diff --git a/arangod/RestServer/ArangoServer.cpp b/arangod/RestServer/ArangoServer.cpp
index 2414809321..d8f3019699 100644
--- a/arangod/RestServer/ArangoServer.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RestServer/ArangoServer.cpp
@@ -761,6 +761,7 @@ void ArangoServer::buildApplicationServer () {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 int ArangoServer::startupServer () {
+  OperationMode::server_operation_mode_e mode = OperationMode::determineMode(_applicationServer->programOptions());
 
   // .............................................................................
   // prepare the various parts of the Arango server
@@ -783,8 +784,21 @@ int ArangoServer::startupServer () {
   assert(vocbase != 0);
 
   // initialise V8
+  size_t concurrency = _dispatcherThreads;
+
+  if (mode == OperationMode::MODE_CONSOLE) {
+    // one V8 instance is taken by the console
+    ++concurrency;
+  }
+  else if (mode == OperationMode::MODE_UNITTESTS || mode == OperationMode::MODE_SCRIPT) {
+    if (concurrency == 1) {
+      // at least two to allow the test-runner and the scheduler to use a V8
+      concurrency = 2;
+    }
+  }
+
   _applicationV8->setVocbase(vocbase);
-  _applicationV8->setConcurrency(_dispatcherThreads);
+  _applicationV8->setConcurrency(concurrency);
 
   if (_applicationServer->programOptions().has("upgrade")) {
     _applicationV8->performUpgrade();
@@ -855,8 +869,6 @@ int ArangoServer::startupServer () {
 
   LOG_INFO("ArangoDB (version " TRI_VERSION_FULL ") is ready for business. Have fun!");
 
-  OperationMode::server_operation_mode_e mode = OperationMode::determineMode(_applicationServer->programOptions());
-
   int res;
 
   if (mode == OperationMode::MODE_CONSOLE) {
diff --git a/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.cpp b/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.cpp
index 39af6ad6da..453ff464b1 100644
--- a/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.cpp
@@ -90,19 +90,20 @@ void ConsoleThread::run () {
 
   try {
     inner();
-    _applicationV8->exitContext(_context);
-    _done = 1;
   }
   catch (const char*) {
-    _applicationV8->exitContext(_context);
-    _done = 1;
   }
   catch (...) {
     _applicationV8->exitContext(_context);
     _done = 1;
+    _applicationServer->beginShutdown();
 
     throw;
   }
+
+  _applicationV8->exitContext(_context);
+  _done = 1;
+  _applicationServer->beginShutdown();
 }
 
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -156,7 +157,6 @@ void ConsoleThread::inner () {
 
     if (input == 0) {
       _userAborted = true;
-      _applicationServer->beginShutdown();
 
       // this will be caught by "run" 
       throw "user aborted";
diff --git a/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.h b/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.h
index 4cfe8bce1c..1e20b832de 100644
--- a/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.h
+++ b/arangod/RestServer/ConsoleThread.h
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ namespace triagens {
 
         void userAbort () {
           _userAborted = true;
-          TRI_CLOSE(0);
         }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/ApplicationV8.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/ApplicationV8.cpp
index 477ca7d34d..d6a9327b3b 100644
--- a/arangod/V8Server/ApplicationV8.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/ApplicationV8.cpp
@@ -746,6 +746,25 @@ bool ApplicationV8::start () {
 void ApplicationV8::close () {
   _stopping = 1;
   _contextCondition.broadcast();
+
+  // unregister all tasks
+  if (_scheduler != nullptr) {
+    _scheduler->scheduler()->unregisterUserTasks();
+  }
+
+  // wait for all contexts to finish
+  for (size_t n = 0;  n < 10 * 5;  ++n) {
+    CONDITION_LOCKER(guard, _contextCondition);
+
+    if (_busyContexts.empty()) {
+      LOG_DEBUG("no busy V8 contexts");
+      break;
+    }
+ 
+    LOG_DEBUG("waiting for %d busy V8 contexts to finish", (int) _busyContexts.size());
+
+    guard.wait(100000);
+  }
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -753,9 +772,26 @@ void ApplicationV8::close () {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 void ApplicationV8::stop () {
-  // unregister all tasks
-  if (_scheduler != nullptr) {
-    _scheduler->scheduler()->unregisterUserTasks();
+
+  //send all busy contexts a termate signal
+  {
+    CONDITION_LOCKER(guard, _contextCondition);
+
+    for (auto it = _busyContexts.begin(); it != _busyContexts.end(); ++it) {
+      LOG_WARNING("sending termination signal to V8 context");
+      v8::V8::TerminateExecution((*it)->_isolate);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // wait for one minute
+  for (size_t n = 0;  n < 10 * 60;  ++n) {
+    CONDITION_LOCKER(guard, _contextCondition);
+
+    if (_busyContexts.empty()) {
+      break;
+    }
+ 
+    guard.wait(100000);
   }
 
   // stop GC
diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.cpp
index 3fda1abbcb..59bbc1c088 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/datafile.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/datafile.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ static bool SyncDatafile (const TRI_datafile_t* const datafile,
     return true;
   }
 
-  assert(datafile->_fd > 0);
+  assert(datafile->_fd >= 0);
 
   if (begin == end) {
     // no need to sync
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ static void InitDatafile (TRI_datafile_t* datafile,
     assert(fd == -1);
   }
   else {
-    assert(fd > 0);
+    assert(fd >= 0);
   }
 
   datafile->_state       = TRI_DF_STATE_READ;
diff --git a/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.cpp b/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.cpp
index 416f8e9369..5f695b9de8 100644
--- a/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.cpp
+++ b/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.cpp
@@ -214,6 +214,16 @@ bool ApplicationDispatcher::open () {
 /// {@inheritDoc}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+void ApplicationDispatcher::close () {
+  if (_dispatcher != 0) {
+    _dispatcher->beginShutdown();
+  }
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// {@inheritDoc}
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 void ApplicationDispatcher::stop () {
   if (_dispatcherReporterTask != 0) {
     _dispatcherReporterTask = 0;
@@ -222,8 +232,6 @@ void ApplicationDispatcher::stop () {
   if (_dispatcher != 0) {
     static size_t const MAX_TRIES = 50; // 10 seconds (50 * 200 ms)
 
-    _dispatcher->beginShutdown();
-
     for (size_t count = 0;  count < MAX_TRIES && _dispatcher->isRunning();  ++count) {
       LOG_TRACE("waiting for dispatcher to stop");
       usleep(200 * 1000);
diff --git a/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.h b/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.h
index f6b0a8b532..84c30fe561 100644
--- a/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.h
+++ b/lib/Dispatcher/ApplicationDispatcher.h
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 
         bool open ();
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// {@inheritDoc}
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        void close ();
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// {@inheritDoc}
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////