diff --git a/manage_ssh.sh b/manage_ssh.sh
index 82c30ae..206c287 100644
--- a/manage_ssh.sh
+++ b/manage_ssh.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 # REQUIRES: check_config(), check_logging(), check_params(), check_root_user(),
 #           check_setup(), check_syntax(), count_fields(), die(), display_usage(), 
 #           distribute2host(), do_cleanup(), fix2host(), get_linux_version(), 
-#           log(), resolve_host(), sftp_file(), update2host(), 
+#           log(), logc(), resolve_host(), sftp_file(), update2host(), 
 #           update_fingerprints(), wait_for_children(), warn()
 #           For other pre-requisites see the documentation in display_usage()
 #
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 # @(#)             permissions do not allow (VRF 1.2.1) [Patrick Van der Veken]
 # @(#) 2015-08-28: check_config() update (VRF 1.2.2) [Patrick Van der Veken]
 # @(#) 2015-09-04: fix in wait_for_children (VRF 1.2.3) [Patrick Van der Veken]
+# @(#) 2015-09-06: proper error checking in fix2host(), update2host() by using
+# @(#)             logc() (VRF 1.3.0) [Patrick Van der Veken
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # DO NOT CHANGE THIS FILE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!
 #******************************************************************************
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@
 # or LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE instead
 
 # define the V.R.F (version/release/fix)
-MY_VRF="1.2.3"
+MY_VRF="1.3.0"
 # name of the global configuration file (script)
 GLOBAL_CONFIG_FILE="manage_ssh.conf"
 # name of the local configuration file (script)
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ KEY_2048_COUNT=0
 KEY_4096_COUNT=0
 KEY_OTHER_COUNT=0
 TMP_FILE="${TMP_DIR}/.${SCRIPT_NAME}.$$"
+TMP_RC_FILE="${TMP_DIR}/.${SCRIPT_NAME}.rc.$$"
 # command-line parameters
 ARG_ACTION=0            # default is nothing
 ARG_FIX_DIR=""          # location of SSH controls directory
@@ -475,6 +478,7 @@ return 0
 function distribute2host
 {
 SERVER="$1"
+ERROR_COUNT=0
 
 # convert line to hostname
 SERVER=${SERVER%%;*}
@@ -502,6 +506,7 @@ do
         log "transferred ${FILE%!*} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR}"
     else
         warn "failed to transfer ${FILE%!*} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR} [RC=${COPY_RC}]"
+        ERROR_COUNT=$(( ERROR_COUNT + 1 ))
     fi
 done
 # 2) keys files
@@ -526,6 +531,7 @@ then
         log "transferred ${TMP_MERGE_FILE} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR}"
     else
         warn "failed to transfer ${TMP_MERGE_FILE%!*} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR} [RC=${COPY_RC}]"
+        ERROR_COUNT=$(( ERROR_COUNT + 1 ))
     fi
     [[ -d ${TMP_WORK_DIR} ]] && rm -rf ${TMP_WORK_DIR} 2>/dev/null
 else
@@ -536,6 +542,7 @@ else
         log "transferred ${KEYS_FILE} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR}"
     else
         warn "failed to transfer ${KEYS_FILE} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR} [RC=${COPY_RC}]"
+        ERROR_COUNT = $(( ERROR_COUNT + 1 ))
     fi
 fi
 # discover a keys blacklist file, also copy it across if we find one
@@ -555,11 +562,12 @@ then
             log "transferred ${BLACKLIST_FILE} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR}"
         else
             warn "failed to transfer ${BLACKLIST_FILE%!*} to ${SERVER}:${REMOTE_DIR} [RC=${COPY_RC}]"
+            ERROR_COUNT = $(( ERROR_COUNT + 1 ))
         fi
     fi
 fi
 
-return 0
+return ${ERROR_COUNT}
 }
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -567,10 +575,10 @@ function do_cleanup
 {
 log "performing cleanup ..."
 
-# remove temporary file
+# remove temporary file(s)
 [[ -f ${TMP_FILE} ]] && rm -f ${TMP_FILE} >/dev/null 2>&1
 [[ -f ${TMP_MERGE_FILE} ]] && rm -f ${TMP_MERGE_FILE} >/dev/null 2>&1
-
+[[ -f ${TMP_RC_FILE} ]] && rm -f ${TMP_RC_FILE} >/dev/null 2>&1
 log "*** finish of ${SCRIPT_NAME} [${CMD_LINE}] ***"
 
 return 0
@@ -597,18 +605,26 @@ log "fixing ssh controls on ${SERVER} ..."
 if [[ -z "${SSH_UPDATE_USER}" ]]
 then
     # own user w/ sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR})"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR};
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 elif [[ "${SSH_UPDATE_USER}" != "root" ]]
 then
     # other user w/ sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR})"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR};
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 else
     # root user w/o sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR})"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} root@${SERVER} ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --fix-local --fix-dir=${SERVER_DIR};
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 fi
-# no error checking possible here due to log(), done in called script
 
-return 0
+# fetch return code from subshell
+RC="$(< ${TMP_RC_FILE})"
+
+return ${RC}
 }
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -640,11 +656,14 @@ else
 fi
 }
 
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# log an INFO: message (via ARG).
 function log
 {
 NOW="$(date '+%d-%h-%Y %H:%M:%S')"
 
+# log an INFO: message (via ARG).
 if [[ -n "$1" ]]
 then
     if (( ARG_LOG ))
@@ -670,6 +689,63 @@ fi
 return 0
 }
 
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# log an INFO: message (via STDIN). Do not use when STDIN is still open
+function logc
+{
+NOW="$(date '+%d-%h-%Y %H:%M:%S')"
+LOG_STDIN=""
+
+# process STDIN (if any)
+[[ ! -t 0 ]] && LOG_STDIN="$(cat)"
+if [[ -n "${LOG_STDIN}" ]]
+then
+    if (( ARG_LOG ))
+    then
+        print - "${LOG_STDIN}" | while read LOG_LINE
+        do
+            # filter leading 'INFO:'
+            LOG_LINE="${LOG_LINE#INFO: *}"
+            print "${NOW}: INFO: [$$]:" "${LOG_LINE}" >> ${LOG_FILE}
+        done
+    fi
+    if (( ARG_VERBOSE ))
+    then
+        print - "${LOG_STDIN}" | while read LOG_LINE
+        do
+            # filter leading 'INFO:'
+            LOG_LINE="${LOG_LINE#INFO: *}"
+            print "INFO:" "${LOG_LINE}"
+        done
+    fi
+fi
+
+# process ARG (if any)
+if [[ -n "$1" ]]
+then
+    if (( ARG_LOG != 0 ))
+    then
+        print - "$*" | while read LOG_LINE
+        do
+            # filter leading 'INFO:'
+            LOG_LINE="${LOG_LINE#INFO: *}"
+            print "${NOW}: INFO: [$$]:" "${LOG_LINE}" >> ${LOG_FILE}
+        done
+    fi
+    if (( ARG_VERBOSE != 0 ))
+    then
+        print - "$*" | while read LOG_LINE
+        do
+            # filter leading 'INFO:'
+            LOG_LINE="${LOG_LINE#INFO: *}"
+            print "INFO:" "${LOG_LINE}"
+        done
+    fi
+fi
+
+return 0
+}
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # resolve a host (check)
 function resolve_host
@@ -738,18 +814,26 @@ log "setting ssh controls on ${SERVER} ..."
 if [[ -z "${SSH_UPDATE_USER}" ]]
 then
     # own user w/ sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update)"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update;
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 elif [[ "${SSH_UPDATE_USER}" != "root" ]]
 then
     # other user w/ sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update)"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} sudo -n ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update;
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 else
     # root user w/o sudo
-    log "$(ssh ${SSH_ARGS} ${SSH_UPDATE_USER}@${SERVER} ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update)"
+    ( RC=0; ssh ${SSH_ARGS} root@${SERVER} ${REMOTE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME} --update;
+      print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+    ) 2>&1 | logc
 fi
-# no error checking possible here due to log(), done in called script
 
-return 0
+# fetch return code from subshell
+RC="$(< ${TMP_RC_FILE})"
+
+return ${RC}
 }
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -819,15 +903,16 @@ do
         # wait for sigchild, catching child exit codes is unreliable because
         # the child might have already ended before we get here (caveat emptor)
         else
-			wait ${PID}
-			if (( $? ))
-			then
-				log "child process ${PID} exited [NOK]"
-				WAIT_ERRORS=$(( WAIT_ERRORS + 1 ))
-			else
-				log "child process ${PID} exited [OK]"
-			fi
-		fi
+            wait ${PID}
+            RC=$?
+            if (( ${RC} ))
+            then
+                log "child process ${PID} exited [RC=${RC}]"
+                WAIT_ERRORS=$(( WAIT_ERRORS + 1 ))
+            else
+                log "child process ${PID} exited [RC=${RC}]"
+            fi
+        fi
     done
     # break loop if we have no child PIDs left
     (($# > 0)) || break
@@ -1091,9 +1176,17 @@ case ${ARG_ACTION} in
         ;;
     4)  # apply SSH controls locally (root user)
         log "ACTION: apply SSH controls locally"
-        log "$(sudo -n ${LOCAL_DIR}/update_ssh.pl ${SSH_UPDATE_OPTS})"
-        # no error checking possible here due to log(), done in called script
-        log "finished applying SSH controls locally"
+        ( RC=0; ${LOCAL_DIR}/update_ssh.pl ${SSH_UPDATE_OPTS};
+          print "$?" > ${TMP_RC_FILE}; exit
+        ) 2>&1 | logc
+        # fetch return code from subshell
+        RC="$(< ${TMP_RC_FILE})"
+        if (( RC ))
+        then
+            log "failed to apply SSH controls locally [RC=${RC}]"
+        else
+            log "finished applying SSH controls locally [RC=${RC}]"     
+        fi
         ;;
     5)  # fix local directory structure/perms/ownerships
         log "ACTION: fix local SSH controls repository"