diff --git a/src/engine/sql/PostgresBackend.c b/src/engine/sql/PostgresBackend.c
index cd516649c8..082197694f 100644
--- a/src/engine/sql/PostgresBackend.c
+++ b/src/engine/sql/PostgresBackend.c
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ pgendStoreAllTransactions (PGBackend *be, AccountGroup *grp)
  *    If this routine finds a pre-existing transaction in the engine,
  *    and the version of last modification of this transaction is 
  *    equal to or *newer* then what the DB holds, then this routine
- *    returns 0 if equal, and +1 if newr, and does *not* perform any 
+ *    returns 0 if equal, and +1 if newer, and does *not* perform any 
  *    update.  (Note that 0 is returned for various error conditions.
  *    Thus, testing for 0 is a bad idea.  This is a hack, and should
  *    probably be fixed.
@@ -1322,6 +1322,7 @@ query_cb (PGBackend *be, PGresult *result, int j, gpointer data)
    {
       if (guid_equal ((GUID *)node->data, trans_guid)) 
       {
+         xaccGUIDFree (trans_guid);
          return xaction_list;
       }
    }
@@ -1366,13 +1367,13 @@ pgendFillOutToCheckpoint (PGBackend *be, const char *query_string)
          GList *split_list, *snode;
          Timespec ts;
          Transaction *trans;
-         int found = 0;
 
          trans = xaccTransLookup (trans_guid);
          ts = xaccTransRetDatePostedTS (trans);
          split_list = xaccTransGetSplitList (trans);
          for (snode=split_list; snode; snode=snode->next)
          {
+            int found = 0;
             Split *s = (Split *) snode->data;
             Account *acc = xaccSplitGetAccount (s);
 
diff --git a/src/engine/sql/README b/src/engine/sql/README
index a2496bdc87..49d45f1618 100644
--- a/src/engine/sql/README
+++ b/src/engine/sql/README
@@ -238,6 +238,9 @@ access).
    this is a waste of time. This occurs primarily for transaction 
    memos, I think.
 
+-- minor optimization: keeping an iguid cache will avoid sql queries.
+   also caching the count for single-user mode would be good
+
 To Be Done, Part II
 -------------------
 This list only affects the multi-user and advanced/optional features.
@@ -245,8 +248,8 @@ This list only affects the multi-user and advanced/optional features.
 Most of the items on this list are 'critical' in the sense that
 multi-user mode is fundamentally broken unless they are fixed. 
 
--- bug: if user modifies entry, account starting balances are
-   set incorrectly.
+-- multi-user mode says 'not saved, save?' we keep clearing this flag,
+   when is it getting set ???
 
 -- modify checkpoint computation to always occur on fixed dates.
    Failure to do so causes the fill-out algorithm to pull in all 
@@ -318,6 +321,13 @@ multi-user mode is fundamentally broken unless they are fixed.
 -- review & match up against docs at 
    http://www.lupercalia.net/gnc-db/
 
+-- nice-to-have performance improvement:
+   many queries are needlessly duplicated, even in multi-user mode.
+   They are duplicated just in case some other user has modified
+   the data.  But if we last checked just a few seconds ago,
+   we don't really need to update, not yet.  We can wait a few 
+   seconds ...  doing this uniformly can cut down on sql traffic.
+
 -- use version numbers for commodities.  Right now, multi-user
    updates of commodities are not detected (this seem OK for
    now, since this is a rare occurrence, right ???)
diff --git a/src/engine/sql/checkpoint.c b/src/engine/sql/checkpoint.c
index e70d2eed52..2ee7bdc7a5 100644
--- a/src/engine/sql/checkpoint.c
+++ b/src/engine/sql/checkpoint.c
@@ -302,11 +302,19 @@ pgendTransactionRecomputeCheckpoints (PGBackend *be, Transaction *trans)
  * Then we fill in the balance fields for the returned query.
  */
 
+static gpointer 
+get_checkpoint_cb (PGBackend *be, PGresult *result, int j, gpointer data)
+{
+   Checkpoint *chk = (Checkpoint *) data;
+   chk->balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("baln", j));
+   chk->cleared_balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("cleared_baln", j));
+   chk->reconciled_balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("reconed_baln", j));
+   return data;
+}
+
 static void
 pgendAccountGetCheckpoint (PGBackend *be, Checkpoint *chk)
 {
-   PGresult *result;
-   int i, nrows;
    char * p;
 
    if (!be || !chk) return;
@@ -327,34 +335,7 @@ pgendAccountGetCheckpoint (PGBackend *be, Checkpoint *chk)
    p = stpcpy (p, "';");
    SEND_QUERY (be,be->buff, );
 
-   i=0; nrows=0;
-   do {
-      GET_RESULTS (be->connection, result);
-      {
-         int j=0, jrows;
-         int ncols = PQnfields (result);
-         jrows = PQntuples (result);
-         nrows += jrows;
-         PINFO ("query result %d has %d rows and %d cols",
-            i, nrows, ncols);
-
-         if (1 < nrows) 
-         {
-            PERR ("excess data");
-            PQclear (result);
-            return;
-         }
-         if (0 < nrows )
-         {
-            chk->balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("baln", j));
-            chk->cleared_balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("cleared_baln", j));
-            chk->reconciled_balance = atoll(DB_GET_VAL("reconed_baln", j));
-         }
-      }
-
-      PQclear (result);
-      i++;
-   } while (result);
+   pgendGetResults (be, get_checkpoint_cb, chk);
 
    LEAVE("be=%p", be);
 }
@@ -388,6 +369,10 @@ pgendAccountGetBalance (PGBackend *be, Account *acc, Timespec as_of_date)
    /* get the checkpoint */
    pgendAccountGetCheckpoint (be, &chk);
 
+/* hack alert --- xxxxxxxxxx I think we need to tot up all entries
+since the end of the checkpoint too */
+
+
    /* set the account balances */
    deno = gnc_commodity_get_fraction (com);
    baln = gnc_numeric_create (chk.balance, deno);
@@ -396,8 +381,13 @@ pgendAccountGetBalance (PGBackend *be, Account *acc, Timespec as_of_date)
 
    xaccAccountSetStartingBalance (acc, baln,
                                      cleared_baln, reconciled_baln);
-   LEAVE("be=%p baln=%lld/%lld clr=%lld/%lld rcn=%lld/%lld", be, 
+   {
+   char buf[80];
+   gnc_timespec_to_iso8601_buff (as_of_date, buf);
+   LEAVE("be=%p %s %s baln=%lld/%lld clr=%lld/%lld rcn=%lld/%lld", be, 
+     xaccAccountGetDescription (acc), buf,
      chk.balance, deno, chk.cleared_balance, deno, chk.reconciled_balance, deno);
+   }
 
    return chk.date_start;
 }
diff --git a/src/engine/sql/kvp-sql.c b/src/engine/sql/kvp-sql.c
index 904bbeb97f..a89f8b1f5c 100644
--- a/src/engine/sql/kvp-sql.c
+++ b/src/engine/sql/kvp-sql.c
@@ -348,7 +348,6 @@ pgendKVPStore (PGBackend *be, const GUID *guid, kvp_frame *kf)
  * and poke them into our local cache.
  */
 
-
 static gpointer 
 path_loader (PGBackend *be, PGresult *result, int j, gpointer data)
 {
@@ -363,6 +362,16 @@ pgendKVPInit (PGBackend *be)
 {
    char *p;
 
+   /* don't re-init multiple times in single-user mode.
+    * Once is enough.  But in multi-user mode, we need to
+    * check constantly, since other users may have added
+    * more paths. 
+    */
+   if (((MODE_SINGLE_UPDATE == be->session_mode) || 
+        (MODE_SINGLE_FILE   == be->session_mode)) &&
+        (0 < be->ipath_max)) return;
+
+   /* get new paths out of the database */
    p = be->buff; *p=0;
    p = stpcpy (p, "SELECT * FROM gncPathCache WHERE ipath > ");
    p += sprintf (p, "%d", be->ipath_max);