diff --git a/src/shm/pool.rs b/src/shm/pool.rs
index 4aa07f3..d4d5e21 100644
--- a/src/shm/pool.rs
+++ b/src/shm/pool.rs
@@ -49,17 +49,34 @@ struct MemMap {
 impl MemMap {
     fn new(fd: RawFd, size: usize) -> Result<MemMap,()> {
         Ok(MemMap {
-            ptr: map(fd, size)?,
+            ptr: unsafe { map(fd, size) }?,
             fd: fd,
             size: size
         })
     }
 
     fn remap(&mut self, newsize: usize) -> Result<(),()> {
-        unmap(self.ptr, self.size)?;
-        self.ptr = map(self.fd, newsize)?;
-        self.size = newsize;
-        Ok(())
+        if self.ptr.is_null() {
+            return Err(())
+        }
+        // memunmap cannot fail, as we are unmapping a pre-existing map
+        let _ = unsafe { unmap(self.ptr, self.size) };
+        // remap the fd with the new size
+        match unsafe { map(self.fd, newsize) } {
+            Ok(ptr) => {
+                // update the parameters
+                self.ptr = ptr;
+                self.size = newsize;
+                Ok(())
+            },
+            Err(()) => {
+                // set ourselves in an empty state
+                self.ptr = ptr::null_mut();
+                self.size = 0;
+                self.fd = -1;
+                Err(())
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     fn size(&self) -> usize {
@@ -67,27 +84,35 @@ impl MemMap {
     }
 
     fn get_slice(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        // if we are in the 'invalid state', self.size == 0 and we return &[]
+        // which is perfectly safe even if self.ptr is null
         unsafe { ::std::slice::from_raw_parts(self.ptr, self.size) }
     }
 }
 
+impl Drop for MemMap {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if !self.ptr.is_null() {
+            let _ = unsafe { unmap(self.ptr, self.size) };
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // mman::mmap should really be unsafe... why isn't it?
-#[allow(unused_unsafe)]
-fn map(fd: RawFd, size: usize) -> Result<*mut u8, ()> {
-    let ret = unsafe { mman::mmap(
+unsafe fn map(fd: RawFd, size: usize) -> Result<*mut u8, ()> {
+    let ret = mman::mmap(
         ptr::null_mut(),
         size,
         mman::PROT_READ,
         mman::MAP_SHARED,
         fd,
         0
-    ) };
+    );
     ret.map(|p| p as *mut u8).map_err(|_| ())
 }
 
 // mman::munmap should really be unsafe... why isn't it?
-#[allow(unused_unsafe)]
-fn unmap(ptr: *mut u8, size: usize) -> Result<(),()> {
-    let ret = unsafe { mman::munmap(ptr as *mut _, size) };
+unsafe fn unmap(ptr: *mut u8, size: usize) -> Result<(),()> {
+    let ret = mman::munmap(ptr as *mut _, size);
     ret.map_err(|_| ())
 }