diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/LogicalCollection.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/LogicalCollection.cpp
index 1fc6ea504b..1461f2b782 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/LogicalCollection.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/LogicalCollection.cpp
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ LogicalCollection::LogicalCollection(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase,
       _isLocal(isLocal),
       // THESE VALUES HAVE ARBITRARY VALUES. FIX THEM.
       _isDeleted(false),
-      _doCompact(false),
+      _doCompact(true),
       _isSystem(LogicalCollection::IsSystemName(name)),
       _isVolatile(isVolatile),
       _waitForSync(false),
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ LogicalCollection::LogicalCollection(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, VPackSlice info)
           info, "status", TRI_VOC_COL_STATUS_CORRUPTED)),
       _isLocal(!ServerState::instance()->isCoordinator()),
       _isDeleted(ReadBooleanValue(info, "deleted", false)),
-      _doCompact(ReadBooleanValue(info, "doCompact", false)),
+      _doCompact(ReadBooleanValue(info, "doCompact", true)),
       _isSystem(ReadBooleanValue(info, "isSystem", false)),
       _isVolatile(ReadBooleanValue(info, "isVolatile", false)),
       _waitForSync(ReadBooleanValue(info, "waitForSync", false)),
@@ -321,6 +321,16 @@ LogicalCollection::LogicalCollection(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, VPackSlice info)
       _numberDocuments(0),
       _collection(nullptr),
       _lock() {
+  if (_isVolatile && _waitForSync) {
+    // Illegal collection configuration
+    THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(
+        TRI_ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER,
+        "volatile collections do not support the waitForSync option");
+  }
+  if (_journalSize < TRI_JOURNAL_MINIMAL_SIZE) {
+    THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION_MESSAGE(TRI_ERROR_BAD_PARAMETER,
+                                   "<properties>.journalSize too small");
+  }
   if (info.isObject()) {
     // Otherwise the cluster communication is broken.
     // We cannot store anything further.
@@ -372,20 +382,6 @@ LogicalCollection::LogicalCollection(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, VPackSlice info)
   
   createPhysical();
 
-  VPackSlice slice;
-  if (_keyOptions != nullptr) {
-    slice = VPackSlice(_keyOptions->data());
-  }
-  
-  std::unique_ptr<KeyGenerator> keyGenerator(KeyGenerator::factory(slice));
-
-  if (keyGenerator == nullptr) {
-    THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(TRI_ERROR_ARANGO_INVALID_KEY_GENERATOR);
-  }
-
-  _keyGenerator.reset(keyGenerator.release());
-
- 
   // TODO Only DBServer? Is this correct?
   if (ServerState::instance()->isDBServer()) {
     _followers.reset(new FollowerInfo(this));