diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Node.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Node.cpp
index 978829dc5f..1dab13d96b 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Node.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Node.cpp
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ std::string Node::uri() const {
 /// Move constructor
 Node::Node(Node&& other)
     : _node_name(std::move(other._node_name)),
+      _parent(nullptr),
+      _store(nullptr),
       _children(std::move(other._children)),
       _value(std::move(other._value)),
       _vecBuf(std::move(other._vecBuf)),
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.cpp
index 284aa67ccc..691a0734ba 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.cpp
@@ -2360,35 +2360,19 @@ void ClusterInfo::loadCurrentDBServers() {
 
 std::vector<ServerID> ClusterInfo::getCurrentDBServers() {
   std::vector<ServerID> result;
-  int tries = 0;
 
   if (!_DBServersProt.isValid) {
     loadCurrentDBServers();
-    tries++;
   }
-  while (true) {
-    {
-      // return a consistent state of servers
-      READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _DBServersProt.lock);
+  // return a consistent state of servers
+  READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _DBServersProt.lock);
 
-      result.reserve(_DBServers.size());
+  result.reserve(_DBServers.size());
 
-      for (auto& it : _DBServers) {
-        result.emplace_back(it.first);
-      }
-
-      return result;
-    }
-
-    if (++tries >= 2) {
-      break;
-    }
-
-    // loadCurrentDBServers needs the write lock
-    loadCurrentDBServers();
+  for (auto& it : _DBServers) {
+    result.emplace_back(it.first);
   }
 
-  // note that the result will be empty if we get here
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -2560,35 +2544,20 @@ int ClusterInfo::getResponsibleShard(LogicalCollection* collInfo,
 
 std::vector<ServerID> ClusterInfo::getCurrentCoordinators() {
   std::vector<ServerID> result;
-  int tries = 0;
 
   if (!_coordinatorsProt.isValid) {
     loadCurrentCoordinators();
-    tries++;
-  }
-  while (true) {
-    {
-      // return a consistent state of servers
-      READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _coordinatorsProt.lock);
-
-      result.reserve(_coordinators.size());
-
-      for (auto& it : _coordinators) {
-        result.emplace_back(it.first);
-      }
-
-      return result;
-    }
-
-    if (++tries >= 2) {
-      break;
-    }
-
-    // loadCurrentCoordinators needs the write lock
-    loadCurrentCoordinators();
   }
 
-  // note that the result will be empty if we get here
+  // return a consistent state of servers
+  READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _coordinatorsProt.lock);
+
+  result.reserve(_coordinators.size());
+
+  for (auto& it : _coordinators) {
+    result.emplace_back(it.first);
+  }
+
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.h b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.h
index 1a0f7f48ea..0f4fa1634b 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.h
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ClusterInfo.h
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@ class CollectionInfoCurrent {
   bool getFlag(char const* name, ShardID const& shardID) const {
     auto it = _vpacks.find(shardID);
     if (it != _vpacks.end()) {
-      return arangodb::basics::VelocyPackHelper::getBooleanValue(it->second->slice(), "errorMessage",
-                                                          "");
+      return arangodb::basics::VelocyPackHelper::getBooleanValue(it->second->slice(), name, false);
     }
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.cpp b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.cpp
index 4235e01dbc..7124918f7b 100644
--- a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.cpp
+++ b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.cpp
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ void MMFilesLogfileManager::collectOptions(std::shared_ptr<ProgramOptions> optio
       "--wal.ignore-recovery-errors",
       "continue recovery even if re-applying operations fails",
       new BooleanParameter(&_ignoreRecoveryErrors));
+  
+  options->addHiddenOption("--wal.flush-timeout", "flush timeout (in milliseconds)",
+                     new UInt64Parameter(&_flushTimeout));
 
   options->addOption("--wal.logfile-size", "size of each logfile (in bytes)",
                      new UInt32Parameter(&_filesize));
@@ -1259,7 +1262,7 @@ int MMFilesLogfileManager::getWriteableLogfile(uint32_t size,
   }
   
   size_t iterations = 0;
-  double const end = TRI_microtime() + 15.0;
+  double const end = TRI_microtime() + (_flushTimeout / 1000.0);
 
   while (true) {
     {
@@ -1323,7 +1326,7 @@ int MMFilesLogfileManager::getWriteableLogfile(uint32_t size,
   }
 
   TRI_ASSERT(result == nullptr);
-  LOG(ERR) << "unable to acquire writeable WAL logfile after 15 s";
+  LOG(ERR) << "unable to acquire writeable WAL logfile after " << _flushTimeout << " ms";
 
   return TRI_ERROR_LOCK_TIMEOUT;
 }
diff --git a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.h b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.h
index b713d5903f..47ab29d988 100644
--- a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.h
+++ b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesLogfileManager.h
@@ -458,6 +458,7 @@ class MMFilesLogfileManager final : public application_features::ApplicationFeat
   uint32_t _historicLogfiles = 10;
   bool _ignoreLogfileErrors = false;
   bool _ignoreRecoveryErrors = false;
+  uint64_t _flushTimeout = 15000;
   uint32_t _filesize = 32 * 1024 * 1024;
   uint32_t _maxOpenLogfiles = 0;
   uint32_t _reserveLogfiles = 3;
diff --git a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesWalSlots.cpp b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesWalSlots.cpp
index d4324deb61..81e241b3ee 100644
--- a/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesWalSlots.cpp
+++ b/arangod/MMFiles/MMFilesWalSlots.cpp
@@ -488,11 +488,12 @@ void MMFilesWalSlots::getActiveTickRange(MMFilesWalLogfile* logfile, TRI_voc_tic
 
 /// @brief close a logfile
 int MMFilesWalSlots::closeLogfile(MMFilesWalSlot::TickType& lastCommittedTick, bool& worked) {
-  int iterations = 0;
   bool hasWaited = false;
   worked = false;
 
-  while (++iterations < 1000) {
+  double const maxWait = 30.0;
+  double const end = TRI_microtime() + maxWait;
+  while (true) {
     {
       MUTEX_LOCKER(mutexLocker, _lock);
 
@@ -593,6 +594,11 @@ int MMFilesWalSlots::closeLogfile(MMFilesWalSlot::TickType& lastCommittedTick, b
     if (mustWait) {
       guard.wait(10 * 1000);
     }
+    
+    if (TRI_microtime() >= end) {
+      // time's up!
+      break;
+    }
   }
 
   return TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_NO_JOURNAL;