diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index 71d5f70..c93259f 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -111,20 +111,20 @@ void enforceMaxDays(const string &dirPath, shared_t *share)
 
 void enforceMaxClips(const string &dirPath, shared_t *share)
 {
-    auto names = lsDirsInDir(dirPath);
+    auto names = lsDirsInDir(dirPath, "." + share->vidExt);
 
-    // note: this function assumes all video clips are accompanied by
-    //       .html and .jpg files of the same name, hence why it *3
-    //       the max names in the directory and *3 the file deletion.
-
-    while (names.size() > ((share->maxClips - 1) * 3))
+    while (names.size() > share->maxClips)
     {
-        remove(string(cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + names[0]).c_str());
-        remove(string(cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + names[1]).c_str());
-        remove(string(cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + names[2]).c_str());
+        // removes the video file extension.
+        auto nameOnly = names[0].substr(0, names[0].size() - (share->vidExt.size() + 1));
+        auto imgFile  = cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + nameOnly + ".jpg";
+        auto webFile  = cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + nameOnly + ".html"
+
+        remove(cleanDir(dirPath) + "/" + names[0]);
+
+        if (exists(imgFile)) remove(imgFile);
+        if (exists(webFile)) remove(webFile);
 
-        names.erase(names.begin());
-        names.erase(names.begin());
         names.erase(names.begin());
     }
 }
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@ bool rdConf(shared_t *share)
 
         share->retCode     = 0;
         share->frameGap    = 10;
-        share->pixThresh   = 30;
-        share->imgThresh   = 512;
+        share->pixThresh   = 150;
+        share->imgThresh   = 1024;
         share->secs        = 60;
         share->maxDays     = 15;
         share->maxClips    = 30;
-        share->maxLogSize  = 10000;
+        share->maxLogSize  = 50000;
         share->camName     = path(share->conf.c_str()).filename();
         share->webRoot     = "/var/www/html";
         share->vidExt      = "mp4";
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ bool rdConf(shared_t *share)
             {
                 remove_all(share->buffDir);
             }
-            
+
             share->init = false;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index d673bfc..dec0cb8 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ using namespace cv;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace std::filesystem;
 
-#define APP_VER  "1.5.t9"
+#define APP_VER  "1.5.t10"
 #define APP_NAME "Motion Watch"
 
 struct shared_t
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4113479..abb1a3e 100755
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 void detectLoop(shared_t *share)
 {
-    detLog("detectLoop() -- start", share);
+    detLog("detect_loop() -- start", share);
 
     vector<string> bufFiles;
     auto           waitingForFiles = 0;
@@ -32,24 +32,17 @@ void detectLoop(shared_t *share)
         if ((bufFiles.size() >= 2) || (share->recLoopWait && !bufFiles.empty()))
         {
             auto fullPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/" + bufFiles[0];
-
-            Mat thumbNail;
+            Mat  thumbNail;
 
             if (moDetect(fullPath, thumbNail, share))
             {
                 share->skipCmd = true;
 
-                detLog("motion detected in file: " + fullPath, share);
                 wrOut(fullPath, thumbNail, share);
             }
-            else
+            else if (exists(fullPath))
             {
-                detLog("no motion detected in file: " + fullPath + " removing it.", share);
-
-                if (exists(fullPath))
-                {
-                    remove(fullPath);
-                }
+                remove(fullPath);
             }
         }
         else
@@ -60,19 +53,25 @@ void detectLoop(shared_t *share)
 
                 break;
             }
+            else
+            {
+                detLog(to_string(bufFiles.size()) + " buff file(s) found, waiting for more.", share);
+            }
 
-            sleep(1); waitingForFiles++;
+            sleep(5); waitingForFiles += 5;
         }
     }
-    while (!bufFiles.empty() && !share->recLoopWait);
+    while (!share->recLoopWait || !bufFiles.empty());
 
-    detLog("detectLoop() -- finished", share);
+    detLog("detect_loop() -- finished", share);
 }
 
 void recLoop(shared_t *share)
 {
     while (rdConf(share))
     {
+        recLog("rec_loop() -- start", share);
+
         enforceMaxLogSize(share->recLogPath, share);
         enforceMaxLogSize(share->detLogPath, share);
 
@@ -81,28 +80,24 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
 
         initLogFrontPages(share);
 
-        recLog("recLoop() -- start", share);
-
         if (!exists("/tmp/mow-lock"))
         {
-            recLog("/tmp/mow-lock not found, assuming it is safe to update the webroot page.", share);
-            recLog("webroot page = " + cleanDir(share->webRoot) + "/index.html", share);
-
             system("touch /tmp/mow-lock");
 
             genCSS(share);
             genHTMLul(share->webRoot, string(APP_NAME) + " " + string(APP_VER), share);
 
             remove("/tmp/mow-lock");
+            recLog("webroot page updated: " + cleanDir(share->webRoot) + "/index.html", share);
         }
         else
         {
-            recLog("/tmp/mow-lock pesent, skipping update of the webroot page.", share);
+            recLog("skipping update of the webroot page, it is busy.", share);
         }
 
         genHTMLul(share->outDir, share->camName, share);
 
-        recLog("camera specific webroot page updated. page = " + share->outDir + "/index.html", share);
+        recLog("camera specific webroot page updated: " + share->outDir + "/index.html", share);
 
         auto bufPath = cleanDir(share->buffDir) + "/%03d." + share->vidExt;
         auto secs    = to_string(share->secs);
@@ -111,7 +106,7 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
 
         thread th2(detectLoop, share);
 
-        recLog("detectLoop() -- started in a seperate thread.", share);
+        recLog("detect_loop() -- started in a seperate thread.", share);
         recLog("ffmpeg_run: " + cmd, share);
 
         auto retCode = system(cmd.c_str());
@@ -122,6 +117,8 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
 
         th2.join();
 
+        recLog("detect_loop() -- thread finished.", share);
+
         if (!share->skipCmd)
         {
             recLog("motion not detected by the detection loop.", share);
@@ -132,7 +129,7 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
             }
             else
             {
-                recLog("running post command = " + share->postCmd, share);
+                recLog("running post command: " + share->postCmd, share);
                 system(share->postCmd.c_str());
             }
         }
@@ -141,7 +138,7 @@ void recLoop(shared_t *share)
             recLog("motion detected by the detection loop, skipping the post command.", share);
         }
 
-        recLog("recLoop() -- finished", share);
+        recLog("rec_loop() -- finished", share);
 
         if (share->retCode != 0)
         {
diff --git a/src/mo_detect.cpp b/src/mo_detect.cpp
index 37df853..9b70338 100644
--- a/src/mo_detect.cpp
+++ b/src/mo_detect.cpp
@@ -14,14 +14,30 @@
 
 bool imgDiff(const Mat &prev, const Mat &next, int &diffScore, shared_t *share)
 {
-    Mat diff;
+    auto ret = false;
 
-    absdiff(prev, next, diff);
-    threshold(diff, diff, share->pixThresh, 255, THRESH_BINARY);
+    detLog("img_diff() -- start()", share);
 
-    diffScore = countNonZero(diff);
+    if (prev.empty()) detLog("prev_frame is empty -- this should never happen (opencv to blame).", share);
+    if (next.empty()) detLog("next_frame is empty -- EOF assumed.", share);
 
-    return diffScore >= share->imgThresh;
+    if (!prev.empty() && !next.empty())
+    {
+        Mat diff;
+
+        absdiff(prev, next, diff);
+        threshold(diff, diff, share->pixThresh, 255, THRESH_BINARY);
+
+        diffScore = countNonZero(diff);
+
+        detLog("diff_score: " + to_string(diffScore), share);
+
+        ret = diffScore >= share->imgThresh;
+    }
+
+    detLog("img_diff() -- finished()", share);
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 Mat frameFF(VideoCapture *cap, int gap)
@@ -47,6 +63,9 @@ Mat frameFF(VideoCapture *cap, int gap)
 
 void wrOut(const string &buffFile, const Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
 {
+    detLog("wr_out() -- start()", share);
+    detLog("buff_file: " + buffFile, share);
+
     auto dayStr = genTimeStr("%Y-%m-%d");
     auto timStr = genTimeStr("%H%M%S");
     auto outDir = cleanDir(share->outDir) + "/" + dayStr;
@@ -61,7 +80,6 @@ void wrOut(const string &buffFile, const Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
 
     detLog("write_out_vid: " + vidOut, share);
     detLog("write_out_img: " + imgOut, share);
-    detLog("remove_file: " + buffFile, share);
 
     enforceMaxClips(outDir, share);
 
@@ -73,10 +91,15 @@ void wrOut(const string &buffFile, const Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
     genHTMLvid(vidOut, share);
     genHTMLul(outDir, share->camName + ": " + dayStr, share);
     genHTMLul(share->outDir, share->camName, share);
+
+    detLog("wr_out() -- finished()", share);
 }
 
 bool moDetect(const string &buffFile, Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
 {
+    detLog("mo_detect() -- start()", share);
+    detLog("buff_file: " + buffFile, share);
+
     auto mod = false;
 
     VideoCapture capture(buffFile.c_str());
@@ -100,24 +123,21 @@ bool moDetect(const string &buffFile, Mat &vidThumb, shared_t *share)
             {
                 resize(next, vidThumb, Size(1280, 720), INTER_LINEAR);
 
-                if (diff > maxDiff)
-                {
-                    maxDiff = diff;
-                }
-
-                mod = true; break;
+                mod = true;
             }
 
-            frameGaps++;
-        }
-        while (!prev.empty() && !next.empty());
+            frameGaps += share->frameGap;
 
-        detLog("scanned_buff_file = " + buffFile + " max_score = " + to_string(maxDiff) + " frame_gaps = " + to_string(frameGaps), share);
+            detLog("frame_gap: " + to_string(frameGaps), share);
+        }
+        while (!prev.empty() && !next.empty() && !mod);
     }
     else
     {
-        detLog("failed to open buff file: " + buffFile + " for reading. check permissions and/or opencv's video-io support (gstreamer/ffmpeg).", share);
+        detLog("failed to open the buff file for reading. check permissions and/or opencv's video-io support (gstreamer/ffmpeg).", share);
     }
 
+    detLog("mo_detect() -- finished()", share);
+
     return mod;
 }