diff --git a/lua_examples/luaOTA/_doTick.lua b/lua_examples/luaOTA/_doTick.lua
index 979cb003..785822af 100644
--- a/lua_examples/luaOTA/_doTick.lua
+++ b/lua_examples/luaOTA/_doTick.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
--- luacheck: globals self
-if (self.timer) then self.timer:stop() end--SAFETRIM
+--if (self.timer) then self.timer:stop() end--SAFETRIM
 -- function _doTick(self)
 
   -- Upvals
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ if (self.timer) then self.timer:stop() end--SAFETRIM
     -- some resources that are no longer needed and set backstop timer for general
     -- timeout.  This also dereferences the previous doTick cb so it can now be GCed.
     collectgarbage()
-    self.timer:alarm(0, 30000, tmr.ALARM_SINGLE, self.startApp)
+    self.timer:alarm(30000, tmr.ALARM_SINGLE, self.startApp)
     return self:_provision(socket,rec)
   end
 
diff --git a/lua_examples/luaOTA/check.lua b/lua_examples/luaOTA/check.lua
index e869adf3..9c060c49 100644
--- a/lua_examples/luaOTA/check.lua
+++ b/lua_examples/luaOTA/check.lua
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ end
 
 function self.startApp(arg) --upval: gc, self, wifi
   gc();gc()
-  self.timer.unregister()
+  self.timer:unregister()
   self.socket = nil
   if not self.config.leave then wifi.setmode(wifi.NULLMODE,false) end
   local appMod    = self.config.app   or "luaOTA.default"
diff --git a/lua_examples/luaOTA/luaOTAserver.lua b/lua_examples/luaOTA/luaOTAserver.lua
index 5356e295..846be9e9 100644
--- a/lua_examples/luaOTA/luaOTAserver.lua
+++ b/lua_examples/luaOTA/luaOTAserver.lua
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ local socket     = require "socket"
 local lfs        = require "lfs"
 local md5        = require "md5"
 local json       = require "cjson"
-require "etc.strict"  --  see http://www.lua.org/extras/5.1/strict.lua
+require "std.strict"  --  see http://www.lua.org/extras/5.1/strict.lua
 
 -- Local functions (implementation see below) ------------------------------------------
 
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ end
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 receive_and_parse = function(esp)
   local line = esp:receive("*l")
+  if (not line) then
+    error( "Empty response from ESP, possible cause: file signature failure", 0)
+    --return nil
+  end
   local packed_cmd, sig = line:sub(1,#line-6),line:sub(-6)
 -- print("reply:", packed_cmd, sig)
   local status, cmd = pcall(json.decode, packed_cmd)