static Map<S, Int> newFindBot2_cache = synchroHashMap();
sbool newFindBot2_verbose;

static DialogIO newFindBot2(S name) {
  Int port = newFindBot2_cache.get(name);
  if (port != null) {
    if (newFindBot2_verbose)
      print("newFindBot2: testing " + name + " => " + port);
    DialogIO io = talkTo(port);
    S q = format("has bot *", name);
    S s = io.ask(q);
    if (match("yes", s)) {
      io = talkToSubBot(name, io);
      call(io, "pushback", "?"); // put some hello string in (yes, this should be improved.)
      ret io;
    }
    // bot not there anymore - remove cache entry
    newFindBot2_cache.remove(name);
    if (newFindBot2_verbose)
      print("newFindBot2: dropping " + name + " => " + port);
  }
  
  DialogIO io = findBot(name);
  if (io != null) {
    newFindBot2_cache.put(name, io.getPort());
    if (newFindBot2_verbose)
      print("newFindBot2: remembering " + name + " => " + port);
  }
  ret io;
}

Began life as a copy of #1001964