diff --git a/tig-benchmarker/Cargo.toml b/tig-benchmarker/Cargo.toml
index 4ccf0b3b..01b5bdf3 100644
--- a/tig-benchmarker/Cargo.toml
+++ b/tig-benchmarker/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ repository.workspace = true
 edition.workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
-anyhow = "1.0.81"
 futures = { version = "0.3.30" }
 gloo-timers = { version = "0.3.0", optional = true, features = ["futures"] }
 js-sys = { version = "0.3.68", optional = true }
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ rand_distr = { version = "0.4.3", default-features = false, features = [
     "alloc",
 ] }
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
-serde_json = { version = "1.0.113", features = ["preserve_order"] }
 serde-wasm-bindgen = { version = "0.6.5", optional = true }
 tig-api = { path = "../tig-api" }
 tig-structs = { path = "../tig-structs" }
diff --git a/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/mod.rs b/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/mod.rs
index 47719e15..7d579af5 100644
--- a/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/mod.rs
+++ b/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/mod.rs
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ async fn run_once(num_workers: u32, ms_per_benchmark: u32) -> Result<()> {
     .await;
     {
         let mut state = state().lock().await;
-        let now = time();
         (*state).time_left = Some(Timer::new(ms_per_benchmark as u64));
     }
     loop {
@@ -267,6 +266,8 @@ async fn run_once(num_workers: u32, ms_per_benchmark: u32) -> Result<()> {
     {
         // workers exit when iter returns None
         (*(*nonce_iter).lock().await).empty();
+        let mut state = state().lock().await;
+        (*state).time_left = None;
     };
 
     // transfers solutions computed by workers to benchmark state
diff --git a/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/setup_job.rs b/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/setup_job.rs
index 93c6bc4b..0c546dd8 100644
--- a/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/setup_job.rs
+++ b/tig-benchmarker/src/benchmarker/setup_job.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use rand::{
 };
 use rand_distr::Distribution;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use tig_structs::{config::WasmVMConfig, core::*};
+use tig_structs::core::*;
 use tig_utils::{FrontierOps, PointOps};
 
 pub async fn execute() -> Result<()> {
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub async fn execute() -> Result<()> {
 
 async fn find_settings_to_recompute() -> Result<Option<Job>> {
     let QueryData {
+        latest_block,
         benchmarks,
         proofs,
         frauds,
@@ -76,10 +77,7 @@ async fn find_settings_to_recompute() -> Result<Option<Job>> {
                 settings: benchmark.settings.clone(),
                 solution_signature_threshold: u32::MAX, // is fine unless the player has committed fraud
                 sampled_nonces: Some(sampled_nonces),
-                wasm_vm_config: WasmVMConfig {
-                    max_memory: u64::MAX,
-                    max_fuel: u64::MAX,
-                },
+                wasm_vm_config: latest_block.config().wasm_vm.clone(),
             }));
         }
     }
@@ -93,6 +91,7 @@ async fn pick_settings_to_benchmark() -> Result<Job> {
         ..
     } = &(*state().lock().await);
     let QueryData {
+        latest_block,
         player_data,
         challenges,
         download_urls,
@@ -107,14 +106,14 @@ async fn pick_settings_to_benchmark() -> Result<Job> {
         download_url: get_download_url(&selected_algorithm_id, download_urls)?,
         settings: BenchmarkSettings {
             player_id: player_id().clone(),
-            block_id: query_data.latest_block.id.clone(),
+            block_id: latest_block.id.clone(),
             challenge_id: challenge.id.clone(),
             algorithm_id: selected_algorithm_id,
             difficulty,
         },
         solution_signature_threshold: *challenge.block_data().solution_signature_threshold(),
         sampled_nonces: None,
-        wasm_vm_config: query_data.latest_block.config().wasm_vm.clone(),
+        wasm_vm_config: latest_block.config().wasm_vm.clone(),
     })
 }
 
@@ -124,12 +123,12 @@ fn pick_challenge<'a>(
     challenges: &'a Vec<Challenge>,
     selected_algorithms: &HashMap<String, String>,
 ) -> Result<&'a Challenge> {
-    let num_qualifiers_by_challenge = match &player_data {
-        Some(data) => data
-            .num_qualifiers_by_challenge
-            .clone()
-            .ok_or_else(|| format!("Expecting num_qualifiers_by_challenge"))?,
-        None => HashMap::new(),
+    let num_qualifiers_by_challenge = match player_data
+        .as_ref()
+        .map(|x| x.num_qualifiers_by_challenge.as_ref())
+    {
+        Some(Some(num_qualifiers_by_challenge)) => num_qualifiers_by_challenge.clone(),
+        _ => HashMap::new(),
     };
     let percent_qualifiers_by_challenge: HashMap<String, f64> = challenges
         .iter()
diff --git a/tig-benchmarker/src/lib.rs b/tig-benchmarker/src/lib.rs
index 81ca54b5..2c40f13e 100644
--- a/tig-benchmarker/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tig-benchmarker/src/lib.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ mod exports {
     #[wasm_bindgen]
     pub async fn state() -> JsValue {
         let state = benchmarker::state().lock().await.clone();
-        let value = serde_json::to_value(&state).unwrap();
-        serde_wasm_bindgen::to_value(&value).unwrap()
+        serde_wasm_bindgen::to_value(&state).unwrap()
     }
 
     #[wasm_bindgen]