diff --git a/logstore.cpp b/logstore.cpp
index 085e575..3524c0b 100644
--- a/logstore.cpp
+++ b/logstore.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ void logtable<TUPLE>::flushTable()
 
     gettimeofday(&stop_tv,0);
     stop = tv_to_double(stop_tv);
-    pthread_mutex_lock(&rb_mut);
     set_tree_c0_mergeable(get_tree_c0());
 
     pthread_cond_signal(&c0_ready);
@@ -177,7 +176,6 @@ void logtable<TUPLE>::flushTable()
 
     merge_count ++;
     set_tree_c0(new memTreeComponent<datatuple>::rbtree_t);
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&rb_mut);
     c0_stats->starting_merge();
 
     tsize = 0;
@@ -207,7 +205,6 @@ datatuple * logtable<TUPLE>::findTuple(int xid, const datatuple::key_t key, size
     //prepare a search tuple
     datatuple *search_tuple = datatuple::create(key, keySize);
 
-    rwlc_readlock(header_mut);
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&rb_mut);
 
@@ -221,6 +218,7 @@ datatuple * logtable<TUPLE>::findTuple(int xid, const datatuple::key_t key, size
         ret_tuple = (*rbitr)->create_copy();
     }
 
+    rwlc_readlock(header_mut);  // has to be before rb_mut, or we could merge the tuple with itself due to an intervening merge
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&rb_mut);
 
     bool done = false;
@@ -354,7 +352,6 @@ datatuple * logtable<TUPLE>::findTuple_first(int xid, datatuple::key_t key, size
     //prepare a search tuple
     datatuple * search_tuple = datatuple::create(key, keySize);
         
-    rwlc_readlock(header_mut);
 
     datatuple *ret_tuple=0; 
     //step 1: look in tree_c0
@@ -374,6 +371,7 @@ datatuple * logtable<TUPLE>::findTuple_first(int xid, datatuple::key_t key, size
     {
         DEBUG("Not in mem tree %d\n", tree_c0->size());
 
+        rwlc_readlock(header_mut);
         pthread_mutex_unlock(&rb_mut);
 
         //step: 2 look into first in tree if exists (a first level merge going on)
@@ -415,9 +413,9 @@ datatuple * logtable<TUPLE>::findTuple_first(int xid, datatuple::key_t key, size
             //step 5: check c2
             ret_tuple = get_tree_c2()->findTuple(xid, key, keySize);
         }
+        rwlc_unlock(header_mut);
     }
 
-    rwlc_unlock(header_mut);
     datatuple::freetuple(search_tuple);
     
     return ret_tuple;
@@ -465,13 +463,15 @@ void logtable<TUPLE>::insertTuple(datatuple *tuple)
 
     merge_mgr->wrote_tuple(0, t);
 
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&rb_mut);
-
     //flushing logic
     if(tree_bytes >= max_c0_size )
     {
       DEBUG("tree size before merge %d tuples %lld bytes.\n", tsize, tree_bytes);
 
+      // NOTE: we hold rb_mut across the (blocking on merge) flushTable.  Therefore:
+      //  *** Blocking in flushTable is REALLY BAD ***
+      // Because it blocks readers and writers.
+      // The merge policy does its best to make sure flushTable does not block.
       rwlc_writelock(header_mut);
       // the test of tree size needs to be atomic with the flushTable, and flushTable needs a writelock.
       if(tree_bytes >= max_c0_size) {
@@ -480,6 +480,8 @@ void logtable<TUPLE>::insertTuple(datatuple *tuple)
       rwlc_unlock(header_mut);
     }
 
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&rb_mut);
+
     DEBUG("tree size %d tuples %lld bytes.\n", tsize, tree_bytes);
 }
 
diff --git a/mergeManager.cpp b/mergeManager.cpp
index 8d70e38..b92e36d 100644
--- a/mergeManager.cpp
+++ b/mergeManager.cpp
@@ -48,9 +48,11 @@ void mergeManager::set_c0_size(int64_t size) {
   c0->target_size = size;
 }
 
+static const int UPDATE_PROGRESS_DELTA = 1 * 1024 * 1024;
+
 void mergeManager::update_progress(mergeStats * s, int delta) {
   s->delta += delta;
-  if((!delta) || s->delta > 64 * 1024) { //512 * 1024) {
+  if((!delta) || s->delta > UPDATE_PROGRESS_DELTA) { //512 * 1024) {
     if(delta) {
       rwlc_writelock(ltable->header_mut);
       s->delta = 0;
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ void mergeManager::tick(mergeStats * s, bool block, bool force) {
 
       int64_t overshoot = 0;
       int64_t raw_overshoot = 0;
-      int64_t overshoot_fudge = (int64_t)((s->out_progress-0.5) * 4.0 * 1024.0 * 1024.0);
+      int64_t overshoot_fudge = (int64_t)((s->out_progress-0.5) * 18.0 * 1024.0 * 1024.0);
       int spin = 0;
       double total_sleep = 0.0;
       do{
@@ -193,6 +195,7 @@ void mergeManager::tick(mergeStats * s, bool block, bool force) {
           if(s->merge_level == 0) { update_progress(c1, 0); }
           if(s->merge_level == 1) { update_progress(c2, 0); }
         } else {
+          if(overshoot > 0) { s->need_tick = 1; }
           break;
         }
       } while(1);
@@ -255,8 +258,8 @@ void mergeManager::finished_merge(int merge_level) {
 
 mergeManager::mergeManager(logtable<datatuple> *ltable):
   ltable(ltable),
-  c0(new mergeStats(0, ltable->max_c0_size)),
-  c1(new mergeStats(1, (int64_t)(((double)ltable->max_c0_size) * *ltable->R()))),
+  c0(new mergeStats(0, ltable ? ltable->max_c0_size : 10000000)),
+  c1(new mergeStats(1, (int64_t)(ltable ? ((double)(ltable->max_c0_size) * *ltable->R()) : 100000000.0) )),
   c2(new mergeStats(2, 0)) {
   pthread_mutex_init(&throttle_mut, 0);
   pthread_mutex_init(&dummy_throttle_mut, 0);
diff --git a/merger.cpp b/merger.cpp
index c93c6a5..2efe2e8 100644
--- a/merger.cpp
+++ b/merger.cpp
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ void *diskMergeThread(void*arg)
     return 0;
 }
 
-#define FORCE_INTERVAL (2 * 1024 * 1024) // XXX do not hardcode FORCE_INTERVAL
+#define FORCE_INTERVAL (1 * 1024 * 1024) // XXX do not hardcode FORCE_INTERVAL
 
 static void periodically_force(int xid, int *i, diskTreeComponent * forceMe, stasis_log_t * log) {
   if(0 && *i > FORCE_INTERVAL) {