diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
index c69d9cad1d..4ce261ecc8 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Agent.cpp
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ void Agent::sendAppendEntriesRPC() {
   
   for (auto const& followerId : _config.active()) {
 
-    if (followerId != myid) {
+    if (followerId != myid && leading()) {
 
       term_t t(0);
 
@@ -370,6 +370,11 @@ void Agent::sendAppendEntriesRPC() {
           << highest << " to follower " << followerId;
       }
 
+      // Really leading?
+      if (challengeLeadership()) {
+        _constituent.candidate();
+      }
+      
       // Send request
       auto headerFields =
         std::make_unique<std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string>>();
@@ -705,17 +710,12 @@ void Agent::run() {
     // Leader working only
     if (leading()) {
 
-      // Really leading?
-      if (challengeLeadership()) {
-        _constituent.candidate();
-      }
+      // Append entries to followers
+      sendAppendEntriesRPC();
 
       // Don't panic
       _appendCV.wait(1000);
 
-      // Append entries to followers
-      sendAppendEntriesRPC();
-
       // Detect faulty agent and replace
       // if possible and only if not already activating
       if (duration<double>(system_clock::now() - tp).count() > 10.0) {
@@ -862,6 +862,11 @@ void Agent::beginShutdown() {
   }
 }
 
+
+bool Agent::prepareLead() {
+  return true;
+}
+
 /// Becoming leader
 bool Agent::lead() {
   // Key value stores
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Agent.h b/arangod/Agency/Agent.h
index 2c05bec520..c4c6c4c963 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Agent.h
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Agent.h
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ class Agent : public arangodb::Thread {
   /// @brief Pick up leadership tasks
   bool lead();
 
+  /// @brief Prepare leadership
+  bool prepareLead();
+
   /// @brief Load persistent state
   bool load();
 
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
index 1543a07874..77ab43d5dc 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Constituent.cpp
@@ -210,8 +210,13 @@ void Constituent::lead(term_t term,
     LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY) << ss.str();
   }
 
-  // we need to rebuild spear_head and read_db;
+  // we need to rebuild spear_head and read_db
+  _agent->prepareLead();
+
+
+  // we need to start work as leader
   _agent->lead();
+  
 }
 
 /// Become candidate
@@ -564,7 +569,7 @@ void Constituent::run() {
           // in the beginning, pure random
           if (_lastHeartbeatSeen > 0.0) {
             double now = TRI_microtime();
-            randWait -= static_cast<int64_t>(M * (now - _lastHeartbeatSeen));
+            randWait -= static_cast<int64_t>(M * (_lastHeartbeatSeen-now));
           }
         }
        
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
index 911a054c8e..0241969b84 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ bool Inception::estimateRAFTInterval() {
 
       double precision = 1.0e-2;
       mn = precision *
-        std::ceil((1. / precision)*(1. + precision * (maxmean + 3.*maxstdev)));
+        std::ceil((1. / precision)*(.35 + precision * (maxmean + 3.*maxstdev)));
       if (config.waitForSync()) {
         mn *= 4.;
       }
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Supervision.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Supervision.cpp
index 6f10af52d4..6a57a11f73 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Supervision.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Supervision.cpp
@@ -60,14 +60,10 @@ Supervision::Supervision()
 Supervision::~Supervision() { shutdown(); };
 
 void Supervision::wakeUp() {
-  {
-    MUTEX_LOCKER(locker, _lock);
-    updateSnapshot();
-    upgradeAgency();
-  }
-    
-  CONDITION_LOCKER(guard, _cv);
-  _cv.signal();
+
+  updateSnapshot();
+  upgradeAgency();
+
 }
 
 static std::string const syncPrefix = "/Sync/ServerStates/";
@@ -441,6 +437,12 @@ void Supervision::run() {
     }
 
     while (!this->isStopping()) {
+
+      // Get bunch of job IDs from agency for future jobs
+      if (_jobId == 0 || _jobId == _jobIdMax) {
+        getUniqueIds();  // cannot fail but only hang
+      }
+
       {
         MUTEX_LOCKER(locker, _lock);
 
@@ -542,11 +544,6 @@ void Supervision::handleShutdown() {
 
 // Guarded by caller 
 bool Supervision::handleJobs() {
-  // Get bunch of job IDs from agency for future jobs
-  if (_jobId == 0 || _jobId == _jobIdMax) {
-    getUniqueIds();  // cannot fail but only hang
-  }
-
   // Do supervision
   
   shrinkCluster();
@@ -882,10 +879,9 @@ void Supervision::getUniqueIds() {
   // is initialized by some other server...
   while (!this->isStopping()) {
     try {
-      latestId = std::stoul(_agent->readDB()
-                                .get(_agencyPrefix + "/Sync/LatestID")
-                                .slice()
-                                .toJson());
+      MUTEX_LOCKER(locker, _lock);
+      latestId = std::stoul(
+        _agent->readDB().get(_agencyPrefix + "/Sync/LatestID").slice().toJson());
     } catch (...) {
       std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
       continue;
diff --git a/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh b/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
index 74e5150670..c94381870a 100755
--- a/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
+++ b/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ mkdir -p agency
 PIDS=""
 
 aaid=(`seq 0 $(( $POOLSZ - 1 ))`)
-shuffle
+#shuffle
 
 count=1