diff --git a/src/fdb5/remote/Connection.cc b/src/fdb5/remote/Connection.cc
index 2fe76c9c6..0eb998e7b 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/remote/Connection.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/remote/Connection.cc
@@ -76,14 +76,11 @@ void Connection::readUnsafe(bool control, void* data, size_t length) {
         ss << "Read error. Expected " << length << ". Error = " << eckit::Log::syserr;
         throw TCPException(ss.str(), Here());
     }
-    if (length < read) {
+    if (length != read) {
         std::stringstream ss;
         ss << "Read error. Expected " << length << " bytes, read " << read;
         throw TCPException(ss.str(), Here());
     }
-    if (read == 0) {
-        readUnsafe(control,data,length);
-    }
 }
 
 eckit::Buffer Connection::read(bool control, MessageHeader& hdr) {
diff --git a/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc b/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
index 71f683a3e..7562e4ffb 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  */
 
 #include <chrono>
+#include <random>
+#include <thread>
 
 #include "eckit/config/Resource.h"
 #include "eckit/maths/Functions.h"
@@ -264,6 +266,12 @@ void ServerConnection::initialiseConnections() {
         ASSERT(dataSocketFuture.valid());
         dataSocketFuture.wait();
 
+        std::random_device rd;
+        std::mt19937 mt(rd());
+        std::uniform_int_distribution<int> dist(0, 1000);
+        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(dist(rd)));
+
+
         // Check the response from the client.
         // Ensure that the hostname matches the original hostname, and that
         // it returns the details we sent it