diff --git a/arangod/RestHandler/RestDocumentHandler.cpp b/arangod/RestHandler/RestDocumentHandler.cpp
index aa4708a66d..c9804bf437 100644
--- a/arangod/RestHandler/RestDocumentHandler.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RestHandler/RestDocumentHandler.cpp
@@ -573,6 +573,7 @@ bool RestDocumentHandler::deleteDocument() {
     search = builder.slice();
   } else {
     try {
+      TRI_ASSERT(_request != nullptr);
       builderPtr = _request->toVelocyPack(transactionContext->getVPackOptions());
     } catch (...) {
       // If an error occurs here the body is not parsable. Fail with bad parameter
@@ -636,6 +637,7 @@ bool RestDocumentHandler::readManyDocuments() {
     return false;
   }
 
+  TRI_ASSERT(_request != nullptr);
   auto builderPtr = _request->toVelocyPack(transactionContext->getVPackOptions());
   VPackSlice search = builderPtr->slice();
 
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/collection.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/collection.cpp
index 7f31ae96c8..e2fece2630 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/collection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/collection.cpp
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ TRI_collection_t* TRI_CreateCollection(
   // create collection structure
   if (collection == nullptr) {
     try {
-      TRI_collection_t* tmp = new TRI_collection_t(parameters);
+      TRI_collection_t* tmp = new TRI_collection_t(vocbase, parameters);
       collection = tmp;
     } catch (std::exception&) {
       collection = nullptr;
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/collection.h b/arangod/VocBase/collection.h
index c105a02518..862e44d0ec 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/collection.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/collection.h
@@ -294,11 +294,13 @@ struct TRI_collection_t {
   TRI_collection_t(TRI_collection_t const&) = delete;
   TRI_collection_t& operator=(TRI_collection_t const&) = delete;
 
-  TRI_collection_t()
-      : _tickMax(0), _state(TRI_COL_STATE_WRITE), _lastError(0) {}
+  TRI_collection_t() = delete;
+  
+  explicit TRI_collection_t(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase)
+      : _vocbase(vocbase), _tickMax(0), _state(TRI_COL_STATE_WRITE), _lastError(0) {}
 
-  explicit TRI_collection_t(arangodb::VocbaseCollectionInfo const& info)
-      : _info(info), _tickMax(0), _state(TRI_COL_STATE_WRITE), _lastError(0) {}
+  TRI_collection_t(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, arangodb::VocbaseCollectionInfo const& info)
+      : _info(info), _vocbase(vocbase), _tickMax(0), _state(TRI_COL_STATE_WRITE), _lastError(0) {}
 
   ~TRI_collection_t() = default;
 
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
index 904d158000..c60748329e 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.cpp
@@ -68,8 +68,9 @@ using namespace arangodb::basics;
 /// @brief create a document collection
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-TRI_document_collection_t::TRI_document_collection_t()
-    : _lock(),
+TRI_document_collection_t::TRI_document_collection_t(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase)
+    : TRI_collection_t(vocbase),
+      _lock(),
       _nextCompactionStartIndex(0),
       _lastCompactionStatus(nullptr),
       _useSecondaryIndexes(true),
@@ -1209,7 +1210,7 @@ TRI_document_collection_t* TRI_CreateDocumentCollection(
   // first create the document collection
   TRI_document_collection_t* document;
   try {
-    document = new TRI_document_collection_t();
+    document = new TRI_document_collection_t(vocbase);
   } catch (std::exception&) {
     document = nullptr;
   }
@@ -1753,7 +1754,7 @@ TRI_document_collection_t* TRI_OpenDocumentCollection(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase,
   // first open the document collection
   TRI_document_collection_t* document = nullptr;
   try {
-    document = new TRI_document_collection_t();
+    document = new TRI_document_collection_t(vocbase);
   } catch (std::exception&) {
   }
 
@@ -3707,7 +3708,7 @@ int TRI_document_collection_t::remove(arangodb::Transaction* trx,
     TRI_ASSERT(marker == nullptr);
 
     // get the header pointer of the previous revision
-    TRI_doc_mptr_t* oldHeader;
+    TRI_doc_mptr_t* oldHeader = nullptr;
     VPackSlice key;
     if (slice.isString()) {
       key = slice;
@@ -3720,6 +3721,7 @@ int TRI_document_collection_t::remove(arangodb::Transaction* trx,
       return res;
     }
 
+    TRI_ASSERT(oldHeader != nullptr);
     prevRev = oldHeader->revisionIdAsSlice();
     previous = *oldHeader;
 
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
index dad11c4731..34d6d7625c 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/document-collection.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include "VocBase/voc-types.h"
 #include "Wal/Marker.h"
 
+struct TRI_vocbase_t;
+
 namespace arangodb {
 class EdgeIndex;
 class Index;
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ struct TRI_doc_collection_info_t {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 struct TRI_document_collection_t : public TRI_collection_t {
-  TRI_document_collection_t();
+  explicit TRI_document_collection_t(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase);
 
   ~TRI_document_collection_t();