diff --git a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/datvdemodsink.cpp b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/datvdemodsink.cpp
index cb461111a..48aa305d1 100644
--- a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/datvdemodsink.cpp
+++ b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/datvdemodsink.cpp
@@ -1169,8 +1169,7 @@ void DATVDemodSink::InitDATVS2Framework()
             *(leansdr::pipebuf< leansdr::fecframe<leansdr::llr_sb> > *) p_fecframes
         );
         // Decode FEC-protected frames into plain BB frames.
-        leansdr::s2_fecdec_helper<leansdr::llr_t, leansdr::llr_sb> *r_fecdec =
-        new leansdr::s2_fecdec_helper<leansdr::llr_t, leansdr::llr_sb>(
+        r_fecdec = new leansdr::s2_fecdec_helper<leansdr::llr_t, leansdr::llr_sb>(
             m_objScheduler,
             *(leansdr::pipebuf< leansdr::fecframe<leansdr::llr_sb> > *) p_fecframes,
             *(leansdr::pipebuf<leansdr::bbframe> *) p_bbframes,
@@ -1178,9 +1177,10 @@ void DATVDemodSink::InitDATVS2Framework()
             p_vbitcount,
             p_verrcount)
         ;
-        const int nhelpers = 6;
-        r_fecdec->nhelpers = nhelpers;
-        r_fecdec->must_buffer = false;
+        leansdr::s2_fecdec_helper<leansdr::llr_t, leansdr::llr_sb> *fecdec = (leansdr::s2_fecdec_helper<leansdr::llr_t, leansdr::llr_sb> *) r_fecdec;
+        const int nhelpers = 2;
+        fecdec->nhelpers = nhelpers;
+        fecdec->must_buffer = false;
 #endif
     }
     else
@@ -1194,7 +1194,8 @@ void DATVDemodSink::InitDATVS2Framework()
             *(leansdr::pipebuf< leansdr::fecframe<leansdr::hard_sb> > * ) p_fecframes
         );
         r_fecdec =  new leansdr::s2_fecdec<bool, leansdr::hard_sb>(
-            m_objScheduler, *(leansdr::pipebuf< leansdr::fecframe<leansdr::hard_sb> > * ) p_fecframes,
+            m_objScheduler,
+            *(leansdr::pipebuf< leansdr::fecframe<leansdr::hard_sb> > * ) p_fecframes,
             *(leansdr::pipebuf<leansdr::bbframe> *) p_bbframes,
             p_vbitcount,
             p_verrcount
diff --git a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/ldpctool/ldpc_tool.cpp b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/ldpctool/ldpc_tool.cpp
index d1ac52894..93adf33ed 100644
--- a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/ldpctool/ldpc_tool.cpp
+++ b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/ldpctool/ldpc_tool.cpp
@@ -168,10 +168,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				for (int i = 0; i < CODE_LEN; ++i)
 					code[(j + n) * CODE_LEN + i] = reinterpret_cast<ldpctool::code_type *>(simd + i)[n];
 
-			if (count < 0) {
+			if (count < 0)
+			{
 				iterations += blocks * trials;
-				// std::cerr << "decoder failed at converging to a code word in " << trials << " trials" << std::endl;
-			} else {
+				std::cerr << "ldpc_tool: decoder failed at converging to a code word in " << trials << " trials" << std::endl;
+			}
+			else
+			{
 				iterations += blocks * (trials - count);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/leansdr/dvbs2.h b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/leansdr/dvbs2.h
index bdd35f743..8385981c8 100644
--- a/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/leansdr/dvbs2.h
+++ b/plugins/channelrx/demoddatv/leansdr/dvbs2.h
@@ -2411,36 +2411,46 @@ struct s2_fecdec_helper : runnable
         s2_pls pls;
         helper_instance *h;
     };
+
     simplequeue<helper_job, 1024> jobs;
+
     // Try to send a frame. Return false if helper was busy.
     bool send_frame(fecframe<SOFTBYTE> *pin)
     {
         pool *p = get_pool(&pin->pls);
+
         for (int i = 0; i < p->nprocs; ++i)
         {
             helper_instance *h = &p->procs[i];
             int iosize = (pin->pls.framebits() / 8) * sizeof(SOFTBYTE);
             // fprintf(stderr, "Writing %lu to fd %d\n", iosize, h->fd_tx);
             int nw = write(h->fd_tx, pin->bytes, iosize);
+
             if (nw < 0 && errno == EWOULDBLOCK)
-                continue;
+                continue; // next worker
             if (nw < 0)
                 fatal("write(LDPC helper");
             if (nw != iosize)
                 fatal("partial write(LDPC helper)");
+
             helper_job *job = jobs.put();
             job->pls = pin->pls;
             job->h = h;
             ++h->b_in;
+
             if (h->b_in >= h->batch_size)
             {
                 h->b_in -= h->batch_size;
                 h->b_out += h->batch_size;
             }
-            return true;
+
+            return true; // done sent to worker
         }
-        return false;
+
+        fprintf(stderr, "s2_fecdec_helper::send_frame: WARNING: all %d workers are busy\n", p->nprocs);
+        return false; // all workers are busy
     }
+
     // Return a pool of running helpers for a given modcod.
     pool *get_pool(const s2_pls *pls)
     {
@@ -2454,6 +2464,7 @@ struct s2_fecdec_helper : runnable
         }
         return p;
     }
+
     // Spawn a helper process.
     void spawn_helper(helper_instance *h, const s2_pls *pls)
     {
@@ -2554,6 +2565,7 @@ struct s2_fecdec_helper : runnable
         if (sch->debug)
             fprintf(stderr, "%c", corrupted ? '!' : ncorr ? '.' : '_');
     }
+
     pipereader<fecframe<SOFTBYTE>> in;
     pipewriter<bbframe> out;
     const char *command;