diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
index c82c02f5dd..70a15a71a2 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/AgencyComm.cpp
@@ -650,7 +650,9 @@ void AgencyComm::cleanup () {
 bool AgencyComm::tryConnect () {
   {
     WRITE_LOCKER(AgencyComm::_globalLock);
-    assert(_globalEndpoints.size() > 0);
+    if (_globalEndpoints.size() == 0) {
+      return false;
+    }
 
     std::list<AgencyEndpoint*>::iterator it = _globalEndpoints.begin();
 
@@ -1473,9 +1475,13 @@ bool AgencyComm::sendWithFailover (triagens::rest::HttpRequest::HttpRequestType
   {
     READ_LOCKER(AgencyComm::_globalLock);
     numEndpoints = AgencyComm::_globalEndpoints.size(); 
-    assert(numEndpoints > 0);
+    if (numEndpoints == 0) {
+      return false;
+    }
   }
  
+  assert(numEndpoints > 0);
+
   size_t tries = 0;
   std::string realUrl = url;
   std::string forceEndpoint = "";
diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
index 2285da6d9b..7986d83591 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/ServerState.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@ std::string ServerState::stateToString (StateEnum state) {
 
 void ServerState::flush () {
   WRITE_LOCKER(_lock);
+  if (_id.empty()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   _address = ClusterInfo::instance()->getTargetServerEndpoint(_id);
   _role = determineRole(_id);
 }
@@ -256,7 +260,9 @@ std::string ServerState::getAddress () {
   }
 
   // address not yet set
-  assert(! id.empty());
+  if (id.empty()) {
+    return "";
+  }
 
   // fetch and set the address
   const std::string address = ClusterInfo::instance()->getTargetServerEndpoint(id);
@@ -340,6 +346,10 @@ void ServerState::setState (StateEnum state) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 ServerState::RoleEnum ServerState::determineRole (std::string const& id) {
+  if (id.empty()) {
+    return ServerState::ROLE_UNDEFINED;
+  }
+
   ServerState::RoleEnum role  = checkServersList(id);
   ServerState::RoleEnum role2 = checkCoordinatorsList(id);