diff --git a/.github/workflows/document.yml b/.github/workflows/document.yml
index 77d719d1..3c77a21a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/document.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/document.yml
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Clone Repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - name: Build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index f230e330..18b9671f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Clone Repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - name: Dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index c3d3f1ef..633d362d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Clone Repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - name: ${{ matrix.os }} SSH
diff --git a/docs/changes.rst b/docs/changes.rst
index 4feeff51..ddcc6436 100644
--- a/docs/changes.rst
+++ b/docs/changes.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
-1.2.1 (current, released 2026-2-11)
+1.2.2 (current, released 2026-5-10)
 -----------------------------------
+    * adding new test for _sftp_channel exception handling.
+    * adding curve25519-sha256@libssh.org to kex list.
+    * fix for UnboundLocalError on a certain exception in _sftp_channel.
+    * removing diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1 from kex list per paramiko.
+    * removing ssh-rsa from public key type list per paramiko.
+
+1.2.1 (released 2026-2-11)
+--------------------------
     * adding boolean to rename for switch between posix and standard behavior.
     * change in default path behavior where cwd is set when default path is not.
     * update drivedrop to better handle all non-UNC Windows path possibilities.
diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 459455df..3f918a10 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '1.2.1'
+version = '1.2.2'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '1.2.1'
+release = '1.2.2'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5f917831..5e7202a9 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ keywords = [
 name = 'sftpretty'
 readme = 'README.rst'
 requires-python = '>=3.6'
-version = '1.2.1'
+version = '1.2.2'
 
 [project.scripts]
 sftpretty = 'sftpretty:Connection'
diff --git a/sftpretty/__init__.py b/sftpretty/__init__.py
index c566b5c6..2e34ae25 100644
--- a/sftpretty/__init__.py
+++ b/sftpretty/__init__.py
@@ -74,13 +74,14 @@ def __init__(self, config=None, knownhosts=Path(
                         'hmac-sha1', 'hmac-md5')
         self.disabled_algorithms = {}
         self.hostkeys = hostkeys.HostKeys()
-        self.kex = ('ecdh-sha2-nistp521', 'ecdh-sha2-nistp384',
-                    'ecdh-sha2-nistp256', 'diffie-hellman-group16-sha512',
+        self.kex = ('curve25519-sha256@libssh.org', 'ecdh-sha2-nistp521',
+                    'ecdh-sha2-nistp384', 'ecdh-sha2-nistp256',
+                    'diffie-hellman-group16-sha512',
                     'diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256',
-                    'diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1')
+                    'diffie-hellman-group14-sha256')
         self.key_types = ('ssh-ed25519', 'ecdsa-sha2-nistp521',
                           'ecdsa-sha2-nistp384', 'ecdsa-sha2-nistp256',
-                          'rsa-sha2-512', 'rsa-sha2-256', 'ssh-rsa')
+                          'rsa-sha2-512', 'rsa-sha2-256')
         self.log = False
         self.log_level = 'info'
         self.ssh_config = SSHConfig()
@@ -300,24 +301,26 @@ def _sftp_channel(self):
         channel = None
         fatal = False
 
+        self._cache.__dict__.setdefault('cwd', self._default_path)
+
         try:
             channel_name, data = next(
                 (key, value)
                 for key, value in self._channels.items()
-                if not value['busy']
+                if not value['busy'] and not value['meta'].closed
             )
+
+            channel = data['channel']
             meta = data['meta']
-            if not meta.closed:
-                channel = data['channel']
-                self._channels[channel_name]['busy'] = True
-                log.debug(f'Cached Channel: [{channel_name}]')
+            self._channels[channel_name]['busy'] = True
+            log.debug(f'Cached Channel: [{channel_name}]')
         except StopIteration:
             pass
 
         try:
             if channel is None:
-                channel = SFTPClient.from_transport(self._transport)
                 channel_name = uuid4().hex
+                channel = SFTPClient.from_transport(self._transport)
                 meta = channel.get_channel()
                 meta.set_name(channel_name)
                 log.debug(f'Channel Name: [{channel_name}]')
@@ -326,7 +329,6 @@ def _sftp_channel(self):
                 }
 
             meta.settimeout(self._timeout)
-            self._cache.__dict__.setdefault('cwd', self._default_path)
 
             if self._cache.cwd is None:
                 self._cache.cwd = drivedrop(channel.normalize('.'))
@@ -344,6 +346,7 @@ def _sftp_channel(self):
             log.error(_message)
             raise TimeoutError(_message)
         except SFTPError as err:
+            code = err.args[0] if err.args else None
             _message_map = {
                 SFTP_FAILURE: (
                     'A generic failure occurred on the SFTP server for path: '
@@ -361,9 +364,9 @@ def _sftp_channel(self):
                 ),
             }
             _message = _message_map.get(
-                err.errno,
+                code,
                 ('Unhandled SFTP error on directory change to '
-                 f'[{self._cache.cwd}] (Code {err.errno}): {err}')
+                 f'[{self._cache.cwd}] (Code {code}): {err}')
             )
             log.error(_message)
             raise err
diff --git a/tests/test_connection.py b/tests/test_connection.py
index 93b04409..1c0feb64 100644
--- a/tests/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/test_connection.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from paramiko import SFTPError
 from paramiko.ed25519key import Ed25519Key
 
 from common import conn, LOCAL, VFS
@@ -10,6 +11,38 @@
                        HostKeysException, SSHException)
 
 
+def test_channel_exception(sftpserver):
+    '''test except blocks in _sftp_channel don't raise secondary errors'''
+    with sftpserver.serve_content(VFS):
+        with Connection(**conn(sftpserver)) as sftp:
+            sftp.close()
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+            sftp.listdir()
+
+    with sftpserver.serve_content(VFS):
+        with Connection(**conn(sftpserver)) as sftp:
+            with pytest.raises(OSError):
+                sftp.chdir('/does/not/exist')
+
+    with sftpserver.serve_content(VFS):
+        with Connection(**conn(sftpserver)) as sftp:
+            with pytest.raises(SFTPError):
+                sftp.chdir('/home/test/read.me')
+
+    with sftpserver.serve_content(VFS):
+        sftp = Connection(**conn(sftpserver))
+        sftp._transport.close()
+        with pytest.raises(SSHException):
+            sftp.listdir()
+
+    with sftpserver.serve_content(VFS):
+        with Connection(**conn(sftpserver)) as sftp:
+            sftp.timeout = 0.0001
+            with pytest.raises(TimeoutError,
+                               match='operation timed out after'):
+                sftp.listdir()
+
+
 def test_cnopts_bad_knownhosts():
     '''test setting knownhosts to a not understood file'''
     with pytest.raises(HostKeysException):