diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 4cfcc09..9f34545 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -45,18 +45,6 @@ func newConn(conf connConfig, muted bool) (*conn, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return c, err
 	}
-	// When using UDP do a quick check to see if something is listening on the
-	// given port to return an error as soon as possible.
-	if c.network[:3] == "udp" {
-		for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
-			_, err = c.w.Write(nil)
-			if err != nil {
-				_ = c.w.Close()
-				c.w = nil
-				return c, err
-			}
-		}
-	}
 
 	// To prevent a buffer overflow add some capacity to the buffer to allow for
 	// an additional metric.
@@ -166,30 +154,21 @@ func isNegative(v interface{}) bool {
 	switch n := v.(type) {
 	case int:
 		return n < 0
-	case uint:
-		return n < 0
 	case int64:
 		return n < 0
-	case uint64:
-		return n < 0
 	case int32:
 		return n < 0
-	case uint32:
-		return n < 0
 	case int16:
 		return n < 0
-	case uint16:
-		return n < 0
 	case int8:
 		return n < 0
-	case uint8:
-		return n < 0
 	case float64:
 		return n < 0
 	case float32:
 		return n < 0
+	default:
+		return false
 	}
-	return false
 }
 
 func (c *conn) appendBucket(prefix, bucket string, tags string) {
diff --git a/examples_test.go b/examples_test.go
index dc6c2f3..0576bc4 100644
--- a/examples_test.go
+++ b/examples_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
-	"gopkg.in/alexcesaro/statsd.v2"
+	"github.com/andriyko/statsd"
 )
 
 var (
diff --git a/statsd.go b/statsd.go
index 8c26f90..fc3f7b7 100644
--- a/statsd.go
+++ b/statsd.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (c *Client) Count(bucket string, n interface{}) {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) skip() bool {
-	return c.muted || (c.rate != 1 && randFloat() > c.rate)
+	return nil == c || c.muted || (c.rate != 1 && randFloat() > c.rate)
 }
 
 // Increment increment the given bucket. It is equivalent to Count(bucket, 1).
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func (c *Client) Timing(bucket string, value interface{}) {
 	c.conn.metric(c.prefix, bucket, value, "ms", c.rate, c.tags)
 }
 
-// TimingWithTags ...
+// TimingWithTags sends a timing value with tags to a bucket.
 func (c *Client) TimingWithTags(bucket string, value interface{}, tags map[string]string) {
 	if c.skip() {
 		return
@@ -125,32 +125,6 @@ func (c *Client) Histogram(bucket string, value interface{}) {
 	c.conn.metric(c.prefix, bucket, value, "h", c.rate, c.tags)
 }
 
-// A Timing is an helper object that eases sending timing values.
-type Timing struct {
-	start time.Time
-	c     *Client
-}
-
-// NewTiming creates a new Timing.
-func (c *Client) NewTiming() Timing {
-	return Timing{start: now(), c: c}
-}
-
-// Send sends the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing.
-func (t Timing) Send(bucket string) {
-	t.c.Timing(bucket, int(t.Duration()/time.Millisecond))
-}
-
-// SendWithTags sends the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing
-func (t Timing) SendWithTags(bucket string, tags map[string]string) {
-	t.c.TimingWithTags(bucket, float64(time.Since(t.start))/float64(time.Millisecond), tags)
-}
-
-// Duration returns the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing.
-func (t Timing) Duration() time.Duration {
-	return now().Sub(t.start)
-}
-
 // Unique sends the given value to a set bucket.
 func (c *Client) Unique(bucket string, value string) {
 	if c.skip() {
@@ -159,6 +133,11 @@ func (c *Client) Unique(bucket string, value string) {
 	c.conn.unique(c.prefix, bucket, value, c.tags)
 }
 
+// Muted tells whether the Clent is muted
+func (c *Client) Muted() bool {
+	return c.muted
+}
+
 // Flush flushes the Client's buffer.
 func (c *Client) Flush() {
 	if c.muted {
@@ -181,3 +160,29 @@ func (c *Client) Close() {
 	c.conn.closed = true
 	c.conn.mu.Unlock()
 }
+
+// A Timing is an helper object that eases sending timing values.
+type Timing struct {
+	start time.Time
+	c     *Client
+}
+
+// NewTiming creates a new Timing.
+func (c *Client) NewTiming() Timing {
+	return Timing{start: now(), c: c}
+}
+
+// Send sends the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing.
+func (t Timing) Send(bucket string) {
+	t.c.Timing(bucket, int(t.Duration()/time.Millisecond))
+}
+
+// SendWithTags sends the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing
+func (t Timing) SendWithTags(bucket string, tags map[string]string) {
+	t.c.TimingWithTags(bucket, float64(t.Duration())/float64(time.Millisecond), tags)
+}
+
+// Duration returns the time elapsed since the creation of the Timing.
+func (t Timing) Duration() time.Duration {
+	return time.Since(t.start)
+}
diff --git a/statsd_test.go b/statsd_test.go
index 13bdef2..0b11841 100644
--- a/statsd_test.go
+++ b/statsd_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -261,7 +262,7 @@ func TestMaxPacketSize(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		c.Increment(testKey)
-		got = conn.buf.String()
+		got = strings.TrimSuffix(conn.buf.String(), "\n")
 		want := "test_key:1|c"
 		if got != want {
 			t.Errorf("Invalid output, got %q, want %q", got, want)
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ func TestMaxPacketSize(t *testing.T) {
 		conn.buf.Reset()
 		c.Close()
 
-		got = conn.buf.String()
+		got = strings.TrimSuffix(conn.buf.String(), "\n")
 		if got != want {
 			t.Errorf("Invalid output, got %q, want %q", got, want)
 		}
@@ -342,10 +343,7 @@ func TestDialError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer func() { dialTimeout = net.DialTimeout }()
 
-	c, err := New()
-	if c == nil || !c.muted {
-		t.Error("New() did not return a muted client")
-	}
+	_, err := New()
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Error("New() did not return an error")
 	}
@@ -370,11 +368,11 @@ func TestUDPNotListening(t *testing.T) {
 	defer func() { dialTimeout = net.DialTimeout }()
 
 	c, err := New()
-	if c == nil || !c.muted {
-		t.Error("New() did not return a muted client")
+	if c.muted {
+		t.Error("client should not mute when attempting to connect to a non-listening port")
 	}
-	if err == nil {
-		t.Error("New should return an error")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("attempting to connect to a non-listening port should not return an error")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -461,7 +459,8 @@ func getOutput(c *Client) string {
 	if c.conn.w == nil {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return getBuffer(c).buf.String()
+	out := getBuffer(c).buf.String()
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(out, "\n")
 }
 
 func mockDial(string, string, time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
@@ -479,7 +478,7 @@ func TestTCP(t *testing.T) {
 func testNetwork(t *testing.T, network string) {
 	received := make(chan bool)
 	server := newServer(t, network, testAddr, func(p []byte) {
-		s := string(p)
+		s := strings.TrimSuffix(string(p), "\n")
 		if s != "test_key:1|c" {
 			t.Errorf("invalid output: %q", s)
 		}