diff --git a/mtxl.c b/mtxl.c
index 3ae77a6..12ea157 100644
--- a/mtxl.c
+++ b/mtxl.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 /* zap the following define when we finally add real import/export support */
 #define IMPORT_EXPORT_HACK 1 /* for the moment, import/export == storage */
 
+/* only so many element per SCSI Read Element Status */
+#define SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS 5000
+
 /* First, do some SCSI routines: */
 
 /* the camlib is used on FreeBSD. */
@@ -1055,7 +1058,7 @@ static void ParseElementStatus(	int *EmptyStorageElementAddress,
 				ElementStatus->DataTransferElementSourceStorageElementNumber[ElementStatus->DataTransferElementCount] =
 					BigEndian16(TransportElementDescriptor->SourceStorageElementAddress);
 
-#if DEBUG
+#ifdef DEBUG
 				fprintf(stderr, "%d: ElementAddress = %d, Full = %d, SourceElement = %d\n", 
 						ElementStatus->DataTransferElementCount,
 						ElementStatus->DataTransferElementAddress[ElementStatus->DataTransferElementCount],
@@ -1141,6 +1144,7 @@ ElementStatus_T *ReadElementStatus(DEVICE_TYPE MediumChangerFD, RequestSense_T *
 	int empty_idx = 0;
 	boolean is_attached = false;
 	int i,j;
+	int FirstElem, NumElements, NumThisRES;
 
 	ElementModeSense_T *mode_sense = NULL;
 
@@ -1205,35 +1209,46 @@ ElementStatus_T *ReadElementStatus(DEVICE_TYPE MediumChangerFD, RequestSense_T *
 	{
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		fprintf(stderr,"Using original element status polling method (storage, import/export, drivers etc independantly)\n");
+		fprintf(stderr,"Storage start %d, Num %d, max %d\n", mode_sense->StorageStart, mode_sense->NumStorage - mode_sense->NumImportExport, mode_sense->MaxReadElementStatusData);
 #endif
 		flags->elementtype = StorageElement; /* sigh! */
-		DataBuffer = SendElementStatusRequest(	MediumChangerFD, RequestSense,
+
+		NumElements = mode_sense->NumStorage - mode_sense->NumImportExport;
+		FirstElem = mode_sense->StorageStart;
+
+		do
+		{
+			NumThisRES = (NumElements > SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS ? SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS : NumElements);
+			DataBuffer = SendElementStatusRequest(	MediumChangerFD, RequestSense,
 												inquiry_info, flags,
-												mode_sense->StorageStart,
+												FirstElem,
 												/* adjust for import/export. */
-												mode_sense->NumStorage - mode_sense->NumImportExport,
-												mode_sense->MaxReadElementStatusData);
+												NumThisRES,
+												SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS * 52 +120);
 
-		if (!DataBuffer)
-		{
+			if (!DataBuffer)
+			{
 #ifdef DEBUG
-			fprintf(stderr,"Had no elements!\n");
+				fprintf(stderr,"Had no elements!\n");
 #endif
-			/* darn. Free up stuff and return. */
+				/* darn. Free up stuff and return. */
 #ifdef DEBUG_MODE_SENSE
-			PrintRequestSense(RequestSense);
+				PrintRequestSense(RequestSense);
 #endif
-			FreeElementData(ElementStatus);
-			return NULL; 
-		}
+				FreeElementData(ElementStatus);
+				return NULL;
+			}
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
-		fprintf(stderr, "Parsing storage elements\n");
+			fprintf(stderr, "Parsing storage elements\n");
 #endif
-		ParseElementStatus(EmptyStorageElementAddress, &EmptyStorageElementCount,
-			DataBuffer,ElementStatus,mode_sense,NULL);
+			ParseElementStatus(EmptyStorageElementAddress, &EmptyStorageElementCount,
+					   DataBuffer,ElementStatus,mode_sense,NULL);
 
-		free(DataBuffer); /* sigh! */
+			free(DataBuffer); /* sigh! */
+			FirstElem += SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS;
+			NumElements -= SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS;
+		} while ( NumElements > 0 );
 
 		/* --------------IMPORT/EXPORT--------------- */
 		/* Next let's see if we need to do Import/Export: */
@@ -1247,8 +1262,7 @@ ElementStatus_T *ReadElementStatus(DEVICE_TYPE MediumChangerFD, RequestSense_T *
 													inquiry_info, flags,
 													mode_sense->ImportExportStart,
 													mode_sense->NumImportExport,
-													mode_sense->MaxReadElementStatusData);
-
+												        SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS * 52 +120);
 			if (!DataBuffer)
 			{
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -1283,7 +1297,7 @@ ElementStatus_T *ReadElementStatus(DEVICE_TYPE MediumChangerFD, RequestSense_T *
 												inquiry_info, flags,
 												mode_sense->DataTransferStart,
 												mode_sense->NumDataTransfer,
-												mode_sense->MaxReadElementStatusData);
+												SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS * 52 +120);
 		if (!DataBuffer)
 		{
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -1322,7 +1336,7 @@ ElementStatus_T *ReadElementStatus(DEVICE_TYPE MediumChangerFD, RequestSense_T *
 													inquiry_info, flags,
 													mode_sense->MediumTransportStart,
 													1, /* only get 1, sigh. */
-													mode_sense->MaxReadElementStatusData);
+													SCSI_RES_ELEMENTS * 52 +120);
 			if (!DataBuffer)
 			{
 #ifdef DEBUG