diff --git a/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp b/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
index e7ddc3187e..e2ca69c995 100644
--- a/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Cluster/HeartbeatThread.cpp
@@ -615,6 +615,10 @@ bool HeartbeatThread::syncDBServerStatusQuo() {
     std::unique_ptr<arangodb::rest::Job> job(new ServerJob(this));
 
     auto dispatcher = DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER;
+    if (dispatcher == nullptr) {
+      LOG(ERR) << "could not schedule dbserver sync - dispatcher gone.";
+      return false;
+    }
     if (dispatcher->addJob(job) == TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
       LOG(TRACE) << "scheduled dbserver sync";
       return true;
diff --git a/arangod/RestHandler/RestJobHandler.cpp b/arangod/RestHandler/RestJobHandler.cpp
index 5e36ff8b1c..4a9c633eff 100644
--- a/arangod/RestHandler/RestJobHandler.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RestHandler/RestJobHandler.cpp
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ void RestJobHandler::putJobMethod() {
   uint64_t jobId = StringUtils::uint64(value);
 
   if (method == "cancel") {
+    if (DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER == nullptr) {
+      generateError(GeneralResponse::ResponseCode::SERVER_ERROR,
+                    TRI_ERROR_HTTP_NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+    
     bool status = DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER->cancelJob(jobId);
 
     // unknown or already fetched job
diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/V8PeriodicTask.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/V8PeriodicTask.cpp
index 6b5d11a1e0..cb94b9277e 100644
--- a/arangod/V8Server/V8PeriodicTask.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/V8PeriodicTask.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ bool V8PeriodicTask::handlePeriod() {
       _vocbase, "(function (params) { " + _command + " } )(params);",
       _parameters, _allowUseDatabase));
 
+  if (DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER == nullptr) {
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not add task " << _command << " to non existing queue";
+    return false;
+  }
+  
   DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER->addJob(job);
 
   return true;
diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/V8TimerTask.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/V8TimerTask.cpp
index 1f84987245..66ac6d59e2 100644
--- a/arangod/V8Server/V8TimerTask.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/V8TimerTask.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ bool V8TimerTask::handleTimeout() {
       new V8Job(_vocbase, "(function (params) { " + _command + " } )(params);",
                 _parameters, _allowUseDatabase));
 
+  if (DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER == nullptr) {
+    LOG(WARN) << "could not add task " << _command << " to non existing queue";
+    return false;
+  }
+  
   int res = DispatcherFeature::DISPATCHER->addJob(job);
 
   if (res != TRI_ERROR_NO_ERROR) {
diff --git a/js/client/modules/@arangodb/testing.js b/js/client/modules/@arangodb/testing.js
index f682555153..1ec86946f9 100644
--- a/js/client/modules/@arangodb/testing.js
+++ b/js/client/modules/@arangodb/testing.js
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ const optionsDocumentation = [
   '   - `skipTimeCritical`: if set to true, time critical tests will be skipped.',
   '   - `skipNondeterministic`: if set, nondeterministic tests are skipped.',
   '   - `skipShebang`: if set, the shebang tests are skipped.',
+  '   - `testBuckets`: split tests in to buckets and execute on, for example',
+  '       10/2 will split into 10 buckets and execute the third bucket.',
   '',
   '   - `onlyNightly`: execute only the nightly tests',
   '   - `loopEternal`: to loop one test over and over.',
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@ const optionsDefaults = {
   "skipSsl": false,
   "skipTimeCritical": false,
   "test": undefined,
+  "testBuckets": undefined,
   "username": "root",
   "valgrind": false,
   "valgrindFileBase": "",
@@ -1813,6 +1816,44 @@ function filterTestcaseByOptions(testname, options, whichFilter) {
   return true;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief split into buckets
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+function splitBuckets(options, cases) {
+  if (!options.testBuckets || cases.length === 0) {
+    return cases;
+  }
+
+  let m = cases.length;
+  let n = options.testBuckets.split("/");
+  let r = parseInt(n[0]);
+  let s = parseInt(n[1]);
+
+  if (r < 1) {
+    r = 1;
+  }
+
+  if (r === 1) {
+    return cases;
+  }
+
+  if (s < 0) {
+    s = 0;
+  }
+  if (r <= s) {
+    s = r - 1;
+  }
+
+  let result = [];
+
+  for (let i = s % m; i < cases.length; i = i + r) {
+    result.push(cases[i]);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief test functions for all
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -2364,11 +2405,11 @@ testFuncs.authentication_parameters = function(options) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 function locateBoostTest(name) {
-  var file = fs.join(UNITTESTS_DIR,name);
+  var file = fs.join(UNITTESTS_DIR, name);
   if (platform.substr(0, 3) === 'win') {
     file += ".exe";
   }
-  
+
   if (!fs.exists(file)) {
     return "";
   }
@@ -2385,11 +2426,11 @@ testFuncs.boost = function(options) {
 
     if (run !== "") {
       results.basics = executeAndWait(run, args, options, "basics");
-    }
-    else {
+    } else {
       results.basics = {
         status: false,
-        message: "binary 'basics_suite' not found"};
+        message: "binary 'basics_suite' not found"
+      };
     }
   }
 
@@ -2398,11 +2439,11 @@ testFuncs.boost = function(options) {
 
     if (run !== "") {
       results.geo_suite = executeAndWait(run, args, options, "geo_suite");
-    }
-    else {
+    } else {
       results.geo_suite = {
         status: false,
-        message: "binary 'geo_suite' not found"};
+        message: "binary 'geo_suite' not found"
+      };
     }
   }
 
@@ -3328,15 +3369,21 @@ testFuncs.shell_server = function(options) {
 testFuncs.shell_server_aql = function(options) {
   findTests();
 
+  let cases;
+  let name;
+
   if (!options.skipAql) {
     if (options.skipRanges) {
-      return performTests(options, testsCases.server_aql,
-        'shell_server_aql_skipranges');
+      cases = testsCases.server_aql;
+      name = 'shell_server_aql_skipranges';
     } else {
-      return performTests(options,
-        testsCases.server_aql.concat(testsCases.server_aql_extended),
-        'shell_server_aql');
+      cases = testsCases.server_aql.concat(testsCases.server_aql_extended);
+      name = 'shell_server_aql';
     }
+
+    cases = splitBuckets(options, cases);
+
+    return performTests(options, cases, name);
   }
 
   return {