diff --git a/VocBase/blob-collection.c b/VocBase/blob-collection.c
index f4847d90d1..c77d61eea1 100644
--- a/VocBase/blob-collection.c
+++ b/VocBase/blob-collection.c
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ static bool CloseJournal (TRI_blob_collection_t* collection, TRI_datafile_t* jou
   char* dname;
   char* filename;
   char* number;
+  int res;
   size_t i;
   size_t n;
 
@@ -171,9 +172,9 @@ static bool CloseJournal (TRI_blob_collection_t* collection, TRI_datafile_t* jou
   }
 
   // seal and rename datafile
-  ok = TRI_SealDatafile(journal);
+  res = TRI_SealDatafile(journal);
 
-  if (! ok) {
+  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
     collection->base._state = TRI_COL_STATE_WRITE_ERROR;
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/VocBase/datafile.c b/VocBase/datafile.c
index 75ac7eac06..22285b2d51 100644
--- a/VocBase/datafile.c
+++ b/VocBase/datafile.c
@@ -839,25 +839,22 @@ bool TRI_RenameDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile, char const* filename) {
 /// @brief seals a database, writes a footer, sets it to read-only
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-bool TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile) {
+int TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile) {
   TRI_df_footer_marker_t footer;
   TRI_df_marker_t* position;
   bool ok;
   int res;
 
   if (datafile->_state == TRI_DF_STATE_READ) {
-    TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_READ_ONLY);
-    return false;
+    return TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_READ_ONLY);
   }
 
   if (datafile->_state != TRI_DF_STATE_WRITE) {
-    TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_ILLEGAL_STATE);
-    return false;
+    return TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_ILLEGAL_STATE);
   }
 
   if (datafile->_isSealed) {
-    TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_DATAFILE_SEALED);
-    return false;
+    return TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_AVOCADO_DATAFILE_SEALED);
   }
 
   // create the footer
@@ -880,7 +877,7 @@ bool TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile) {
   }
 
   if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
-    return false;
+    return res;
   }
 
   // sync file
@@ -911,8 +908,9 @@ bool TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile) {
     res = ftruncate(datafile->_fd, datafile->_currentSize);
 
     if (res < 0) {
-      TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_SYS_ERROR);
       LOG_ERROR("cannot truncate datafile '%s': %s", datafile->_filename, TRI_last_error());
+      datafile->_lastError = TRI_set_errno(TRI_ERROR_SYS_ERROR);
+      ok = false;
     }
 
     datafile->_isSealed = true;
diff --git a/VocBase/datafile.h b/VocBase/datafile.h
index 8078aee14f..acb98de81c 100644
--- a/VocBase/datafile.h
+++ b/VocBase/datafile.h
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ bool TRI_CloseDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile);
 /// @brief seals a database, writes a footer, sets it to read-only
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-bool TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile);
+int TRI_SealDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile);
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief renames a datafile
diff --git a/VocBase/document-collection.c b/VocBase/document-collection.c
index f872ccf2d5..6348e4c5cf 100644
--- a/VocBase/document-collection.c
+++ b/VocBase/document-collection.c
@@ -353,12 +353,14 @@ static bool CloseJournalDocCollection (TRI_doc_collection_t* collection,
   TRI_datafile_t* journal;
   TRI_vector_pointer_t* vector;
   bool ok;
+  int res;
   char* dname;
   char* filename;
   char* number;
 
+  // either use a journal or a compactor
   if (compactor) {
-    vector = &collection->base._journals;
+    vector = &collection->base._compactors;
   }
   else {
     vector = &collection->base._journals;
@@ -372,9 +374,11 @@ static bool CloseJournalDocCollection (TRI_doc_collection_t* collection,
 
   // seal and rename datafile
   journal = vector->_buffer[position];
-  ok = TRI_SealDatafile(journal);
+  res = TRI_SealDatafile(journal);
+
+  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
+    LOG_ERROR("failed to seal datafile '%s': %s", journal->_filename, TRI_last_error());
 
-  if (! ok) {
     TRI_RemoveVectorPointer(vector, position);
     TRI_PushBackVectorPointer(&collection->base._datafiles, journal);
 
@@ -382,24 +386,8 @@ static bool CloseJournalDocCollection (TRI_doc_collection_t* collection,
   }
 
   number = TRI_StringUInt32(journal->_fid);
-  if (!number) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
   dname = TRI_Concatenate3String("datafile-", number, ".db");
-  /* TODO FIXME: memory allocation might fail */
-  if (!dname) {
-    TRI_FreeString(number);
-    return false;
-  }
-
   filename = TRI_Concatenate2File(collection->base._directory, dname);
-  /* TODO FIXME: memory allocation might fail */
-  if (!filename) {
-    TRI_FreeString(number);
-    TRI_FreeString(dname);
-    return false;
-  }
 
   TRI_FreeString(dname);
   TRI_FreeString(number);
@@ -407,6 +395,8 @@ static bool CloseJournalDocCollection (TRI_doc_collection_t* collection,
   ok = TRI_RenameDatafile(journal, filename);
 
   if (! ok) {
+    LOG_ERROR("failed to rename datafile '%s' to '%s': %s", journal->_filename, filename, TRI_last_error());
+
     TRI_RemoveVectorPointer(vector, position);
     TRI_PushBackVectorPointer(&collection->base._datafiles, journal);
     TRI_FreeString(filename);
diff --git a/VocBase/vocbase.h b/VocBase/vocbase.h
index c601eb1dfa..f0b4d6dd78 100644
--- a/VocBase/vocbase.h
+++ b/VocBase/vocbase.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ extern size_t PageSize;
 /// @brief minimal collection journal size
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-#define TRI_JOURNAL_MINIMAL_SIZE (1024 * 1024 * 128)
+#define TRI_JOURNAL_MINIMAL_SIZE (1024 * 1024)
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief document handle separator as character