diff --git a/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.cpp b/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.cpp
index 2cc484cfc2..0483055d90 100644
--- a/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.cpp
@@ -1911,12 +1911,18 @@ void RestReplicationHandler::handleCommandRestoreCollection() {
   if (found) {
     force = StringUtils::boolean(value);
   }
+  
+  uint64_t numberOfShards = 0;
+  value = _request->value("numberOfShards", found);
+  if (found) {
+    numberOfShards = StringUtils::uint64(value);
+  }
 
   string errorMsg;
   int res;
   if (ServerState::instance()->isCoordinator()) {
     res = processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(slice, overwrite, recycleIds,
-                                              force, errorMsg);
+                                              force, numberOfShards, errorMsg);
   } else {
     res =
         processRestoreCollection(slice, overwrite, recycleIds, force, errorMsg);
@@ -2111,10 +2117,9 @@ int RestReplicationHandler::processRestoreCollection(
 /// @brief restores the structure of a collection, coordinator case
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-#include <iostream>
 int RestReplicationHandler::processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(
     VPackSlice const& collection, bool dropExisting, bool reuseId, bool force,
-    std::string& errorMsg) {
+    uint64_t numberOfShards, std::string& errorMsg) {
   if (!collection.isObject()) {
     errorMsg = "collection declaration is invalid";
 
@@ -2183,12 +2188,20 @@ int RestReplicationHandler::processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(
 
   // now re-create the collection
   // dig out number of shards:
-  uint64_t numberOfShards = 1;
   VPackSlice const shards = parameters.get("shards");
   if (shards.isObject()) {
     numberOfShards = static_cast<uint64_t>(shards.length());
   }
-  // We take one shard if "shards" was not given
+  else {
+    // "shards" not specified
+    // now check if numberOfShards property was given
+    if (numberOfShards == 0) {
+      // We take one shard if no value was given
+      numberOfShards = 1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  TRI_ASSERT(numberOfShards > 0);
 
   try {
     TRI_voc_tick_t newIdTick = ci->uniqid(1);
@@ -2275,7 +2288,6 @@ int RestReplicationHandler::processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(
         VPackCollection::merge(parameters, sliceToMerge, false);
     VPackSlice const merged = mergedBuilder.slice();
 
-    std::cout << "GOT MERGED VALUE: " << merged.toJson() << "\n";
     int res = ci->createCollectionCoordinator(dbName, newId, numberOfShards,
                                               merged, errorMsg, 0.0);
     if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
diff --git a/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.h b/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.h
index f76f46046e..4b345966e3 100644
--- a/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.h
+++ b/arangod/RestHandler/RestReplicationHandler.h
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class RestReplicationHandler : public RestVocbaseBaseHandler {
   /// @brief restores the structure of a collection, coordinator case
   ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-  int processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(VPackSlice const&, bool, bool, bool,
+  int processRestoreCollectionCoordinator(VPackSlice const&, bool, bool, bool, uint64_t,
                                           std::string&);
 
   ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/v8-collection.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/v8-collection.cpp
index 4600539db1..f9ee6d7551 100644
--- a/arangod/V8Server/v8-collection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/v8-collection.cpp
@@ -2607,7 +2607,7 @@ static void JS_PropertiesVocbaseCol(
     result->Set(TRI_V8_ASCII_STRING("numberOfShards"),
                 v8::Number::New(isolate, (*c).numberOfShards()));
     auto keyOpts = info.keyOptions();
-    if (keyOpts->size() > 0) {
+    if (keyOpts != nullptr && keyOpts->size() > 0) {
       TRI_GET_GLOBAL_STRING(KeyOptionsKey);
       VPackSlice const slice(keyOpts->data());
       result->Set(KeyOptionsKey, TRI_VPackToV8(isolate, slice)->ToObject());
diff --git a/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp b/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
index 1bf5ed3aab..92a6a9570c 100644
--- a/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
+++ b/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 
 #include <velocypack/Options.h>
 #include <velocypack/velocypack-aliases.h>
+
 using namespace std;
 using namespace triagens::basics;
 using namespace triagens::httpclient;
@@ -148,6 +149,12 @@ static bool ClusterMode = false;
 
 static int LastErrorCode = TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR;
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief default number of shards
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+static int DefaultNumberOfShards = 1;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief statistics
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -158,7 +165,6 @@ static struct {
   uint64_t _totalRead;
 } Stats;
 
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief parses the program options
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -175,6 +181,7 @@ static void ParseProgramOptions(int argc, char* argv[]) {
       "import-data", &ImportData, "import data into collection")(
       "recycle-ids", &RecycleIds,
       "recycle collection and revision ids from dump")(
+      "default-number-of-shards", &DefaultNumberOfShards, "default value for numberOfShards if not specified")(
       "force", &Force,
       "continue restore even in the face of some server-side errors")(
       "create-collection", &ImportStructure, "create collection structure")(
@@ -419,13 +426,22 @@ static bool GetArangoIsCluster() {
 /// @brief send the request to re-create a collection
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-static int SendRestoreCollection(VPackSlice const& slice, string& errorMsg) {
-  std::string const url =
+static int SendRestoreCollection(VPackSlice const& slice, std::string const& name, std::string& errorMsg) {
+  std::string url =
       "/_api/replication/restore-collection"
       "?overwrite=" +
       string(Overwrite ? "true" : "false") + "&recycleIds=" +
       string(RecycleIds ? "true" : "false") + "&force=" +
       string(Force ? "true" : "false");
+        
+  if (ClusterMode && 
+      ! slice.hasKey(std::vector<std::string>({ "parameters", "shards" })) && 
+      ! slice.hasKey(std::vector<std::string>({ "parameters", "numberOfShards" }))) {
+    // no "shards" and no "numberOfShards" attribute present. now assume
+    // default value from --default-number-of-shards
+    std::cerr << "# no sharding information specified for collection '" << name << "', using default number of shards " << DefaultNumberOfShards << std::endl;
+    url += "&numberOfShards=" + std::to_string(DefaultNumberOfShards);
+  }
 
   std::string const body = slice.toJson();
 
@@ -672,7 +688,8 @@ static int ProcessInputDirectory(std::string& errorMsg) {
                  << "'..." << endl;
           }
         }
-        int res = SendRestoreCollection(collection, errorMsg);
+
+        int res = SendRestoreCollection(collection, cname, errorMsg);
 
         if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
           if (Force) {