diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
index 93a7786aa1..987fef994c 100644
--- a/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
@@ -821,29 +821,32 @@ static v8::Handle<v8::Value> DocumentVocbaseCol (const bool useCollection,
 
   assert(barrier != 0);
 
+  bool freeBarrier = true;
+
   v8::Handle<v8::Value> result;
   TRI_doc_mptr_t document;
   res = trx.read(&document, key, true);
  
   if (res == TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
     result = TRI_WrapShapedJson(resolver, col, &document, barrier);
+    freeBarrier = false;
   }
 
   res = trx.finish(res);
   
-  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
+  if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR || document._key == 0 || document._data == 0) {
+    if (freeBarrier) {
+      TRI_FreeBarrier(barrier);
+    }
+
     return scope.Close(v8::ThrowException(TRI_CreateErrorObject(res, "document not found", true)));
   }
 
-  if (document._key == 0 || document._data == 0) {
-    TRI_FreeBarrier(barrier);
-
-    return scope.Close(v8::ThrowException(
-                       TRI_CreateErrorObject(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND,
-                                             "document not found")));
-  }
-
   if (rid != 0 && document._rid != rid) {
+    if (freeBarrier) {
+      TRI_FreeBarrier(barrier);
+    }
+
     return scope.Close(v8::ThrowException(TRI_CreateErrorObject(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_CONFLICT, "revision not found")));
   }
 
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.c b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.c
index 6d4cec7b09..bea8e298aa 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.c
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.c
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ bool TRI_IsValidMarkerDatafile (TRI_df_marker_t* const marker) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (marker->_size >= (TRI_voc_size_t) (256 * 1024 * 1024)) {
+  if (marker->_size >= (TRI_voc_size_t) TRI_MARKER_MAXIMAL_SIZE) { 
     // a single marker bigger than 256 MB seems unreasonable
     // note: this is an arbitrary limit
     return false;
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.h b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.h
index 56e6f78408..17dfa27207 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.h
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #define TRI_DF_BLOCK_ALIGNMENT  (8)
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief maximum size of a single marker (in bytes)
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+    
+#define TRI_MARKER_MAXIMAL_SIZE (256 * 1024 * 1024)
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
index 0747f7605b..01c65931c5 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.h
@@ -206,11 +206,20 @@ extern size_t PageSize;
 #define TRI_JOURNAL_DEFAULT_MAXIMAL_SIZE (1024 * 1024 * 32)
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-/// @brief minimal collection journal size
+/// @brief minimal collection journal size (for testing, we allow very small
+/// file sizes in maintainer mode)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+#ifdef TRI_ENABLE_MAINTAINER_MODE
+
+#define TRI_JOURNAL_MINIMAL_SIZE (16 * 1024)
+
+#else
+
 #define TRI_JOURNAL_MINIMAL_SIZE (1024 * 1024)
 
+#endif
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief journal overhead
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/js/common/tests/shell-collection.js b/js/common/tests/shell-collection.js
index 340036cf17..9732d7e834 100644
--- a/js/common/tests/shell-collection.js
+++ b/js/common/tests/shell-collection.js
@@ -148,7 +148,25 @@ function CollectionSuiteErrorHandling () {
       catch (err) {
         assertEqual(ERRORS.ERROR_ARANGO_ILLEGAL_NAME.code, err.errorNum);
       }
-    }
+    },
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief creating with too small journal size
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    testErrorInvalidJournalSize : function () {
+      var cn = "example";
+
+      db._drop(cn);
+      try {
+        db._create(cn, { waitForSync : false, journalSize : 1024 });
+        fail();
+      }
+      catch (err) {
+        assertEqual(ERRORS.ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER.code, err.errorNum);
+      }
+    },
+
   };
 }
 
@@ -375,6 +393,7 @@ function CollectionSuite () {
 
       assertEqual(false, p.waitForSync);
       assertEqual(false, p.isVolatile);
+      assertEqual(1048576, p.journalSize);
 
       db._drop(cn);
     },
@@ -399,14 +418,7 @@ function CollectionSuite () {
 
       assertEqual(true, p.waitForSync);
       assertEqual(false, p.isVolatile);
-
-      if (p.journalSize < 1024 * 1024) {
-        fail();
-      }
-
-      if (1024 * 1025 < p.journalSize) {
-        fail();
-      }
+      assertEqual(1048576, p.journalSize);
 
       db._drop(cn);
     },
@@ -430,6 +442,7 @@ function CollectionSuite () {
       var p = c1.properties();
 
       assertEqual(true, p.isVolatile);
+      assertEqual(1048576, p.journalSize);
       db._drop(cn);
     },