diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py b/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
index f8a46de9..3a6d7bb1 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/collective/manager.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def follow_leader(remote, leader):
 
 
 def connect_to_collective(cert, member):
-    remote = socket.create_connection((member, 13001))
+    remote = socket.create_connection((member, 13001), 15)
     # TLS cert validation is custom and will not pass normal CA vetting
     # to override completely in the right place requires enormous effort, so just defer until after connect
     remote = ssl.wrap_socket(remote, cert_reqs=ssl.CERT_NONE, keyfile='/etc/confluent/privkey.pem',
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
                 return
             if follower:
                 linfo = cfm.get_collective_member_by_address(currentleader)
-                remote = socket.create_connection((currentleader, 13001))
+                remote = socket.create_connection((currentleader, 13001), 15)
                 remote = ssl.wrap_socket(remote, cert_reqs=ssl.CERT_NONE,
                                          keyfile='/etc/confluent/privkey.pem',
                                          certfile='/etc/confluent/srvcert.pem')
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
                 return
             host = request['server']
             try:
-                remote = socket.create_connection((host, 13001))
+                remote = socket.create_connection((host, 13001), 15)
                 # This isn't what it looks like.  We do CERT_NONE to disable
                 # openssl verification, but then use the invitation as a
                 # shared secret to validate the certs as part of the join
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ def handle_connection(connection, cert, request, local=False):
         if not cfm.relay_slaved_requests(drone, connection):
             if not retrythread:  # start a recovery if everyone else seems
                 # to have disappeared
-                retrythread = eventlet.spawn_after(30 + random.random(),
+                retrythread = eventlet.spawn_after(5 + random.random(),
                                                    start_collective)
         # ok, we have a connecting member whose certificate checks out
         # He needs to bootstrap his configuration and subscribe it to updates
@@ -629,39 +629,41 @@ def check_managers():
 def schedule_rebalance():
     global failovercheck
     if not failovercheck:
+        failovercheck = True
         failovercheck = eventlet.spawn_after(10, check_managers)
 
 def start_collective():
-    cfm.membership_callback = schedule_rebalance
     global follower
     global retrythread
-    if follower:
-        follower.kill()
-        cfm.stop_following()
-        follower = None
     try:
-        if cfm.cfgstreams:
-            cfm.check_quorum()
-            # Do not start if we have quorum and are leader
+        cfm.membership_callback = schedule_rebalance
+        if follower:
+            follower.kill()
+            cfm.stop_following()
+            follower = None
+        try:
+            if cfm.cfgstreams:
+                cfm.check_quorum()
+                # Do not start if we have quorum and are leader
+                return
+        except exc.DegradedCollective:
+            pass
+        if leader_init.active:  # do not start trying to connect if we are
+            # xmitting data to a follower
             return
-    except exc.DegradedCollective:
-        pass
-    if leader_init.active:  # do not start trying to connect if we are
-        # xmitting data to a follower
-        return
-    myname = get_myname()
-    for member in sorted(list(cfm.list_collective())):
-        if member == myname:
-            continue
-        if cfm.cfgleader is None:
-            cfm.stop_following(True)
-        ldrcandidate = cfm.get_collective_member(member)['address']
-        log.log({'info': 'Performing startup attempt to {0}'.format(
-            ldrcandidate), 'subsystem': 'collective'})
-        if connect_to_leader(name=myname, leader=ldrcandidate):
-            break
-    else:
-        retrythread = eventlet.spawn_after(30 + random.random(),
-                                           start_collective)
-
-
+        myname = get_myname()
+        for member in sorted(list(cfm.list_collective())):
+            if member == myname:
+                continue
+            if cfm.cfgleader is None:
+                cfm.stop_following(True)
+            ldrcandidate = cfm.get_collective_member(member)['address']
+            log.log({'info': 'Performing startup attempt to {0}'.format(
+                ldrcandidate), 'subsystem': 'collective'})
+            if connect_to_leader(name=myname, leader=ldrcandidate):
+                break
+        else:
+            retrythread = eventlet.spawn_after(5 + random.random(),
+                                               start_collective)
+    except Exception as e:
+        retrythread = eventlet.spawn_after(random.random(), start_collective)
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py b/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
index 06b29e26..c8056402 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/config/configmanager.py
@@ -409,7 +409,10 @@ def _push_rpc(stream, payload):
             return True
         except Exception:
             logException()
-            del cfgstreams[stream]
+            try:
+                del cfgstreams[stream]
+            except KeyError:
+                pass
             if membership_callback:
                 membership_callback()
             stream.close()