diff --git a/data/txt/sha256sums.txt b/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
index 5a33d29c5..32bd67cda 100644
--- a/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
+++ b/data/txt/sha256sums.txt
@@ -181,14 +181,14 @@ a033f92d136c707a25927c2383125ddb004d4283db62c004dcd67c3fc242bb1c  lib/core/dump.
 1966ca704961fb987ab757f0a4afddbf841d1a880631b701487c75cef63d60c3  lib/core/__init__.py
 914a13ee21fd610a6153a37cbe50830fcbd1324c7ebc1e7fc206d5e598b0f7ad  lib/core/log.py
 02a2264324caa249154e024a01bcd7cc40dbca4d647d5d10a50654b4415a6d77  lib/core/optiondict.py
-86070b96d28df6caa55e56f8fb16ba162524cab92a2d70eb110ae30f25099866  lib/core/option.py
+c1cb56f2a43e9f2f6b25d5f3d504e856ea21df6fc14af5e37b1000feef2bdb5a  lib/core/option.py
 8171f6ee33e7742f06bb3014a28324496374beddee7b378ace10a26414a97762  lib/core/patch.py
 49c0fa7e3814dfda610d665ee02b12df299b28bc0b6773815b4395514ddf8dec  lib/core/profiling.py
 03db48f02c3d07a047ddb8fe33a757b6238867352d8ddda2a83e4fec09a98d04  lib/core/readlineng.py
 48797d6c34dd9bb8a53f7f3794c85f4288d82a9a1d6be7fcf317d388cb20d4b3  lib/core/replication.py
 0b8c38a01bb01f843d94a6c5f2075ee47520d0c4aa799cecea9c3e2c5a4a23a6  lib/core/revision.py
 888daba83fd4a34e9503fe21f01fef4cc730e5cde871b1d40e15d4cbc847d56c  lib/core/session.py
-2fcd2dddb4705e168e8fb3a8092f75a01f32118bd07316fc010a83c4eaf91ed1  lib/core/settings.py
+e2e711274bf226e785203353f9dd205e8fd3b9b11f9470513df38178edf288b6  lib/core/settings.py
 cd5a66deee8963ba8e7e9af3dd36eb5e8127d4d68698811c29e789655f507f82  lib/core/shell.py
 bcb5d8090d5e3e0ef2a586ba09ba80eef0c6d51feb0f611ed25299fbb254f725  lib/core/subprocessng.py
 d35650179816193164a5f177102f18379dfbe6bb6d40fbb67b78d907b41c8038  lib/core/target.py
diff --git a/lib/core/option.py b/lib/core/option.py
index 967163fcd..75981997f 100644
--- a/lib/core/option.py
+++ b/lib/core/option.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ See the file 'LICENSE' for copying permission
 from __future__ import division
 
 import codecs
+import collections
 import functools
 import glob
 import inspect
@@ -1057,11 +1058,31 @@ def _setSocketPreConnect():
     def _thread():
         while kb.get("threadContinue") and not conf.get("disablePrecon"):
             try:
-                for key in socket._ready:
-                    if len(socket._ready[key]) < SOCKET_PRE_CONNECT_QUEUE_SIZE:
-                        s = socket.create_connection(*key[0], **dict(key[1]))
-                        with kb.locks.socket:
-                            socket._ready[key].append((s, time.time()))
+                with kb.locks.socket:
+                    keys = list(socket._ready.keys())
+
+                for key in keys:
+                    with kb.locks.socket:
+                        q = socket._ready.get(key)
+                        if q is None or len(q) >= SOCKET_PRE_CONNECT_QUEUE_SIZE:
+                            continue
+                        args = key[0]
+                        kwargs = dict(key[1])
+
+                    s = socket._create_connection(*args, **kwargs)
+
+                    with kb.locks.socket:
+                        q = socket._ready.get(key)
+                        if q is not None and len(q) < SOCKET_PRE_CONNECT_QUEUE_SIZE:
+                            q.append((s, time.time()))
+                            s = None
+
+                    if s is not None:
+                        try:
+                            s.close()
+                        except:
+                            pass
+
             except KeyboardInterrupt:
                 break
             except:
@@ -1071,26 +1092,36 @@ def _setSocketPreConnect():
 
     def create_connection(*args, **kwargs):
         retVal = None
+        stale = []
 
         key = (tuple(args), frozenset(kwargs.items()))
         with kb.locks.socket:
             if key not in socket._ready:
-                socket._ready[key] = []
+                socket._ready[key] = collections.deque()
 
-            while len(socket._ready[key]) > 0:
-                candidate, created = socket._ready[key].pop(0)
+            q = socket._ready[key]
+            while len(q) > 0:
+                candidate, created = q.popleft()
                 if (time.time() - created) < PRECONNECT_CANDIDATE_TIMEOUT:
                     retVal = candidate
                     break
                 else:
-                    try:
-                        candidate.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
-                        candidate.close()
-                    except socket.error:
-                        pass
+                    stale.append(candidate)
+
+        for candidate in stale:
+            try:
+                candidate.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
+                candidate.close()
+            except:
+                pass
 
         if not retVal:
             retVal = socket._create_connection(*args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            try:
+                retVal.settimeout(kwargs.get("timeout", socket.getdefaulttimeout()))
+            except:
+                pass
 
         return retVal
 
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index f5b7e4330..354521463 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import OS
 from thirdparty import six
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.10.1.72"
+VERSION = "1.10.1.73"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)