--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/03/27 12:51:56	1.941.2.1
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/02/21 10:04:35	1.942
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.941.2.1 2008/03/27 12:51:56 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.942 2008/02/21 10:04:35 foxr Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -1656,14 +1656,18 @@ sub absolute_url {
 #  fn     Possibly encrypted resource name/id.
 #  form   Hash that describes how the rendering should be done
 #         and other things.
-# Returns:
-#   Scalar context: The content of the response.
-#   Array context:  2 element list of the content and the full response object.
+#  r      Optional reference that will be given the response.
+#         This is mostly provided so that the caller can implement
+#         error detection, recovery and retry policies.
 #     
+# Returns:
+#    The content of the response.
 sub ssi {
 
-    my ($fn,%form)=@_;
+    my ($fn,%form, $r)=@_;
+
     my $ua=new LWP::UserAgent;
+    
     my $request;
 
     $form{'no_update_last_known'}=1;
@@ -1678,11 +1682,11 @@ sub ssi {
     $request->header(Cookie => $ENV{'HTTP_COOKIE'});
     my $response=$ua->request($request);
 
-    if (wantarray) {
-	return ($response->content, $response);
-    } else {
-	return $response->content;
+    if ($r) {
+	$$r = $response;
     }
+
+    return $response->content;
 }
 
 sub externalssi {