnsNameToReg, ip.String(), icept.AsDnsName())
diff --git a/service/cziti/sdk.c b/service/cziti/sdk.c
index d376131a..3b63d5c0 100644
--- a/service/cziti/sdk.c
+++ b/service/cziti/sdk.c
@@ -93,5 +93,5 @@ struct ziti_service_event* ziti_event_service_event(ziti_event_t *ev) {
 }
 
 ziti_service* ziti_service_array_get(ziti_service_array arr, int idx) {
-    return arr[idx];
+    return arr ? arr[idx] : NULL;
 }
diff --git a/service/cziti/sdk.go b/service/cziti/sdk.go
index 95217125..49dcc99a 100644
--- a/service/cziti/sdk.go
+++ b/service/cziti/sdk.go
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ type ZIdentity struct {
 	Version       string
 	Services      sync.Map
 	Fingerprint   string
-	Active        bool
 	StatusChanges func(int)
 }
 
@@ -123,7 +122,7 @@ func (c *ZIdentity) GetMetrics() (int64, int64, bool) {
 		return 0, 0, false
 	}
 	if C.is_null(unsafe.Pointer(c.czctx)) {
-		log.Debugf("ziti context is C.NULL? is the identity initialized? %s", c.Fingerprint)
+		log.Debugf("ziti context is still null. the identity is probably not initialized yet: %s", c.Fingerprint)
 		return 0, 0, false
 	}
 	var up, down C.double
@@ -316,7 +315,7 @@ func serviceUnavailable(ctx *ZIdentity, svcId string, name string) {
 //export eventCB
 func eventCB(ztx C.ziti_context, event *C.ziti_event_t) {
 	appCtx := C.ziti_app_ctx(ztx)
-	log.Debugf("events received. type: %d for ztx(%p)", event._type, ztx)
+	log.Tracef("events received. type: %d for ztx(%p)", event._type, ztx)
 
 	switch event._type {
 	case C.ZitiContextEvent:
@@ -348,7 +347,7 @@ func eventCB(ztx C.ziti_context, event *C.ziti_event_t) {
 			log.Info("service removed ", C.GoString(s.name))
 		}
 		for i := 0; true ; i++ {
-			s := C.ziti_service_array_get(srvEvent.changed, C.int(i))	
+			s := C.ziti_service_array_get(srvEvent.changed, C.int(i))
 			if unsafe.Pointer(s) == C.NULL {
 				break
 			}
@@ -356,7 +355,7 @@ func eventCB(ztx C.ziti_context, event *C.ziti_event_t) {
 			serviceCB(ztx, s, C.ZITI_OK, appCtx)
 		}
 		for i := 0; true ; i++ {
-			s := C.ziti_service_array_get(srvEvent.added, C.int(i))	
+			s := C.ziti_service_array_get(srvEvent.added, C.int(i))
 			if unsafe.Pointer(s) == C.NULL {
 				break
 			}
@@ -400,13 +399,9 @@ func zitiError(code C.int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func LoadZiti(zid *ZIdentity, cfg string, isActive bool) {
-	//zid := NewZid()
-
-	zid.Active = isActive
-
+func LoadZiti(zid *ZIdentity, cfg string, refreshInterval int) {
 	zid.Options.config = C.CString(cfg)
-	zid.Options.refresh_interval = C.long(300)
+	zid.Options.refresh_interval = C.long(refreshInterval)
 	zid.Options.metrics_type = C.INSTANT
 	zid.Options.config_types = C.all_configs
 	zid.Options.pq_domain_cb = C.ziti_pq_domain_cb(C.ziti_pq_domain_go)
@@ -419,15 +414,13 @@ func LoadZiti(zid *ZIdentity, cfg string, isActive bool) {
 	ptr := unsafe.Pointer(zid)
 	zid.Options.app_ctx = ptr
 
-	go func() {
-		rc := C.ziti_init_opts(zid.Options, _impl.libuvCtx.l)
-		if rc != C.ZITI_OK {
-			zid.status, zid.statusErr = int(rc), zitiError(rc)
-			log.Errorf("FAILED to load identity from config file: %s due to: %s", cfg, zid.statusErr)
-		} else {
-			log.Debugf("successfully loaded identity from config file: %s", cfg)
-		}
-	}()
+	rc := C.ziti_init_opts(zid.Options, _impl.libuvCtx.l)
+	if rc != C.ZITI_OK {
+		zid.status, zid.statusErr = int(rc), zitiError(rc)
+		log.Errorf("FAILED to load identity from config file: %s due to: %s", cfg, zid.statusErr)
+	} else {
+		log.Debugf("successfully loaded identity from config file: %s", cfg)
+	}
 }
 
 //export free_async
diff --git a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/ipc.go b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/ipc.go
index 73eac1a4..07f948cf 100644
--- a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/ipc.go
+++ b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/ipc.go
@@ -738,6 +738,8 @@ func newIdentity(newId dto.AddIdentity, out *json.Encoder) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	rts.ids[id.FingerPrint] = id
+
 	connectIdentity(id)
 
 	state := rts.state
@@ -764,7 +766,7 @@ func connectIdentity(id *Id) {
 	log.Infof("connecting identity: %s[%s]", id.Name, id.FingerPrint)
 
 	if id.CId == nil || !id.CId.Loaded {
-		rts.LoadIdentity(id)
+		rts.LoadIdentity(id, DEFAULT_REFRESH_INTERVAL)
 	} else {
 		log.Debugf("%s[%s] is already loaded", id.Name, id.FingerPrint)
 
diff --git a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/pkg-vars.go b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/pkg-vars.go
index fcb54571..b867f5c6 100644
--- a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/pkg-vars.go
+++ b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/pkg-vars.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ const (
 	ERROR_DISCONNECTING_ID = 50
 	IDENTITY_NOT_FOUND     = 1000
 
+	DEFAULT_REFRESH_INTERVAL = 300
+
 	cmdsAccepted = svc.AcceptStop | svc.AcceptShutdown | svc.AcceptPauseAndContinue
 
 	InformationEvent = 0 //1
diff --git a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/state.go b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/state.go
index 9ecae7d4..189fefb9 100644
--- a/service/ziti-tunnel/service/state.go
+++ b/service/ziti-tunnel/service/state.go
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func (t *RuntimeState) CreateTun(ipv4 string, ipv4mask int) (net.IP, *tun.Device
 	return ip, t.tun, nil
 }
 
-func (t *RuntimeState) LoadIdentity(id *Id) {
+func (t *RuntimeState) LoadIdentity(id *Id, refreshInterval int) {
 	if id.CId != nil && id.CId.Loaded {
 		log.Warnf("id %s[%s] already connected", id.Name, id.FingerPrint)
 		return
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func (t *RuntimeState) LoadIdentity(id *Id) {
 
 	id.CId = cziti.NewZid(sc)
 
-	cziti.LoadZiti(id.CId, id.Path(), id.Active)
+	cziti.LoadZiti(id.CId, id.Path(), refreshInterval)
 }
 
 func (t *RuntimeState) LoadConfig() {
@@ -278,7 +278,10 @@ func (t *RuntimeState) LoadConfig() {
 	if err != nil {
 		err = readConfig(t, config.BackupFile())
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Panicf("config file is not valid nor is backup file!")
+			//this means BOTH files are unusable. that's really bad... :( delete both files and then panic...
+			os.Remove(config.File())
+			os.Remove(config.BackupFile())
+			log.Panicf("config file is not valid nor is backup file! both files have been deleted.")
 		}
 	}