diff --git a/cache.c b/cache.c
index 860083dc..3658bb77 100644
--- a/cache.c
+++ b/cache.c
@@ -111,13 +111,14 @@ inline uint64_t uwsgi_cache_get_index(char *key, uint16_t keylen) {
 	uint64_t slot = uwsgi.cache_hashtable[hash_key];
 
 	struct uwsgi_cache_item *uci;
+	uint64_t rounds = 0;
 
 	//uwsgi_log("found slot %d for key %d\n", slot, hash_key);
 
 	uci = &uwsgi.cache_items[slot];
 
 	// first round
-	if (uci->djbhash != hash) goto cycle;
+	if (uci->djbhash != hash) return 0;
 	if (uci->keysize != keylen) goto cycle;
 	if (memcmp(uci->key, key, keylen)) goto cycle;
 
@@ -127,7 +128,20 @@ cycle:
 	while(uci->next) {
 		slot = uci->next;
 		uci = &uwsgi.cache_items[slot];
-		if (uci->djbhash != hash) continue;
+		rounds++;
+		if (rounds > uwsgi.cache_max_items) {
+			uwsgi_log("ALARM !!! cache-loop (and potential deadlock) detected slot = %llu prev = %llu next = %llu\n", uci->next, slot, uci->prev, uci->next);	
+			// terrible case: the whole uWSGI stack can deadlock, leaving only the master alive
+			// if the master is avalable, trigger a brutal reload
+			if (uwsgi.master_process) {
+				kill(uwsgi.workers[0].pid, SIGTERM);
+			}
+			// otherwise kill the current worker (could be pretty useless...)
+			else {
+				exit(1);
+			}
+		}
+		if (uci->djbhash != hash) return 0;
 		if (uci->keysize != keylen) continue;
 		if (!memcmp(uci->key, key, keylen)) return slot;
 	}
@@ -154,13 +168,14 @@ char *uwsgi_cache_get(char *key, uint16_t keylen, uint64_t *valsize) {
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-int uwsgi_cache_del(char *key, uint16_t keylen) {
+int uwsgi_cache_del(char *key, uint16_t keylen, uint64_t index) {
 
-	uint64_t index = 0;
 	struct uwsgi_cache_item *uci;
 	int ret = -1;
 
-	index = uwsgi_cache_get_index(key, keylen);
+	if (!index)
+		index = uwsgi_cache_get_index(key, keylen);
+
 	if (index) {
 		uci = &uwsgi.cache_items[index] ;
 		uci->keysize = 0;
@@ -177,9 +192,15 @@ int uwsgi_cache_del(char *key, uint16_t keylen) {
 		if (uci->prev) {
 			uwsgi.cache_items[uci->prev].next = uci->next;	
 		}
+		else {
+			// set next as the new entry point (could be 0)
+			uwsgi.cache_hashtable[uci->djbhash % 0xffff] = uci->next;
+		}
+
 		if (uci->next) {
 			uwsgi.cache_items[uci->next].prev = uci->prev;	
 		}
+
 		if (!uci->prev && !uci->next) {
 			// reset hashtable entry
 			//uwsgi_log("!!! resetted hashtable entry !!!\n");
@@ -188,6 +209,7 @@ int uwsgi_cache_del(char *key, uint16_t keylen) {
 		uci->djbhash = 0;
 		uci->prev = 0;
 		uci->next = 0;
+		uci->expires = 0;
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -262,6 +284,9 @@ int uwsgi_cache_set(char *key, uint16_t keylen, char *val, uint64_t vallen, uint
 		ret = 0;
 		// now put the value in the 16bit hashtable
 		slot = uci->djbhash % 0xffff;
+		// reset values
+		uci->prev = 0;
+		uci->next = 0;
 
 		if (uwsgi.cache_hashtable[slot] == 0) {
 			uwsgi.cache_hashtable[slot] = index;
diff --git a/master.c b/master.c
index 033571cf..ae59cc33 100644
--- a/master.c
+++ b/master.c
@@ -123,15 +123,21 @@ void *cache_sweeper_loop(void *noarg) {
 	// remove expired cache items TODO use rb_tree timeouts
 	for(;;) {
 		sleep(uwsgi.cache_expire_freq);
-                for (i = 0; i < (int) uwsgi.cache_max_items; i++) {
+		uint64_t freed_items = 0;
+		// skip the first slot
+                for (i = 1; i < (int) uwsgi.cache_max_items; i++) {
                 	uwsgi_wlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
                         if (uwsgi.cache_items[i].expires) {
                         	if (uwsgi.cache_items[i].expires < (uint64_t) uwsgi.current_time) {
-                                	uwsgi_cache_del(uwsgi.cache_items[i].key, uwsgi.cache_items[i].keysize);
+                                	uwsgi_cache_del(NULL, 0, i);
+					freed_items++;
                                 }
                         }
                         uwsgi_rwunlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
         	}
+		if (uwsgi.cache_report_freed_items && freed_items > 0) {
+			uwsgi_log("freed %llu cache items\n", (unsigned long long) freed_items);
+		}
 	};
 
 }
diff --git a/plugins/cache/cache.c b/plugins/cache/cache.c
index 22ec375d..a160288f 100644
--- a/plugins/cache/cache.c
+++ b/plugins/cache/cache.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ int uwsgi_cache_request(struct wsgi_request *wsgi_req) {
                 case 2:
                         // del
                         if (wsgi_req->uh.pktsize > 0) {
-                                uwsgi_cache_del(wsgi_req->buffer, wsgi_req->uh.pktsize);
+                                uwsgi_cache_del(wsgi_req->buffer, wsgi_req->uh.pktsize, 0);
                         }
                         break;
                 case 3:
diff --git a/plugins/php/php_plugin.c b/plugins/php/php_plugin.c
index 3f5bd4e9..f6748810 100644
--- a/plugins/php/php_plugin.c
+++ b/plugins/php/php_plugin.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(uwsgi_cache_del) {
         }
 
 	uwsgi_wlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
-        if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen)) {
+        if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen, 0)) {
                 uwsgi_rwunlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
 		RETURN_TRUE;
         }
diff --git a/plugins/python/uwsgi_pymodule.c b/plugins/python/uwsgi_pymodule.c
index be20e5fd..955c3b0c 100644
--- a/plugins/python/uwsgi_pymodule.c
+++ b/plugins/python/uwsgi_pymodule.c
@@ -3138,7 +3138,7 @@ PyObject *py_uwsgi_cache_del(PyObject * self, PyObject * args) {
 	else if (uwsgi.cache_max_items) {
 		UWSGI_RELEASE_GIL
 		uwsgi_wlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
-		if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen)) {
+		if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen, 0)) {
 			uwsgi_rwunlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
 			UWSGI_GET_GIL
 			Py_INCREF(Py_None);
diff --git a/plugins/rack/rack_api.c b/plugins/rack/rack_api.c
index 17328723..e98cdf65 100644
--- a/plugins/rack/rack_api.c
+++ b/plugins/rack/rack_api.c
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ VALUE rack_uwsgi_cache_del(VALUE *class, VALUE rbkey) {
 	size_t keylen = RSTRING_LEN(rbkey);
 	
         uwsgi_wlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
-        if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen)) {
+        if (uwsgi_cache_del(key, keylen, 0)) {
         	uwsgi_rwunlock(uwsgi.cache_lock);
 		return Qfalse;
         }
diff --git a/uwsgi.c b/uwsgi.c
index 6aa2c549..126d4611 100644
--- a/uwsgi.c
+++ b/uwsgi.c
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 	{"cache-server-threads", required_argument, 0, "set the number of threads for the cache server", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.cache_server_threads,0},
 	{"cache-no-expire", required_argument, 0, "disable auto sweep of expired items", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.cache_no_expire,0},
 	{"cache-expire-freq", required_argument, 0, "set the frequency of cache sweeper scans (default 3 seconds)", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.cache_expire_freq,0},
+	{"cache-report-freed-items", required_argument, 0, "constantly report the cache item freed by the sweeper (use only for debug)", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.cache_report_freed_items,0},
 
 	{"queue", required_argument, 0, "enable shared queue", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.queue_size, 0},
 	{"queue-blocksize", required_argument, 0, "set queue blocksize", uwsgi_opt_set_int, &uwsgi.queue_store_sync, 0},
diff --git a/uwsgi.h b/uwsgi.h
index 29a2f6c1..23189af5 100644
--- a/uwsgi.h
+++ b/uwsgi.h
@@ -1574,6 +1574,7 @@ struct uwsgi_server {
 	int cache_store_sync;
 	int cache_no_expire;
 	int cache_expire_freq;
+	int cache_report_freed_items;
 
 	char *cache_server;
 	int cache_server_threads;
@@ -2118,7 +2119,7 @@ ssize_t uwsgi_send_message(int, uint8_t, uint8_t, char *, uint16_t, int, ssize_t
 char *uwsgi_cluster_best_node(void);
 
 int uwsgi_cache_set(char *, uint16_t, char *, uint64_t, uint64_t, uint16_t);
-int uwsgi_cache_del(char *, uint16_t);
+int uwsgi_cache_del(char *, uint16_t, uint64_t);
 char *uwsgi_cache_get(char *, uint16_t, uint64_t *);
 uint32_t uwsgi_cache_exists(char *, uint16_t);