diff --git a/src/libstd/uv_global_loop.rs b/src/libstd/uv_global_loop.rs
index 9c795bb926a2..fbb4ee0a1557 100644
--- a/src/libstd/uv_global_loop.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/uv_global_loop.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ native mod rustrt {
 Race-free helper to get access to a global task where a libuv
 loop is running.
 
-Use `uv::hl::interact`, `uv::hl::ref_handle` and `uv::hl::unref_handle` to
-do operations against the global loop that this function returns.
+Use `uv::hl::interact`, `uv::hl::ref`, `uv::hl::unref` and
+uv `uv::hl::unref_and_close` to do operations against the global
+loop that this function returns.
 
 # Return
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ fn get() -> hl::high_level_loop {
     ret get_monitor_task_gl();
 }
 
+// WARNING: USE ONLY ONE get_*_task_gl fn in the scope of a process lifetime.
 #[doc(hidden)]
 fn get_monitor_task_gl() -> hl::high_level_loop {
     let monitor_loop_chan =
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ fn get_monitor_task_gl() -> hl::high_level_loop {
         });
 }
 
+// WARNING: USE ONLY ONE get_*_task_gl fn in the scope of a process lifetime.
 #[doc(hidden)]
 fn get_single_task_gl() -> hl::high_level_loop {
     let global_loop_chan_ptr = rustrt::rust_uv_get_kernel_global_chan_ptr();
@@ -323,7 +326,7 @@ mod test {
         hl::interact(hl_loop) {|loop_ptr|
             log(debug, "closing timer");
             //ll::close(timer_ptr as *libc::c_void, simple_timer_close_cb);
-            hl::unref_handle(hl_loop, timer_ptr, simple_timer_close_cb);
+            hl::unref_and_close(hl_loop, timer_ptr, simple_timer_close_cb);
             log(debug, "about to deref exit_ch_ptr");
             log(debug, "after msg sent on deref'd exit_ch");
         };
@@ -342,7 +345,7 @@ mod test {
             log(debug, "user code inside interact loop!!!");
             let init_status = ll::timer_init(loop_ptr, timer_ptr);
             if(init_status == 0i32) {
-                hl::ref_handle(hl_loop, timer_ptr);
+                hl::ref(hl_loop, timer_ptr);
                 ll::set_data_for_uv_handle(
                     timer_ptr as *libc::c_void,
                     exit_ch_ptr as *libc::c_void);
diff --git a/src/libstd/uv_hl.rs b/src/libstd/uv_hl.rs
index 48d377532089..8787b650b251 100644
--- a/src/libstd/uv_hl.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/uv_hl.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ libuv functionality.
 "];
 
 export high_level_loop, hl_loop_ext, high_level_msg;
-export run_high_level_loop, interact, ref_handle, unref_handle;
+export run_high_level_loop, interact, ref, unref, unref_and_close;
 
 import ll = uv_ll;
 
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ the C uv loop to process any pending callbacks
 by the C uv loop
 "]
 enum high_level_loop {
+    simple_task_loop({
+        async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
+        op_chan: comm::chan<high_level_msg>
+    }),
     single_task_loop({
         async_handle: **ll::uv_async_t,
         op_chan: comm::chan<high_level_msg>
@@ -52,6 +56,9 @@ impl hl_loop_ext for high_level_loop {
           monitor_task_loop({op_chan}) {
             ret op_chan;
           }
+          simple_task_loop({async_handle, op_chan}) {
+            ret op_chan;
+          }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -61,8 +68,8 @@ Represents the range of interactions with a `high_level_loop`
 "]
 enum high_level_msg {
     interaction (fn~(*libc::c_void)),
-    auto_ref_handle (*libc::c_void),
-    auto_unref_handle (*libc::c_void, *u8),
+    ref_handle (*libc::c_void),
+    manual_unref_handle (*libc::c_void, option<*u8>),
     tear_down
 }
 
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ unsafe fn run_high_level_loop(loop_ptr: *libc::c_void,
     ll::async_init(loop_ptr, async_handle, high_level_wake_up_cb);
 
     // initialize our loop data and store it in the loop
-    let data: global_loop_data = default_gl_data({
+    let data: hl_loop_data = default_gl_data({
         async_handle: async_handle,
         mut active: true,
         before_msg_drain: before_msg_drain,
@@ -159,22 +166,25 @@ resource safe_handle_container<T>(handle_fields: safe_handle_fields<T>) {
 #[doc="
 Needs to be encapsulated within `safe_handle`
 "]
-fn ref_handle<T>(hl_loop: high_level_loop, handle: *T) unsafe {
-    send_high_level_msg(hl_loop, auto_ref_handle(handle as *libc::c_void));
+fn ref<T>(hl_loop: high_level_loop, handle: *T) unsafe {
+    send_high_level_msg(hl_loop, ref_handle(handle as *libc::c_void));
 }
 #[doc="
 Needs to be encapsulated within `safe_handle`
 "]
-fn unref_handle<T>(hl_loop: high_level_loop, handle: *T,
-                   user_close_cb: *u8) unsafe {
-    send_high_level_msg(hl_loop, auto_unref_handle(handle as *libc::c_void,
-                                                   user_close_cb));
+fn unref<T>(hl_loop: high_level_loop, handle: *T) unsafe {
+    send_high_level_msg(hl_loop, manual_unref_handle(handle as *libc::c_void,
+                                                   none));
+}
+fn unref_and_close<T>(hl_loop: high_level_loop, handle: *T, cb: *u8) unsafe {
+    send_high_level_msg(hl_loop, manual_unref_handle(handle as *libc::c_void,
+                                                   some(cb)));
 }
 
 // INTERNAL API
 
 // data that lives for the lifetime of the high-evel oo
-enum global_loop_data {
+enum hl_loop_data {
     default_gl_data({
         async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
         mut active: bool,
@@ -203,6 +213,10 @@ unsafe fn send_high_level_msg(hl_loop: high_level_loop,
             log(debug,"GLOBAL ASYNC handle == 0");
         }
       }
+      simple_task_loop({async_handle, op_chan}) {
+        log(debug,"simple async handle != 0, waking up loop..");
+        ll::async_send((async_handle));
+      }
       _ {}
     }
 }
@@ -218,7 +232,7 @@ crust fn high_level_wake_up_cb(async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
     log(debug, #fmt("high_level_wake_up_cb crust.. handle: %? status: %?",
                      async_handle, status));
     let loop_ptr = ll::get_loop_for_uv_handle(async_handle);
-    let data = ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(async_handle) as *global_loop_data;
+    let data = ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(async_handle) as *hl_loop_data;
     // we check to see if the loop is "active" (the loop is set to
     // active = false the first time we realize we need to 'tear down',
     // set subsequent calls to the global async handle may be triggered
@@ -245,11 +259,11 @@ crust fn high_level_wake_up_cb(async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
                         cb(loop_ptr);
                         log(debug,"after calling cb");
                       }
-                      auto_ref_handle(handle) {
+                      ref_handle(handle) {
                         high_level_ref(data, handle);
                       }
-                      auto_unref_handle(handle, user_close_cb) {
-                        high_level_unref(data, handle, false, user_close_cb);
+                      manual_unref_handle(handle, user_close_cb) {
+                        high_level_unref(data, handle, true, user_close_cb);
                       }
                       tear_down {
                         log(debug,"incoming hl_msg: got tear_down");
@@ -258,6 +272,9 @@ crust fn high_level_wake_up_cb(async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
                     continue = comm::peek(msg_po);
                 }
             }
+            else {
+                log(debug, "in hl wake_cb, no pending messages");
+            }
         }
         log(debug, #fmt("after on_wake, continue? %?", continue));
         if !do_msg_drain {
@@ -269,13 +286,13 @@ crust fn high_level_wake_up_cb(async_handle: *ll::uv_async_t,
 crust fn tear_down_close_cb(handle: *ll::uv_async_t) unsafe {
     log(debug, #fmt("tear_down_close_cb called, closing handle at %?",
                     handle));
-    let data = ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle) as *global_loop_data;
-    if vec::len((*data).refd_handles) > 0 {
+    let data = ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle) as *hl_loop_data;
+    if vec::len((*data).refd_handles) > 0u {
         fail "Didn't unref all high-level handles";
     }
 }
 
-fn high_level_tear_down(data: *global_loop_data) unsafe {
+fn high_level_tear_down(data: *hl_loop_data) unsafe {
     log(debug, "high_level_tear_down() called, close async_handle");
     // call user-suppled before_tear_down cb
     let async_handle = (*data).async_handle;
@@ -283,36 +300,66 @@ fn high_level_tear_down(data: *global_loop_data) unsafe {
     ll::close(async_handle as *libc::c_void, tear_down_close_cb);
 }
 
-unsafe fn high_level_ref(data: *global_loop_data, handle: *libc::c_void) {
-    log(debug,"incoming hl_msg: got auto_ref_handle");
+unsafe fn high_level_ref(data: *hl_loop_data, handle: *libc::c_void) {
+    log(debug,"incoming hl_msg: got ..ref_handle");
     let mut refd_handles = (*data).refd_handles;
+    let mut unrefd_handles = (*data).unrefd_handles;
     let handle_already_refd = refd_handles.contains(handle);
     if handle_already_refd {
         fail "attempt to do a high-level ref an already ref'd handle";
     }
+    let handle_already_unrefd = unrefd_handles.contains(handle);
+    // if we are ref'ing a handle (by ptr) that was already unref'd,
+    // probably
+    if handle_already_unrefd {
+        let last_idx = vec::len(unrefd_handles) - 1u;
+        let handle_idx = vec::position_elem(unrefd_handles, handle);
+        alt handle_idx {
+          none {
+            fail "trying to remove handle that isn't in unrefd_handles";
+          }
+          some(idx) {
+            unrefd_handles[idx] <-> unrefd_handles[last_idx];
+            vec::pop(unrefd_handles);
+          }
+        }
+        (*data).unrefd_handles = unrefd_handles;
+    }
     refd_handles += [handle];
     (*data).refd_handles = refd_handles;
 }
 
-unsafe fn high_level_unref(data: *global_loop_data, handle: *libc::c_void,
-                   manual_unref: bool, user_close_cb: *u8) {
+unsafe fn high_level_unref(data: *hl_loop_data, handle: *libc::c_void,
+                   manual_unref: bool, user_close_cb: option<*u8>) {
     log(debug,"incoming hl_msg: got auto_unref_handle");
     let mut refd_handles = (*data).refd_handles;
     let mut unrefd_handles = (*data).unrefd_handles;
+    log(debug, #fmt("refs: %?, unrefs %? handle %?", vec::len(refd_handles),
+                    vec::len(unrefd_handles), handle));
     let handle_already_refd = refd_handles.contains(handle);
     if !handle_already_refd {
         fail "attempting to high-level unref an untracked handle";
     }
     let double_unref = unrefd_handles.contains(handle);
     if double_unref {
+        log(debug, "double unref encountered");
         if manual_unref {
             // will allow a user to manual unref, but only signal
             // a fail when a double-unref is caused by a user
             fail "attempting to high-level unref an unrefd handle";
         }
+        else {
+            log(debug, "not failing...");
+        }
     }
     else {
-        ll::close(handle, user_close_cb);
+        log(debug, "attempting to unref handle");
+        alt user_close_cb {
+          some(cb) {
+            ll::close(handle, cb);
+          }
+          none { }
+        }
         let last_idx = vec::len(refd_handles) - 1u;
         let handle_idx = vec::position_elem(refd_handles, handle);
         alt handle_idx {
@@ -337,3 +384,128 @@ unsafe fn high_level_unref(data: *global_loop_data, handle: *libc::c_void,
     }
 
 }
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    crust fn async_close_cb(handle: *ll::uv_async_t) unsafe {
+        log(debug, #fmt("async_close_cb handle %?", handle));
+        let exit_ch = (*(ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle)
+                        as *ah_data)).exit_ch;
+        comm::send(exit_ch, ());
+    }
+    crust fn async_handle_cb(handle: *ll::uv_async_t, status: libc::c_int)
+        unsafe {
+        log(debug, #fmt("async_handle_cb handle %? status %?",handle,status));
+        let hl_loop = (*(ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle)
+                        as *ah_data)).hl_loop;
+        unref_and_close(hl_loop, handle, async_close_cb);
+    }
+    type ah_data = {
+        hl_loop: high_level_loop,
+        exit_ch: comm::chan<()>
+    };
+    fn impl_uv_hl_async(hl_loop: high_level_loop) unsafe {
+        let async_handle = ll::async_t();
+        let ah_ptr = ptr::addr_of(async_handle);
+        let exit_po = comm::port::<()>();
+        let exit_ch = comm::chan(exit_po);
+        let ah_data = {
+            hl_loop: hl_loop,
+            exit_ch: exit_ch
+        };
+        let ah_data_ptr = ptr::addr_of(ah_data);
+        interact(hl_loop) {|loop_ptr|
+            ref(hl_loop, ah_ptr);
+            ll::async_init(loop_ptr, ah_ptr, async_handle_cb);
+            ll::set_data_for_uv_handle(ah_ptr, ah_data_ptr as *libc::c_void);
+            ll::async_send(ah_ptr);
+        };
+        comm::recv(exit_po);
+    }
+
+    // this fn documents the bear minimum neccesary to roll your own
+    // high_level_loop
+    unsafe fn spawn_test_loop(exit_ch: comm::chan<()>) -> high_level_loop {
+        let hl_loop_port = comm::port::<high_level_loop>();
+        let hl_loop_ch = comm::chan(hl_loop_port);
+        task::spawn_sched(task::manual_threads(1u)) {||
+            let loop_ptr = ll::loop_new();
+            let msg_po = comm::port::<high_level_msg>();
+            let msg_ch = comm::chan(msg_po);
+            run_high_level_loop(
+                loop_ptr,
+                msg_po,
+                // before_run
+                {|async_handle|
+                    log(debug,#fmt("hltest before_run: async_handle %?",
+                                  async_handle));
+                    // do an async_send with it
+                    ll::async_send(async_handle);
+                    comm::send(hl_loop_ch, simple_task_loop({
+                       async_handle: async_handle,
+                       op_chan: msg_ch
+                    }));
+                },
+                // before_msg_drain
+                {|async_handle|
+                    log(debug,#fmt("hltest before_msg_drain: async_handle %?",
+                                  async_handle));
+                    true
+                },
+                // before_tear_down
+                {|async_handle|
+                    log(debug,#fmt("hl test_loop b4_tear_down: async %?",
+                                  async_handle));
+            });
+            ll::loop_delete(loop_ptr);
+            comm::send(exit_ch, ());
+        };
+        ret comm::recv(hl_loop_port);
+    }
+
+    crust fn lifetime_handle_close(handle: *libc::c_void) unsafe {
+        log(debug, #fmt("lifetime_handle_close ptr %?", handle));
+    }
+
+    crust fn lifetime_async_callback(handle: *libc::c_void,
+                                     status: libc::c_int) {
+        log(debug, #fmt("lifetime_handle_close ptr %? status %?",
+                        handle, status));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore(cfg(target_os = "freebsd"))]
+    fn test_uv_hl_async() unsafe {
+        let exit_po = comm::port::<()>();
+        let exit_ch = comm::chan(exit_po);
+        let hl_loop = spawn_test_loop(exit_ch);
+
+        // using this handle to manage the lifetime of the high_level_loop,
+        // as it will exit the first time one of the impl_uv_hl_async() is
+        // cleaned up with no one ref'd handles on the loop (Which can happen
+        // under race-condition type situations.. this ensures that the loop
+        // lives until, at least, all of the impl_uv_hl_async() runs have been
+        // called, at least.
+        let lifetime_handle = ll::async_t();
+        let lifetime_handle_ptr = ptr::addr_of(lifetime_handle);
+        interact(hl_loop) {|loop_ptr|
+            ref(hl_loop, lifetime_handle_ptr);
+            ll::async_init(loop_ptr, lifetime_handle_ptr,
+                          lifetime_async_callback);
+        };
+
+        iter::repeat(7u) {||
+            task::spawn_sched(task::manual_threads(1u), {||
+                impl_uv_hl_async(hl_loop);
+            });
+        };
+        impl_uv_hl_async(hl_loop);
+        impl_uv_hl_async(hl_loop);
+        impl_uv_hl_async(hl_loop);
+        interact(hl_loop) {|loop_ptr|
+            ll::close(lifetime_handle_ptr, lifetime_handle_close);
+            unref(hl_loop, lifetime_handle_ptr);
+            log(debug, "close and unref lifetime handle");
+        };
+        comm::recv(exit_po);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/libstd/uv_ll.rs b/src/libstd/uv_ll.rs
index 11e709ec6821..0f52664a8155 100644
--- a/src/libstd/uv_ll.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/uv_ll.rs
@@ -595,8 +595,8 @@ unsafe fn run(loop_handle: *libc::c_void) {
     rustrt::rust_uv_run(loop_handle);
 }
 
-unsafe fn close(handle: *libc::c_void, cb: *u8) {
-    rustrt::rust_uv_close(handle, cb);
+unsafe fn close<T>(handle: *T, cb: *u8) {
+    rustrt::rust_uv_close(handle as *libc::c_void, cb);
 }
 
 unsafe fn tcp_init(loop_handle: *libc::c_void, handle: *uv_tcp_t)