conn *conn_new(const int sfd, enum conn_states init_state,
                const int event_flags,
                const int read_buffer_size, enum network_transport transport,
                struct event_base *base) {
    conn *c = conn_from_freelist();

    if (NULL == c) {
        if (!(c = (conn *)calloc(1, sizeof(conn)))) {
            STATS_LOCK();
            stats.malloc_fails++;
            STATS_UNLOCK();
            fprintf(stderr, "Failed to allocate connection object\n");
            return NULL;
        }
        MEMCACHED_CONN_CREATE(c);

        c->rbuf = c->wbuf = 0;
        c->ilist = 0;
        c->suffixlist = 0;
        c->iov = 0;
        c->msglist = 0;
        c->hdrbuf = 0;

        c->rsize = read_buffer_size;
        c->wsize = DATA_BUFFER_SIZE;
        c->isize = ITEM_LIST_INITIAL;
        c->suffixsize = SUFFIX_LIST_INITIAL;
        c->iovsize = IOV_LIST_INITIAL;
        c->msgsize = MSG_LIST_INITIAL;
        c->hdrsize = 0;

        c->rbuf = (char *)malloc((size_t)c->rsize);
        c->wbuf = (char *)malloc((size_t)c->wsize);
        c->ilist = (item **)malloc(sizeof(item *) * c->isize);
        c->suffixlist = (char **)malloc(sizeof(char *) * c->suffixsize);
        c->iov = (struct iovec *)malloc(sizeof(struct iovec) * c->iovsize);
        c->msglist = (struct msghdr *)malloc(sizeof(struct msghdr) * c->msgsize);

        if (c->rbuf == 0 || c->wbuf == 0 || c->ilist == 0 || c->iov == 0 ||
                c->msglist == 0 || c->suffixlist == 0) {
            conn_free(c);
            STATS_LOCK();
            stats.malloc_fails++;
            STATS_UNLOCK();
            fprintf(stderr, "Failed to allocate buffers for connection\n");
            return NULL;
        }

        STATS_LOCK();
        stats.conn_structs++;
        STATS_UNLOCK();
    }

    c->transport = transport;
    c->protocol = settings.binding_protocol;

    /* unix socket mode doesn't need this, so zeroed out.  but why
     * is this done for every command?  presumably for UDP
     * mode.  */
    if (!settings.socketpath) {
        c->request_addr_size = sizeof(c->request_addr);
    } else {
        c->request_addr_size = 0;
    }

    if (settings.verbose > 1) {
        if (init_state == conn_listening) {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d server listening (%s)\n", sfd,
                prot_text(c->protocol));
        } else if (IS_UDP(transport)) {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d server listening (udp)\n", sfd);
        } else if (c->protocol == negotiating_prot) {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d new auto-negotiating client connection\n",
                    sfd);
        } else if (c->protocol == ascii_prot) {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d new ascii client connection.\n", sfd);
        } else if (c->protocol == binary_prot) {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d new binary client connection.\n", sfd);
        } else {
            fprintf(stderr, "<%d new unknown (%d) client connection\n",
                sfd, c->protocol);
            assert(false);
        }
    }

    c->sfd = sfd;
    c->state = init_state;
    c->rlbytes = 0;
    c->cmd = -1;
    c->rbytes = c->wbytes = 0;
    c->wcurr = c->wbuf;
    c->rcurr = c->rbuf;
    c->ritem = 0;
    c->icurr = c->ilist;
    c->suffixcurr = c->suffixlist;
    c->ileft = 0;
    c->suffixleft = 0;
    c->iovused = 0;
    c->msgcurr = 0;
    c->msgused = 0;
    c->authenticated = false;

    c->write_and_go = init_state;
    c->write_and_free = 0;
    c->item = 0;

    c->noreply = false;

    event_set(&c->event, sfd, event_flags, event_handler, (void *)c);
    event_base_set(base, &c->event);
    c->ev_flags = event_flags;

    if (event_add(&c->event, 0) == -1) {
        if (conn_add_to_freelist(c)) {
            conn_free(c);
        }
        perror("event_add");
        return NULL;
    }

    STATS_LOCK();
    stats.curr_conns++;
    stats.total_conns++;
    STATS_UNLOCK();

    MEMCACHED_CONN_ALLOCATE(c->sfd);

    return c;
}