diff --git a/src/riak_kv_replrtq_peer.erl b/src/riak_kv_replrtq_peer.erl
index 8c92df1b6..bbeb19455 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_replrtq_peer.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_replrtq_peer.erl
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@
 -type discovery_peer() ::
     {riak_kv_replrtq_snk:queue_name(), [riak_kv_replrtq_snk:peer_info()]}.
 
--define(DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS, 60).
--define(UPDATE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS, 60).
+-define(DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS, 300).
+-define(UPDATE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS, 300).
 -define(AUTO_DISCOVERY_MAXIMUM_SECONDS, 900).
 -define(AUTO_DISCOVERY_MINIMUM_SECONDS, 60).
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ update_discovery(QueueName) ->
         ?DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS * 1000).
 
 -spec update_workers(pos_integer(), pos_integer()) -> boolean().
-update_workers(WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit) ->
+update_workers(WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit) when PerPeerLimit =< WorkerCount ->
     gen_server:call(
         ?MODULE,
         {update_workers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit},
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ handle_info({scheduled_discovery, QueueName}, State) ->
             ?AUTO_DISCOVERY_MAXIMUM_SECONDS),
     Delay = rand:uniform(max(1, MaxDelay - MinDelay)) + MinDelay,
     _ = schedule_discovery(QueueName, self(), Delay),
+    {noreply, State};
+handle_info({Ref, {error, HTTPClientError}}, State) when is_reference(Ref) ->
+    lager:info(
+        "Client error caught - error ~p returned after timeout",
+        [HTTPClientError]),
     {noreply, State}.
 
 terminate(_Reason, _State) ->
diff --git a/src/riak_kv_replrtq_snk.erl b/src/riak_kv_replrtq_snk.erl
index dbfb4949e..28478f179 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_replrtq_snk.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_replrtq_snk.erl
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
         handle_call/3,
         handle_cast/2,
         handle_info/2,
+        handle_continue/2,
         terminate/2,
         code_change/3]).
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@
 -define(STARTING_DELAYMS, 8).
 -define(MAX_SUCCESS_DELAYMS, 1024).
 -define(ON_ERROR_DELAYMS, 65536).
--define(INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS, 60000).
+-define(INITIAL_TIMEOUT_MS, 60000).
 -define(DEFAULT_WORKERCOUNT, 1).
 
 -record(sink_work, {queue_name :: queue_name(),
@@ -208,10 +209,13 @@ add_snkqueue(QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount) ->
 %% number of workers overall
 -spec add_snkqueue(queue_name(), list(peer_info()),
                     pos_integer(), pos_integer()) -> ok.
-add_snkqueue(QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit) 
-                                            when PerPeerLimit =< WorkerCount ->
-    gen_server:call(?MODULE,
-                    {add, QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit}).
+add_snkqueue(
+        QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit) 
+        when PerPeerLimit =< WorkerCount ->
+    gen_server:call(
+        ?MODULE,
+        {add, QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit},
+        infinity).
 
 
 %% @doc
@@ -220,7 +224,7 @@ add_snkqueue(QueueName, Peers, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit)
 %% Returns undefined if there are currently no peers defined.
 -spec current_peers(queue_name()) -> list(peer_info())|undefined.
 current_peers(QueueName) ->
-    gen_server:call(?MODULE, {current_peers, QueueName}).
+    gen_server:call(?MODULE, {current_peers, QueueName}, infinity).
 
 
 %% @doc
@@ -236,47 +240,26 @@ set_workercount(QueueName, WorkerCount) ->
 %% @doc
 %% Change the number of concurrent workers whilst limiting the number of
 %% workers per peer
--spec set_workercount(queue_name(), pos_integer(), pos_integer())
-                                                            -> ok|not_found.
-set_workercount(QueueName, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit)
-                                            when PerPeerLimit =< WorkerCount ->
-    gen_server:call(?MODULE,
-                    {worker_count, QueueName, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit}).
+-spec set_workercount(
+    queue_name(), pos_integer(), pos_integer()) -> ok|not_found.
+set_workercount(
+        QueueName, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit)
+        when PerPeerLimit =< WorkerCount ->
+    gen_server:call(
+        ?MODULE,
+        {worker_count, QueueName, WorkerCount, PerPeerLimit},
+        infinity
+    ).
 
 %%%============================================================================
 %%% gen_server callbacks
 %%%============================================================================
 
 init([]) ->
-    SinkEnabled =
-        app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_enablesink, false),
+    SinkEnabled = app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_enablesink, false),
     case SinkEnabled of
         true ->
-            SinkPeers =
-                app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_sinkpeers, ""),
-            DefaultQueue =
-                app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_sinkqueue),
-            SnkQueuePeerInfo = tokenise_peers(DefaultQueue, SinkPeers),
-            {SnkWorkerCount, PerPeerLimit} = get_worker_counts(),
-            Iteration = 1,
-            MapPeerInfoFun =
-                fun({SnkQueueName, SnkPeerInfo}) ->
-                    {SnkQueueLength, SnkWorkQueue} =
-                        determine_workitems(SnkQueueName,
-                                            Iteration,
-                                            SnkPeerInfo,
-                                            SnkWorkerCount,
-                                            min(SnkWorkerCount, PerPeerLimit)),
-                    SnkW =
-                        #sink_work{queue_name = SnkQueueName,
-                                    work_queue = SnkWorkQueue,
-                                    minimum_queue_length = SnkQueueLength,
-                                    peer_list = SnkPeerInfo,
-                                    max_worker_count = SnkWorkerCount},
-                    {SnkQueueName, Iteration, SnkW}
-                end,
-            Work = lists:map(MapPeerInfoFun, SnkQueuePeerInfo),
-            {ok, #state{enabled = true, work = Work}, ?INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT_MS};
+            {ok, #state{}, {continue, initialise_work}};
         false ->
             {ok, #state{}}
     end.
@@ -432,6 +415,33 @@ handle_info({prompt_requeue, WorkItem}, State) ->
     requeue_work(WorkItem),
     {noreply, State}.
 
+handle_continue(initialise_work, State) ->
+    SinkPeers =
+        app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_sinkpeers, ""),
+    DefaultQueue =
+        app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, replrtq_sinkqueue),
+    SnkQueuePeerInfo = tokenise_peers(DefaultQueue, SinkPeers),
+    {SnkWorkerCount, PerPeerLimit} = get_worker_counts(),
+    Iteration = 1,
+    MapPeerInfoFun =
+        fun({SnkQueueName, SnkPeerInfo}) ->
+            {SnkQueueLength, SnkWorkQueue} =
+                determine_workitems(SnkQueueName,
+                                    Iteration,
+                                    SnkPeerInfo,
+                                    SnkWorkerCount,
+                                    min(SnkWorkerCount, PerPeerLimit)),
+            SnkW =
+                #sink_work{queue_name = SnkQueueName,
+                            work_queue = SnkWorkQueue,
+                            minimum_queue_length = SnkQueueLength,
+                            peer_list = SnkPeerInfo,
+                            max_worker_count = SnkWorkerCount},
+            {SnkQueueName, Iteration, SnkW}
+        end,
+    Work = lists:map(MapPeerInfoFun, SnkQueuePeerInfo),
+    {noreply, State#state{enabled = true, work = Work}, ?INITIAL_TIMEOUT_MS}.
+
 terminate(_Reason, State) ->
     WorkItems = lists:map(fun(SW) -> element(3, SW) end, State#state.work),
     CloseFun =