diff --git a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBCollection.cpp b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBCollection.cpp
index 990506ea2e..f9c262cfc5 100644
--- a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBCollection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBCollection.cpp
@@ -73,10 +73,6 @@
 using namespace arangodb;
 using namespace arangodb::rocksutils;
 
-namespace {
-static std::string const Empty;
-}  // namespace
-
 RocksDBCollection::RocksDBCollection(LogicalCollection* collection,
                                      VPackSlice const& info)
     : PhysicalCollection(collection, info),
@@ -135,7 +131,7 @@ RocksDBCollection::~RocksDBCollection() {
 }
 
 std::string const& RocksDBCollection::path() const {
-  return Empty;  // we do not have any path
+  return StaticStrings::Empty;  // we do not have any path
 }
 
 void RocksDBCollection::setPath(std::string const&) {
diff --git a/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp b/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
index 1e7f8011ab..ef3d4de7f2 100644
--- a/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Transaction/Methods.cpp
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ Result transaction::Methods::documentFastPath(std::string const& collectionName,
   mmdr->addToBuilder(result, true);
   return Result(TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR);
 }
-
+      
 /// @brief return one document from a collection, fast path
 ///        If everything went well the result will contain the found document
 ///        (as an external on single_server) and this function will return
@@ -1065,6 +1065,22 @@ Result transaction::Methods::documentFastPathLocal(
   return res;
 }
 
+static OperationResult errorCodeFromClusterResult(std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> const& resultBody) {
+  // read the error number from the response
+  if (resultBody != nullptr) {
+    VPackSlice slice = resultBody->slice();
+    if (slice.isObject()) {
+      VPackSlice num = slice.get("errorNum");
+      if (num.isNumber()) {
+        // we found an error number, so let's use it!
+        return OperationResult(num.getNumericValue<int>());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  // default is to return "internal error"
+  return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+}
+
 /// @brief Create Cluster Communication result for document
 OperationResult transaction::Methods::clusterResultDocument(
     rest::ResponseCode const& responseCode,
@@ -1081,7 +1097,7 @@ OperationResult transaction::Methods::clusterResultDocument(
     case rest::ResponseCode::NOT_FOUND:
       return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND);
     default:
-      return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+      return errorCodeFromClusterResult(resultBody);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1105,7 +1121,7 @@ OperationResult transaction::Methods::clusterResultInsert(
     case rest::ResponseCode::CONFLICT:
       return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_UNIQUE_CONSTRAINT_VIOLATED);
     default:
-      return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+      return errorCodeFromClusterResult(resultBody);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1134,7 +1150,7 @@ OperationResult transaction::Methods::clusterResultModify(
     case rest::ResponseCode::NOT_FOUND:
       return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND);
     default:
-      return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+      return errorCodeFromClusterResult(resultBody);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1158,7 +1174,7 @@ OperationResult transaction::Methods::clusterResultRemove(
     case rest::ResponseCode::NOT_FOUND:
       return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND);
     default:
-      return OperationResult(TRI_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+      return errorCodeFromClusterResult(resultBody);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/js/server/tests/shell/shell-readonly-mode-spec.js b/js/server/tests/shell/shell-readonly-mode-spec.js
index 0b24410ee6..a8da9aacf6 100644
--- a/js/server/tests/shell/shell-readonly-mode-spec.js
+++ b/js/server/tests/shell/shell-readonly-mode-spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*global describe, it, ArangoAgency, afterEach, instanceInfo */
+/*global describe, it, ArangoAgency, after, afterEach, instanceInfo */
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief cluster collection creation tests
@@ -49,10 +49,17 @@ if (isCluster) {
 // this only tests the http api...there is a separate readonly test
 describe('Readonly mode api', function() {
   afterEach(function() {
+    // restore default server mode
     let resp = download(endpoint.url + '/_admin/server/mode', JSON.stringify({'mode': 'default'}), {
       method: 'put',
     });
   });
+  
+  after(function() {
+    // wait 5 seconds so the "default" server mode has a chance to be picked up by all db servers
+    // before we go on with other tests
+    require("internal").wait(5, false); 
+  });
 
   it('outputs its current mode', function() {
     let resp = download(endpoint.url + '/_admin/server/mode');
@@ -107,4 +114,4 @@ describe('Readonly mode api', function() {
       expect(body).to.have.property('mode', 'readonly');
     });
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});