diff --git a/aucat/aucat.1 b/aucat/aucat.1
index 775237a..09954d1 100644
--- a/aucat/aucat.1
+++ b/aucat/aucat.1
@@ -74,18 +74,16 @@ The options are as follows:
 .It Fl a Ar flag
 Control whether
 .Nm
-opens the audio device
-.Pq Fl f
-or the MIDI port
-.Pq Fl q
-only when needed or keeps it open all the time.
+opens the audio device only when needed or keeps it open all the time.
+This applies to MIDI ports controlling the device as well.
 If the flag is
 .Va on
-then it is kept open all the time, ensuring no other program can steal it.
+then the device is kept open all the time, ensuring no other program can
+steal it.
 If the flag is
 .Va off ,
 then it's automatically closed, allowing other programs to have direct
-access to it, or corresponding audio or MIDI hardware to be disconnected.
+access to the device, or the device to be disconnected.
 The default is
 .Va on .
 .It Fl b Ar nframes
@@ -322,7 +320,7 @@ On the command line,
 per-device parameters
 .Pq Fl abwz
 must precede the device definition
-.Pq Fl fq ,
+.Pq Fl f ,
 and per-stream parameters
 .Pq Fl Ccehjmrtvx
 must precede the stream definition
diff --git a/aucat/aucat.c b/aucat/aucat.c
index e604c1d..f46d2d6 100644
--- a/aucat/aucat.c
+++ b/aucat/aucat.c
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ SLIST_HEAD(cfstrlist, cfstr);
 struct cfmid {
 	SLIST_ENTRY(cfmid) entry;
 	char *path;			/* static path (no need to copy it) */
-	int hold;
 };
 
 SLIST_HEAD(cfmidlist, cfmid);
@@ -339,8 +338,8 @@ cfstr_add(struct cfstrlist *list, struct cfstr *cs, char *path)
 	SLIST_INSERT_HEAD(list, cs, entry);
 }
 
-struct cfmid *
-cfmid_new(struct cfmid *templ)
+void
+cfmid_add(struct cfmidlist *list, char *path)
 {
 	struct cfmid *cm;
 
@@ -349,18 +348,6 @@ cfmid_new(struct cfmid *templ)
 		perror("malloc");
 		abort();
 	}
-	if (templ)
-		memcpy(cm, templ, sizeof(struct cfmid));
-	else {
-		cm->hold = 1;
-	}
-	cm->path = NULL;
-	return cm;
-}
-
-void
-cfmid_add(struct cfmidlist *list, struct cfmid *cm, char *path)
-{
 	cm->path = path;
 	SLIST_INSERT_HEAD(list, cm, entry);
 }
@@ -519,7 +506,6 @@ aucat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 */
 	cd = cfdev_new(NULL);
 	cs = cfstr_new(NULL);
-	cm = cfmid_new(NULL);
 
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "a:w:dnb:c:C:e:r:h:x:v:i:o:f:m:luq:s:U:L:t:j:z:")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
@@ -601,14 +587,13 @@ aucat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			nsock++;
 			break;
 		case 'a':
-			cm->hold = cd->hold = opt_onoff();
+			cd->hold = opt_onoff();
 			break;
 		case 'w':
 			cd->autovol = opt_onoff();
 			break;
 		case 'q':
-			cfmid_add(&cd->mids, cm, optarg);
-			cm = cfmid_new(cm);
+			cfmid_add(&cd->mids, optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'b':
 			cd->bufsz = strtonum(optarg, 1, RATE_MAX * 5, &str);
@@ -688,7 +673,6 @@ aucat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		free(cs);
 		free(cd);
 	}
-	free(cm);
 
 	/*
 	 * Check modes and calculate "best" device parameters. Iterate over all
@@ -768,7 +752,7 @@ aucat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		while (!SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->mids)) {
 			cm = SLIST_FIRST(&cd->mids);
 			SLIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&cd->mids, entry);
-			if (!devctl_add(d, cm->path, cm->hold, MODE_MIDIMASK))
+			if (!devctl_add(d, cm->path, MODE_MIDIMASK))
 				errx(1, "%s: can't open port", cm->path);
 			free(cm);
 		}
@@ -925,7 +909,6 @@ midicat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 */
 	cs = cfstr_new(NULL);
 	cd = cfdev_new(NULL);
-	cm = cfmid_new(NULL);
 
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "di:o:ls:a:q:U:L:")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
@@ -945,11 +928,10 @@ midicat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			cs = cfstr_new(cs);
 			break;
 		case 'a':
-			cm->hold = opt_onoff();
+			cd->hold = opt_onoff();
 			break;
 		case 'q':
-			cfmid_add(&cd->mids, cm, optarg);
-			cm = cfmid_new(cm);
+			cfmid_add(&cd->mids, optarg);
 			break;
 		case 's':
 			cfstr_add(&cd->opts, cs, optarg);
@@ -1000,19 +982,15 @@ midicat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->mids)) {
 			if (SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->ins) && SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->outs)) {
 				cfstr_add(&cd->opts, cs, DEFAULT_OPT);
-				free(cm);
 				nsock++;
 			} else {
-				cfmid_add(&cd->mids, cm, "default");
+				cfmid_add(&cd->mids, "default");
 				free(cs);
 			}
-		} else {
-			free(cm);
+		} else
 			free(cs);
-		}
 		cfdev_add(&cfdevs, cd, "default");
 	} else {
-		free(cm);
 		free(cs);
 		free(cd);
 	}
@@ -1028,7 +1006,7 @@ midicat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		cd = SLIST_FIRST(&cfdevs);
 		SLIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&cfdevs, entry);
 
-		d = dev_new_thru();
+		d = dev_new_thru(cd->hold);
 		if (d == NULL)
 			errx(1, "%s: can't open device", cd->path);
 		if (SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->opts) && APROC_OK(d->midi))
@@ -1040,7 +1018,7 @@ midicat_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		while (!SLIST_EMPTY(&cd->mids)) {
 			cm = SLIST_FIRST(&cd->mids);
 			SLIST_REMOVE_HEAD(&cd->mids, entry);
-			if (!devctl_add(d, cm->path, cm->hold, MODE_MIDIMASK))
+			if (!devctl_add(d, cm->path, MODE_MIDIMASK))
 				errx(1, "%s: can't open port", cm->path);
 			free(cm);
 		}
diff --git a/aucat/dev.c b/aucat/dev.c
index 28c8dbf..937bae8 100644
--- a/aucat/dev.c
+++ b/aucat/dev.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ dev_new_loop(struct aparams *dipar, struct aparams *dopar, unsigned bufsz)
  * Create a MIDI thru box device
  */
 struct dev *
-dev_new_thru(void)
+dev_new_thru(int hold)
 {
 	struct dev *d;
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ dev_new_thru(void)
 	d->ctl_list = NULL;
 	d->reqmode = MODE_MIDIMASK;
 	d->pstate = DEV_CLOSED;
-	d->hold = 0;
+	d->hold = hold;
 	d->path = "midithru";
 	d->next = dev_list;
 	dev_list = d;
@@ -206,21 +206,16 @@ dev_new_thru(void)
  * Add a MIDI port to the device
  */
 int
-devctl_add(struct dev *d, char *name, int hold, unsigned mode)
+devctl_add(struct dev *d, char *name, unsigned mode)
 {
 	struct devctl *c;
 
-	if (hold) {
-		if (!dev_ref(d))
-			return 0;
-	}
 	c = malloc(sizeof(struct devctl));
 	if (c == NULL) {
 		perror("malloc");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	c->path = name;
-	c->hold = hold;
 	c->mode = mode;
 	c->next = d->ctl_list;
 	d->ctl_list = c;
diff --git a/aucat/dev.h b/aucat/dev.h
index 27acac2..645fefa 100644
--- a/aucat/dev.h
+++ b/aucat/dev.h
@@ -54,9 +54,8 @@ struct dev {
 	struct aproc *midi;
 	struct devctl {
 		struct devctl *next;
-		char *path;
 		unsigned mode;
-		int hold;
+		char *path;
 	} *ctl_list;
 };
 
@@ -68,12 +67,12 @@ void dev_unref(struct dev *);
 void dev_del(struct dev *);
 void dev_wakeup(struct dev *);
 void dev_drain(struct dev *);
-struct dev *dev_new_thru(void);
+struct dev *dev_new_thru(int);
 struct dev *dev_new_loop(struct aparams *, struct aparams *, unsigned);
 struct dev *dev_new_sio(char *, unsigned, 
     struct aparams *, struct aparams *,
     unsigned, unsigned, unsigned, unsigned);
-int  devctl_add(struct dev *, char *, int, unsigned);
+int  devctl_add(struct dev *, char *, unsigned);
 void dev_midiattach(struct dev *, struct abuf *, struct abuf *);
 unsigned dev_roundof(struct dev *, unsigned);
 int dev_getpos(struct dev *);
diff --git a/aucat/midicat.1 b/aucat/midicat.1
index 5cce4bb..c198422 100644
--- a/aucat/midicat.1
+++ b/aucat/midicat.1
@@ -51,14 +51,16 @@ The options are as follows:
 .It Fl a Ar flag
 Control whether
 .Nm
-opens the MIDI port only when needed or keeps it open all the time.
+opens all MIDI ports connected to the thru box only when needed
+or keeps them open all the time.
 If the flag is
 .Va on
-then it is kept open all the time, ensuring no other program can steal it.
+then MIDI ports are are kept open all the time, ensuring no other program can
+steal any of them.
 If the flag is
 .Va off ,
-then it's automatically closed, allowing other programs to have direct
-access to it, or the corresponding MIDI hardware to be disconnected.
+then they are automatically closed, allowing other programs to have direct
+access to MIDI ports, or the corresponding hardware to be disconnected.
 The default is
 .Va on .
 .It Fl d