diff --git a/src/httpserver/http_tcp_server.c b/src/httpserver/http_tcp_server.c
index 7ad9579d3..fe7663ce6 100644
--- a/src/httpserver/http_tcp_server.c
+++ b/src/httpserver/http_tcp_server.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ static void tcp_client_thread(beken_thread_arg_t arg)
 	//char reply[8192];
 
   //my_fd = fd;
+	rtos_delay_milliseconds(20);
 
 	reply = (char*)os_malloc(replyBufferSize);
 	buf = (char*)os_malloc(INCOMING_BUFFER_SIZE);
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ static void tcp_client_thread(beken_thread_arg_t arg)
 		send(fd, reply, lenret, 0);
 	}
 
-	rtos_delay_milliseconds(10);
+	//rtos_delay_milliseconds(10);
 
 exit:
 	if (err != kNoErr)
@@ -177,6 +178,12 @@ static void tcp_server_thread(beken_thread_arg_t arg)
 				// right now, I am getting OS_ThreadCreate everytime on XR809 platform
 				tcp_client_thread((beken_thread_arg_t)client_fd);
 #else
+				// delay each accept by 20ms
+				// this allows previous to finish if
+				// in a loop of sends from the browser, e.g. OTA
+				// and we MUST get some IDLE thread time, else
+				// thread resources are not deleted.
+				rtos_delay_milliseconds(20);
 				// Create separate thread for client
 				if (kNoErr !=
 #if PLATFORM_XR809
diff --git a/src/ota/ota.c b/src/ota/ota.c
index 757ef25ab..1be7a7103 100644
--- a/src/ota/ota.c
+++ b/src/ota/ota.c
@@ -60,9 +60,14 @@ void close_ota(){
 }
 
 void add_otadata(unsigned char *data, int len){
+
     if (!sector) return;
     //addLogAdv(LOG_INFO, LOG_FEATURE_OTA,"OTA DataRxed start: %02.2x %02.2x len %d\r\n", data[0], data[1], len);
     while (len){
+        // force it to sleep...  we MUST have some idle task processing
+	      // else task memory doesn't get freed
+	      rtos_delay_milliseconds(40);
+
         if (sectorlen < SECTOR_SIZE){
             int lenstore = SECTOR_SIZE - sectorlen;
             if (lenstore > len) lenstore = len;
diff --git a/src/user_main.c b/src/user_main.c
index c0aa24984..8e1fb27ae 100644
--- a/src/user_main.c
+++ b/src/user_main.c
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ static int g_timeSinceLastPingReply = 0;
 // was it ran?
 static int g_bPingWatchDogStarted = 0;
 
+uint32_t idleCount = 0;
+
 #define LOG_FEATURE LOG_FEATURE_MAIN
 
 
@@ -264,8 +266,8 @@ void Main_OnEverySecond()
 		//int mqtt_max, mqtt_cur, mqtt_mem;
 		//MQTT_GetStats(&mqtt_cur, &mqtt_max, &mqtt_mem);
 	    //ADDLOGF_INFO("mqtt req %i/%i, free mem %i\n", mqtt_cur,mqtt_max,mqtt_mem);
-		ADDLOGF_INFO("%sTime %i, free %d, MQTT %i(%i), bWifi %i, secondsWithNoPing %i, socks %i/%i\n",
-			safe, g_secondsElapsed, xPortGetFreeHeapSize(),bMQTTconnected, MQTT_GetConnectEvents(), 
+		ADDLOGF_INFO("%sTime %i, idle %i, free %d, MQTT %i(%i), bWifi %i, secondsWithNoPing %i, socks %i/%i\n",
+			safe, g_secondsElapsed, idleCount, xPortGetFreeHeapSize(),bMQTTconnected, MQTT_GetConnectEvents(), 
             g_bHasWiFiConnected, g_timeSinceLastPingReply, LWIP_GetActiveSockets(), LWIP_GetMaxSockets());
 
 	}
@@ -375,6 +377,9 @@ void Main_OnEverySecond()
 		}
 	}
 
+	// force it to sleep...  we MUST have some idle task processing
+	// else task memory doesn't get freed
+	rtos_delay_milliseconds(1);
 
 }
 
@@ -404,12 +409,23 @@ int Main_GetLastRebootBootFailures()
 
 #define RESTARTS_REQUIRED_FOR_SAFE_MODE 4
 
+
+// called from idle thread each loop.
+// - just so we know it is running.
+void isidle(){
+	idleCount++;
+}
+
 void Main_Init()
 {
 	const char *wifi_ssid, *wifi_pass;
 
 	// read or initialise the boot count flash area
 	HAL_FlashVars_IncreaseBootCount();
+	
+	#ifdef PLATFORM_BEKEN
+	bg_register_irda_check_func(isidle);
+	#endif
 
 	g_bootFailures = HAL_FlashVars_GetBootFailures();
 	if (g_bootFailures > RESTARTS_REQUIRED_FOR_SAFE_MODE)