diff --git a/pymongo/_cmessagemodule.c b/pymongo/_cmessagemodule.c
index 7e60f9701..8de378e0f 100644
--- a/pymongo/_cmessagemodule.c
+++ b/pymongo/_cmessagemodule.c
@@ -926,6 +926,10 @@ _command_buffer_new(char* ns, int ns_len) {
     return buffer;
 }
 
+#define _INSERT 0
+#define _UPDATE 1
+#define _DELETE 2
+
 static PyObject*
 _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
     struct module_state *state = GETSTATE(self);
@@ -937,7 +941,8 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
     int cmd_len_loc;
     int lst_len_loc;
     int ns_len;
-    char *ns = NULL, *cmd = NULL;
+    int ordered;
+    char *ns = NULL;
     PyObject* max_bson_size_obj;
     PyObject* command;
     PyObject* doc;
@@ -946,16 +951,16 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
     PyObject* iterator;
     PyObject* result;
     PyObject* results;
+    unsigned char op;
     unsigned char check_keys;
-    unsigned char ordered;
     unsigned char uuid_subtype;
     unsigned char empty = 1;
     unsigned char errors = 0;
     buffer_t buffer;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et#sOObbbO", "utf-8",
-                          &ns, &ns_len, &cmd, &command, &docs,
-                          &check_keys, &ordered, &uuid_subtype, &client)) {
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et#bOObbO", "utf-8",
+                          &ns, &ns_len, &op, &command, &docs,
+                          &check_keys, &uuid_subtype, &client)) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -976,6 +981,9 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
      */
     max_cmd_size = max_bson_size + 16382;
 
+    /* Default to True */
+    ordered = !((PyDict_GetItemString(command, "ordered")) == Py_False);
+
     if (!(results = PyList_New(0))) {
         PyMem_Free(ns);
         return NULL;
@@ -998,14 +1006,14 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
     /* Write type byte for array */
     *(buffer_get_buffer(buffer) + (buffer_get_position(buffer) - 1)) = 0x4;
 
-    switch (*cmd) {
-    case 'i':
+    switch (op) {
+    case _INSERT:
         {
             if (!buffer_write_bytes(buffer, "documents\x00", 10))
                 goto cmdfail;
             break;
         }
-    case 'u':
+    case _UPDATE:
         {
             /* MongoDB does key validation for update. */
             check_keys = 0;
@@ -1013,7 +1021,7 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
                 goto cmdfail;
             break;
         }
-    case 'd':
+    case _DELETE:
         {
             /* Never check keys in a delete command. */
             check_keys = 0;
@@ -1025,17 +1033,7 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
         {
             PyObject* InvalidOperation = _error("InvalidOperation");
             if (InvalidOperation) {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
-                PyObject* error = PyUnicode_FromFormat("Unknown command: %s",
-                                                       cmd);
-#else
-                PyObject* error = PyString_FromFormat("Unknown command: %s",
-                                                      cmd);
-#endif
-                if (error) {
-                    PyErr_SetObject(InvalidOperation, error);
-                    Py_DECREF(error);
-                }
+                PyErr_SetString(InvalidOperation, "Unknown command");
                 Py_DECREF(InvalidOperation);
             }
             goto cmdfail;
@@ -1085,9 +1083,9 @@ _cbson_do_batched_write_command(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
 
             /* This single document is too large for the command. */
             if (!idx) {
-                if (*cmd == 'i') { /* Insert */
+                if (op == _INSERT) {
                     _set_document_too_large(cur_size, max_bson_size);
-                } else { /* Update and delete */
+                } else {
                     PyObject* InvalidDocument = _error("InvalidDocument");
                     if (InvalidDocument) {
                         /*
diff --git a/pymongo/collection.py b/pymongo/collection.py
index c98224439..52568faca 100644
--- a/pymongo/collection.py
+++ b/pymongo/collection.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from pymongo import (common,
 from pymongo.cursor import Cursor
 from pymongo.errors import InvalidName
 from pymongo.helpers import _check_command_response
+from pymongo.message import _INSERT, _UPDATE, _DELETE
 
 
 try:
@@ -359,15 +360,13 @@ class Collection(common.BaseObject):
 
         if client.max_wire_version > 1 and safe:
             # Insert command
-            dbname, collname = self.__full_name.split('.', 1)
-            namespace = '%s.%s' % (dbname, '$cmd')
-            command = SON([('insert', collname),
+            command = SON([('insert', self.name),
                            ('ordered', not continue_on_error),
                            ('writeConcern', options)])
 
             results = message._do_batched_write_command(
-                            namespace, 'insert', command, gen(), check_keys,
-                            not continue_on_error, self.uuid_subtype, client)
+                    self.database.name + ".$cmd", _INSERT, command,
+                    gen(), check_keys, self.uuid_subtype, client)
 
             errors = [result for result in results if not result[1]['ok']]
             if errors:
@@ -383,7 +382,7 @@ class Collection(common.BaseObject):
                     # but we have to add the 'ok' field if we're passing it
                     # a subdocument from errDetails.
                     error['ok'] = 0
-                _check_command_response(error, None)
+                _check_command_response(error, client.disconnect)
         else:
             # Legacy batched OP_INSERT
             message._do_batched_insert(self.__full_name, gen(), check_keys,
@@ -512,19 +511,17 @@ class Collection(common.BaseObject):
         client = self.database.connection
         if client.max_wire_version > 1 and safe:
             # Update command
-            dbname, collname = self.__full_name.split('.', 1)
-            namespace = '%s.%s' % (dbname, '$cmd')
-            command = SON([('update', collname),
+            command = SON([('update', self.name),
                            ('writeConcern', options)])
 
             docs = [SON([('q', spec), ('u', document),
                          ('multi', multi), ('upsert', upsert)])]
 
             _, result = message._do_batched_write_command(
-                        namespace, 'update', command, docs,
-                        check_keys, True, self.uuid_subtype, client)[0]
+                        self.database.name + '.$cmd', _UPDATE, command,
+                        docs, check_keys, self.uuid_subtype, client)[0]
             if not result['ok']:
-                _check_command_response(result, None)
+                _check_command_response(result, client.disconnect)
 
             # Add the updatedExisting field for compatibility
             if result.get('n') and 'upserted' not in result:
@@ -625,18 +622,16 @@ class Collection(common.BaseObject):
         client = self.database.connection
         if client.max_wire_version > 1 and safe:
             # Delete command
-            dbname, collname = self.__full_name.split('.', 1)
-            namespace = '%s.%s' % (dbname, '$cmd')
-            command = SON([('delete', collname),
+            command = SON([('delete', self.name),
                            ('writeConcern', options)])
 
             docs = [SON([('q', spec_or_id), ('limit', 0)])]
 
             _, result = message._do_batched_write_command(
-                        namespace, 'delete', command, docs,
-                        False, True, self.uuid_subtype, client)[0]
+                        self.database.name + '.$cmd', _DELETE, command,
+                        docs, False, self.uuid_subtype, client)[0]
             if not result['ok']:
-                _check_command_response(result, None)
+                _check_command_response(result, client.disconnect)
 
             return result
 
diff --git a/pymongo/message.py b/pymongo/message.py
index 74b667107..282a40d17 100644
--- a/pymongo/message.py
+++ b/pymongo/message.py
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ from pymongo.errors import InvalidDocument, InvalidOperation, OperationFailure
 MAX_INT32 = 2147483647
 MIN_INT32 = -2147483648
 
+_INSERT = 0
+_UPDATE = 1
+_DELETE = 2
+
 _EMPTY   = b('')
 _BSONOBJ = b('\x03')
 _ZERO_8  = b('\x00')
@@ -47,10 +51,10 @@ _ZERO_16 = b('\x00\x00')
 _ZERO_32 = b('\x00\x00\x00\x00')
 _ZERO_64 = b('\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00')
 _SKIPLIM = b('\x00\x00\x00\x00\xff\xff\xff\xff')
-_CMD_MAP = {
-    'insert': b('\x04documents\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
-    'update': b('\x04updates\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
-    'delete': b('\x04deletes\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
+_OP_MAP = {
+    _INSERT: b('\x04documents\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
+    _UPDATE: b('\x04updates\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
+    _DELETE: b('\x04deletes\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'),
 }
 
 
@@ -266,8 +270,8 @@ if _use_c:
     _do_batched_insert = _cmessage._do_batched_insert
 
 
-def _do_batched_write_command(namespace, name, command, docs,
-                              check_keys, ordered, uuid_subtype, client):
+def _do_batched_write_command(namespace, operation, command,
+                              docs, check_keys, uuid_subtype, client):
     """Execute a batch of insert, update, or delete commands.
     """
     max_bson_size = client.max_bson_size
@@ -275,6 +279,8 @@ def _do_batched_write_command(namespace, name, command, docs,
     # XXX: This should come from the server - SERVER-10643
     max_cmd_size = max_bson_size + 16382
 
+    ordered = command.get('ordered', True)
+
     buf = StringIO()
     # Save space for message length and request id
     buf.write(_ZERO_64)
@@ -297,11 +303,11 @@ def _do_batched_write_command(namespace, name, command, docs,
     # Work around some Jython weirdness.
     buf.truncate()
     try:
-        buf.write(_CMD_MAP[name])
+        buf.write(_OP_MAP[operation])
     except KeyError:
-        raise InvalidOperation('Unknown command: %s' % (name,))
+        raise InvalidOperation('Unknown command')
 
-    if name in ('update', 'delete'):
+    if operation in (_UPDATE, _DELETE):
         check_keys = False
 
     # Where to write list document length
@@ -359,7 +365,7 @@ def _do_batched_write_command(namespace, name, command, docs,
         # Send a batch?
         if (buf.tell() + len(key) + len(value) + 2) >= max_cmd_size:
             if not idx:
-                if name == 'insert':
+                if operation == _INSERT:
                     raise InvalidDocument("BSON document too large (%d bytes)"
                                           " - the connected server supports"
                                           " BSON document sizes up to %d"