diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index 6338dd7d9a..a7c0d6b6a6 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ config.ROOT_KEY_MOUNT = '/etc/noobaa-server/root_keys';
 
 config.DB_TYPE = /** @type {nb.DBType} */ (process.env.DB_TYPE || 'postgres');
 
-config.POSTGRES_DEFAULT_MAX_CLIENTS = 10;
-config.POSTGRES_MD_MAX_CLIENTS = (process.env.LOCAL_MD_SERVER === 'true') ? 70 : 10;
+config.POSTGRES_DEFAULT_MAX_CLIENTS = 5;
+config.POSTGRES_MD_MAX_CLIENTS = (process.env.LOCAL_MD_SERVER === 'true') ? 70 : 5;
 
 ///////////////////
 // SYSTEM CONFIG //
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ config.INTERNAL_STORAGE_POOL_NAME = 'system-internal-storage-pool';
 // config.SPILLOVER_TIER_NAME = 'bucket-spillover-tier';
 config.ALLOW_BUCKET_CREATE_ON_INTERNAL = true;
 config.BUCKET_AUTOCONF_TIER2_ENABLED = false;
+config.SYSTEM_STORE_LOAD_CONCURRENCY = parseInt(process.env.SYSTEM_STORE_LOAD_CONCURRENCY, 10) || 5;
 
 //////////////////////////
 // MD AGGREGATOR CONFIG //
diff --git a/src/server/bg_services/cluster_hb.js b/src/server/bg_services/cluster_hb.js
index f5651f3b37..3d1d58c582 100644
--- a/src/server/bg_services/cluster_hb.js
+++ b/src/server/bg_services/cluster_hb.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function do_heartbeat({ skip_server_monitor } = {}) {
                             update: {
                                 clusters: [update]
                             }
-                        });
+                        }, false);
                     });
             })
             .then(() => {
diff --git a/src/server/bg_services/md_aggregator.js b/src/server/bg_services/md_aggregator.js
index 8958af7ef0..5d3372523c 100644
--- a/src/server/bg_services/md_aggregator.js
+++ b/src/server/bg_services/md_aggregator.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ async function run_md_aggregator(md_store, system_store, target_now, delay) {
         });
         if (changes) {
             const update = _.omit(changes, 'more_updates');
-            await system_store.make_changes({ update });
+            await system_store.make_changes({ update }, false);
             update_range = !changes.more_updates;
             if (update_range) {
                 await system_store.make_changes({
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ async function run_md_aggregator(md_store, system_store, target_now, delay) {
                             global_last_update: range.till_time,
                         }]
                     }
-                });
+                }, false);
             }
             await P.delay(delay);
         } else {
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ function find_next_range({
                     },
                 }))
             }
-        });
+        }, false);
     }
 
     // on normal operation the time_diff to close can be closed within a single MD_AGGREGATOR_INTERVAL
diff --git a/src/server/system_services/system_store.js b/src/server/system_services/system_store.js
index 87a4f28e08..33c8c0bbd6 100644
--- a/src/server/system_services/system_store.js
+++ b/src/server/system_services/system_store.js
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
         this.is_finished_initial_load = false;
         this.START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD = 10 * 60 * 1000;
         this.FORCE_REFRESH_THRESHOLD = 60 * 60 * 1000;
+        this.SYSTEM_STORE_LOAD_CONCURRENCY = config.SYSTEM_STORE_LOAD_CONCURRENCY || 5;
         this._load_serial = new semaphore.Semaphore(1, { warning_timeout: this.START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD });
         for (const col of COLLECTIONS) {
             db_client.instance().define_collection(col);
@@ -393,17 +394,21 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
         if (this.data) {
             load_time = this.data.time;
         }
+        let res;
         const since_load = Date.now() - load_time;
         if (since_load < this.START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD) {
-            return this.data;
+            res = this.data;
         } else if (since_load < this.FORCE_REFRESH_THRESHOLD) {
             dbg.warn(`system_store.refresh: system_store.data.time > START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD, since_load = ${since_load}, START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD = ${this.START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD}`);
             this.load().catch(_.noop);
-            return this.data;
+            res = this.data;
         } else {
             dbg.warn(`system_store.refresh: system_store.data.time > FORCE_REFRESH_THRESHOLD, since_load = ${since_load}, FORCE_REFRESH_THRESHOLD = ${this.FORCE_REFRESH_THRESHOLD}`);
-            return this.load();
+            res = this.load();
         }
+        //call refresh periodically
+        P.delay_unblocking(this.START_REFRESH_THRESHOLD).then(this.refresh);
+        return res;
     }
 
     async load(since) {
@@ -411,26 +416,29 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
         // because it might not see the latest changes if we don't reload right after make_changes.
         return this._load_serial.surround(async () => {
             try {
-                dbg.log3('SystemStore: loading ...');
+                dbg.log3('SystemStore: loading ... this.last_update_time  =', this.last_update_time, ", since =", since);
+
+                const new_data = new SystemStoreData();
 
                 // If we get a load request with an timestamp older then our last update time
                 // we ensure we load everyting from that timestamp by updating our last_update_time.
                 if (!_.isUndefined(since) && since < this.last_update_time) {
-                    dbg.log0('SystemStore.load: Got load request with a timestamp older then my last update time');
+                    dbg.log0('SystemStore.load: Got load request with a timestamp', since, 'older than my last update time', this.last_update_time);
                     this.last_update_time = since;
                 }
                 this.master_key_manager.load_root_key();
-                const new_data = new SystemStoreData();
                 let millistamp = time_utils.millistamp();
                 await this._register_for_changes();
                 await this._read_new_data_from_db(new_data);
                 const secret = await os_utils.read_server_secret();
                 this._server_secret = secret;
-                dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch took', time_utils.millitook(millistamp));
-                dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch size', size_utils.human_size(JSON.stringify(new_data).length));
-                dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch data', util.inspect(new_data, {
-                    depth: 4
-                }));
+                if (dbg.should_log(1)) { //param should match below logs' level
+                    dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch took', time_utils.millitook(millistamp));
+                    dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch size', size_utils.human_size(JSON.stringify(new_data).length));
+                    dbg.log1('SystemStore: fetch data', util.inspect(new_data, {
+                        depth: 4
+                    }));
+                }
                 this.old_db_data = this._update_data_from_new(this.old_db_data || {}, new_data);
                 this.data = _.cloneDeep(this.old_db_data);
                 millistamp = time_utils.millistamp();
@@ -506,7 +514,7 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
             }
         };
         await db_client.instance().connect();
-        await P.map(COLLECTIONS, async col => {
+        await P.map_with_concurrency(this.SYSTEM_STORE_LOAD_CONCURRENCY, COLLECTIONS, async col => {
             const res = await db_client.instance().collection(col.name)
                 .find(newly_updated_query, {
                     projection: { last_update: 0 }
@@ -598,7 +606,7 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
      * @property {Object} [remove]
      *
      */
-    async make_changes(changes) {
+    async make_changes(changes, publish = true) {
         // Refreshing must be done outside the semapore lock because refresh
         // might call load that is locking on the same semaphore.
         await this.refresh();
@@ -611,7 +619,7 @@ class SystemStore extends EventEmitter {
         if (any_news) {
             if (this.is_standalone) {
                 await this.load(last_update);
-            } else {
+            } else if (publish) {
                 // notify all the cluster (including myself) to reload
                 await server_rpc.client.redirector.publish_to_cluster({
                     method_api: 'server_inter_process_api',