diff --git a/slogging/log_common.py b/slogging/log_common.py
index a3c1523..310cf8e 100644
--- a/slogging/log_common.py
+++ b/slogging/log_common.py
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ class LogProcessorCommon(object):
     def get_object_data(self, swift_account, container_name, object_name,
                         compressed=False):
         '''reads an object and yields its lines'''
+        self.logger.debug('get_object_data(%r, %r, %r, compressed=%r)' %
+                                                        (swift_account,
+                                                        container_name,
+                                                        object_name,
+                                                        compressed))
         code, o = self.internal_proxy.get_object(swift_account, container_name,
                                                  object_name)
         if code < 200 or code >= 300:
@@ -173,11 +178,15 @@ def multiprocess_collate(processor_klass, processor_args, processor_method,
         in_queue.put(x)
     for _junk in range(worker_count):
         in_queue.put(None)  # tell the worker to end
+    in_queue.close()
     while True:
         try:
             item, data = out_queue.get_nowait()
         except Queue.Empty:
             sleep(.01)
+        except Exception:
+            if logger:
+                logger.exception('error reading from out queue')
         else:
             if isinstance(data, Exception):
                 if logger:
@@ -192,18 +201,24 @@ def multiprocess_collate(processor_klass, processor_args, processor_method,
 def collate_worker(processor_klass, processor_args, processor_method, in_queue,
                    out_queue):
     '''worker process for multiprocess_collate'''
-    p = processor_klass(*processor_args)
-    while True:
-        item = in_queue.get()
-        if item is None:
-            # no more work to process
-            break
-        try:
-            method = getattr(p, processor_method)
-        except AttributeError:
-            return
-        try:
-            ret = method(*item)
-        except Exception, err:
-            ret = err
-        out_queue.put((item, ret))
+    try:
+        p = processor_klass(*processor_args)
+        while True:
+            item = in_queue.get()
+            if item is None:
+                # no more work to process
+                break
+            try:
+                method = getattr(p, processor_method)
+            except AttributeError:
+                return
+            try:
+                ret = method(*item)
+            except Exception, err:
+                ret = err
+            out_queue.put((item, ret))
+    except Exception, err:
+        print '****ERROR in worker****\n%r\n********' % err
+    finally:
+        in_queue.close()
+        out_queue.close()