diff --git a/data_backend.py b/data_backend.py
index 45ab1fa..c4e4081 100644
--- a/data_backend.py
+++ b/data_backend.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class DataBackend:
     def list(self, path):
         '''List the contents of this path'''
         raise NotImplementedError()
-    
+
     def find_all_metadata(self):
         '''Return key-value map of { software : metadata-dict }'''
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class LocalFS(DataBackend):
         fullpath = path
         if self.remote_root_dir and not path.startswith(self.remote_root_dir):
             fullpath = os.path.join(self.remote_root_dir, path)
-        
+
         # load the file on remote #
         with open(fullpath, "rb") as f:
             target = os.path.join(cache_dir, os.path.basename(path))
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ class LocalFS(DataBackend):
                 ft.write(f.read())
 
         return target
-    
+
     def list(self, path, fullpaths=False):
-        
+
         # prepend root dir if not given #
         fullpath = path
         if self.remote_root_dir and not path.startswith(self.remote_root_dir):
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ class LocalFS(DataBackend):
             return [ os.path.join(path, filename) for filename in os.listdir(fullpath)]
         else:
             return os.listdir(fullpath)
-    
+
     def find_all_metadata(self):
-        
+
         meta_info_list = []
         for software_dir in glob.iglob(self.remote_root_dir + "/*"):
             meta_file = os.path.join(software_dir, "meta.yaml")
@@ -99,17 +99,21 @@ class LocalFS(DataBackend):
                 continue
             else:
                 meta_info_list.append(software.Software(meta_file, self, self.progress_bar_wrapper))
-        
+
         return list(filter(lambda x: not x.invalid, meta_info_list))
 
 class FTP(DataBackend):
 
     paths_listed = {}
 
-    def _connect(self):
+    def _connect(self, individual_connection=False):
 
-        if self.ftp:
-            return self.ftp
+        if self.ftp and not individual_connection:
+            try:
+                self.ftp.voidcmd("NOOP")
+                return self.ftp
+            except ssl.SSLError:
+                pass # reconnect
 
         if self.server.startswith("ftp://"):
             tls = False
@@ -155,7 +159,8 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
         # cache dir is automatically set #
         self.cache_dir = None
 
-        self.ftp = ftp
+        if not individual_connection:
+            self.ftp = ftp
         return ftp
 
 
@@ -174,7 +179,7 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
             #print(self.remote_root_dir, path, fullpath)
         fullpath = fullpath.replace("\\", "/")
         local_file = os.path.join(cache_dir, os.path.basename(path))
-        
+
         # print("Cachedir:", cache_dir, os.path.basename(path), local_file)
 
         if not os.path.isfile(local_file):
@@ -190,9 +195,9 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
             with open(local_file, "w") as f:
                 f.write(local_file)
             with open(local_file, 'wb') as local_file_open, tqdm.tqdm(
-                desc="Downloading", 
-                total=total_size, 
-                unit='B', 
+                desc="Downloading",
+                total=total_size,
+                unit='B',
                 unit_scale=True
             ) as cmd_progress_bar:
 
@@ -206,15 +211,15 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
 
                 # run with callback #
                 ftp.retrbinary('RETR ' + fullpath, callback)
-        
+
         if return_content:
             with open(local_file, encoding="utf-8") as fr:
                 return fr.read()
 
         return local_file
-    
-    def list(self, path, fullpaths=False):
-        
+
+    def list(self, path, fullpaths=False, new_connection=False):
+
         # prepend root dir if not given #
         fullpath = path
         if self.remote_root_dir and not path.startswith(self.remote_root_dir):
@@ -231,14 +236,20 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
                 paths = self.paths_listed[fullpath]
                 #print("Retrieved paths from cache:", fullpath, paths)
             else:
-                ftp = self._connect()
+                ftp = self._connect(individual_connection=new_connection)
+                print("Listing previously unlisted path: {}".format(fullpath))
                 self.paths_listed.update({fullpath: []}) # in case dir does not exit
                 paths = ftp.nlst(fullpath)
                 self.paths_listed.update({fullpath: paths})
 
+            if new_connection: # close individual connections
+                ftp.close()
+
             if not fullpaths:
                 return paths
+
             return [ os.path.join(path, filename).replace("\\", "/") for filename in paths ]
+
         except ftplib.error_perm as e:
             if "550 No files found" in str(e):
                 print("No files in this directory: {}".format(fullpath))
@@ -248,21 +259,34 @@ class FTP(DataBackend):
                 return []
             else:
                 raise e
-    
+
     def find_all_metadata(self):
-        
+
         local_meta_file_list = []
 
         root_elements = self.list(self.remote_root_dir)
-        for s in root_elements:
+        import concurrent.futures
+        with concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=os.cpu_count()*5) as executor:
+
+            software_dir_contents = list(executor.map(
+                    lambda s: self.list(s, fullpaths=True, new_connection=True), root_elements))
+
+            # this caches the paths, done remove it #
+            cache_list = [os.path.join(s, "registry_files") for s in root_elements ]
+            cache_list += [os.path.join(s, "pictures") for s in root_elements ]
+            picture_contents_async_cache = list(executor.map(
+                    lambda s: self.list(s, fullpaths=True, new_connection=True), cache_list))
+
+        for files in software_dir_contents:
             #print(s)
-            files = self.list(s, fullpaths=True)
-            #print(files)
+            #files = self.list(s, fullpaths=True)
+            print(files)
             for f in files:
                 if f.endswith("meta.yaml"):
                     meta_file_content = self.get(f, cache_dir="cache", return_content=True)
                     #print(meta_file_content)
                     local_meta_file_list.append(f)
-        
-        return list(filter(lambda x: not x.invalid, [ software.Software(meta_file, self, self.progress_bar_wrapper) 
-                    for meta_file in local_meta_file_list ]))
+
+        return list(filter(lambda x: not x.invalid,
+                        [ software.Software(meta_file, self, self.progress_bar_wrapper)
+                            for meta_file in local_meta_file_list ]))