diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 413bab59e..2253f1a90 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ binaries/*deb
 binaries/*rpm
 tools/eventslog_reader_sample
 src/proxysql-save.cfg
+src/*log*
 
 proxysql-2.0.0/
 docker/images/proxysql/rhel-compliant/rpmmacros
diff --git a/include/Base_Session.h b/include/Base_Session.h
index ccf8aba5f..5dc818ed9 100644
--- a/include/Base_Session.h
+++ b/include/Base_Session.h
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ class Base_Session {
 	 */
 	void housekeeping_before_pkts();
 	virtual void create_new_session_and_reset_connection(DS *_myds) = 0;
+
+
+
 };
 
 #endif // CLASS_BASE_SESSION_H
diff --git a/include/Base_Thread.h b/include/Base_Thread.h
index 3ae475a76..5992caecb 100644
--- a/include/Base_Thread.h
+++ b/include/Base_Thread.h
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ class Base_Thread {
 	template<typename T> void ProcessAllMyDS_BeforePoll();
 	template<typename T, typename S> void run_SetAllSession_ToProcess0();
 
+
+#if ENABLE_TIMER
+	// for now this is not accessible via Admin/Prometheus , thus useful only with gdb
+	struct {
+		TimerCount Sessions_Handlers;
+		TimerCount Connections_Handlers;
+	} Timers;
+#endif // ENABLE_TIMER
+
 	friend class MySQL_Thread;
 	friend class PgSQL_Thread;
 };
diff --git a/include/proxysql_debug.h b/include/proxysql_debug.h
index bf9fa013c..c6416497e 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_debug.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_debug.h
@@ -12,6 +12,38 @@ extern int gdbg;
 #ifndef __PROXYSQL_DEBUG_H
 #define __PROXYSQL_DEBUG_H
 
+#include <chrono>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <atomic>
+
+#include "proxysql_macros.h"
+
+#if ENABLE_TIMER // this is defined in proxysql_macros.h
+class TimerCount {
+	public:
+	std::chrono::duration<double> Timer = std::chrono::seconds(0);
+	unsigned int Count = 0;
+};
+
+class Timer {
+	public:
+		Timer(TimerCount& tc) : totalTime(tc.Timer) {
+			start = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
+			tc.Count++;
+		}
+
+		~Timer() {
+			auto end = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
+			std::chrono::duration<double> elapsed = end - start;
+			totalTime += elapsed;
+		}
+	private:
+		//std::atomic<std::chrono::duration<double>>& totalTime; // If using atomic , use this instead
+		std::chrono::duration<double>& totalTime;
+		std::chrono::time_point<std::chrono::high_resolution_clock> start;
+};
+#endif // ENABLE_TIMER
+
 #ifdef DEBUG
 #define PROXY_TRACE() { proxy_debug(PROXY_DEBUG_GENERIC,10,"TRACE\n"); }
 //#define PROXY_TRACE2() { proxy_info("TRACE\n"); }
diff --git a/include/proxysql_macros.h b/include/proxysql_macros.h
index d7090b1c6..f83cca736 100644
--- a/include/proxysql_macros.h
+++ b/include/proxysql_macros.h
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-
+#ifndef PROXYSQL_MACROS_H
+#define PROXYSQL_MACROS_H
 #define strdup_null(__c) ( __c ? strdup(__c) : __c )
 #define char_malloc (char *)malloc
 #define free_null(__c) { if(__c) { free(__c); __c=NULL; } }
@@ -65,3 +66,8 @@
 # define unlikely(x) !!(x)
 #endif
 #endif /* PROXYSQL_LIKELY */
+
+#ifndef ENABLE_TIMER
+#define ENABLE_TIMER false
+#endif // ENABLE_TIMER
+#endif // PROXYSQL_MACROS_H
diff --git a/lib/PgSQL_Connection.cpp b/lib/PgSQL_Connection.cpp
index 311d7a3ff..f83b6595c 100644
--- a/lib/PgSQL_Connection.cpp
+++ b/lib/PgSQL_Connection.cpp
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@ PgSQL_Connection_Placeholder::PgSQL_Connection_Placeholder() {
 	}
 
 	options.client_flag = 0;
+	options.server_capabilities = 0;
 	options.compression_min_length=0;
 	options.server_version=NULL;
 	options.last_set_autocommit=-1;	// -1 = never set
@@ -3025,6 +3026,9 @@ void PgSQL_Connection::next_event(PG_ASYNC_ST new_st) {
 
 
 PG_ASYNC_ST PgSQL_Connection::handler(short event) {
+#if ENABLE_TIMER
+	Timer timer(myds->sess->thread->Timers.Connections_Handlers);
+#endif // ENABLE_TIMER
 	unsigned long long processed_bytes = 0;	// issue #527 : this variable will store the amount of bytes processed during this event
 	if (pgsql_conn == NULL) {
 		// it is the first time handler() is being called
diff --git a/lib/PgSQL_Session.cpp b/lib/PgSQL_Session.cpp
index b2560f686..ff39f1e57 100644
--- a/lib/PgSQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/PgSQL_Session.cpp
@@ -4389,6 +4389,9 @@ void PgSQL_Session::handler_rc0_Process_GTID(PgSQL_Connection* myconn) {
 }
 
 int PgSQL_Session::handler() {
+#if ENABLE_TIMER
+	Timer timer(thread->Timers.Sessions_Handlers);
+#endif // ENABLE_TIMER
 	int handler_ret = 0;
 	bool prepared_stmt_with_no_params = false;
 	bool wrong_pass = false;
diff --git a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
index 61de0b506..d1088fc12 100644
--- a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
+++ b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
@@ -2512,9 +2512,9 @@ ProxySQL_Admin::ProxySQL_Admin() :
 	variables.web_port_old = variables.web_port;
 	variables.web_verbosity = 0;
 	variables.p_memory_metrics_interval = 61;
+	all_modules_started = false;
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	variables.debug=GloVars.global.gdbg;
-	all_modules_started = false;
 	debug_output = 1;
 	proxysql_set_admin_debug_output(debug_output);
 #endif /* DEBUG */
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 377227d06..f38ebee6f 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ using json = nlohmann::json;
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 
 #include <uuid/uuid.h>
+#include <atomic>
 
 /*
 extern "C" MySQL_LDAP_Authentication * create_MySQL_LDAP_Authentication_func() {
@@ -61,6 +62,14 @@ using std::string;
 using std::vector;
 
 
+void sleep_iter(unsigned int iter) {
+	usleep(50*iter);
+#ifdef RUNNING_ON_VALGRIND
+	usleep((1000+rand()%1000)*iter);
+#endif // RUNNING_ON_VALGRIND
+}
+
+
 volatile create_MySQL_LDAP_Authentication_t * create_MySQL_LDAP_Authentication = NULL;
 void * __mysql_ldap_auth;
 
@@ -408,7 +417,7 @@ using namespace std;
 //__cmd_proxysql_config_file=NULL;
 #define MAX_EVENTS 100
 
-static volatile int load_;
+std::atomic<int> load_;
 
 //__thread l_sfp *__thr_sfp=NULL;
 //#ifdef DEBUG
@@ -474,8 +483,9 @@ void * mysql_worker_thread_func(void *arg) {
 	worker->init();
 //	worker->poll_listener_add(listen_fd);
 //	worker->poll_listener_add(socket_fd);
-	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&load_,1);
-	do { usleep(50); } while (load_);
+	load_ -= 1;
+	unsigned int iter = 0;
+	do { sleep_iter(++iter); } while (load_);
 
 	worker->run();
 	//delete worker;
@@ -505,8 +515,9 @@ void * mysql_worker_thread_func_idles(void *arg) {
 	worker->init();
 //	worker->poll_listener_add(listen_fd);
 //	worker->poll_listener_add(socket_fd);
-	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&load_,1);
-	do { usleep(50); } while (load_);
+	load_ -= 1;
+	unsigned int iter = 0;
+	do { sleep_iter(++iter); } while (load_);
 
 	worker->run();
 	//delete worker;
@@ -537,8 +548,9 @@ void* pgsql_worker_thread_func(void* arg) {
 	worker->init();
 	//	worker->poll_listener_add(listen_fd);
 	//	worker->poll_listener_add(socket_fd);
-	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&load_, 1);
-	do { usleep(50); } while (load_);
+	load_ -= 1;
+	unsigned int iter = 0;
+	do { sleep_iter(++iter); } while (load_);
 
 	worker->run();
 	//delete worker;
@@ -568,8 +580,9 @@ void* pgsql_worker_thread_func_idles(void* arg) {
 	worker->init();
 	//	worker->poll_listener_add(listen_fd);
 	//	worker->poll_listener_add(socket_fd);
-	__sync_fetch_and_sub(&load_, 1);
-	do { usleep(50); } while (load_);
+	load_ -= 1;
+	unsigned int iter = 0;
+	do { sleep_iter(++iter); } while (load_);
 
 	worker->run();
 	//delete worker;
@@ -1331,11 +1344,8 @@ void ProxySQL_Main_init_phase3___start_all() {
 #endif
 	}
 
-	do { /* nothing */
-#ifdef DEBUG
-		usleep(5+rand()%10);
-#endif
-	} while (load_ != 1);
+	unsigned int iter = 0;
+	do { sleep_iter(++iter); } while (load_ != 1);
 	load_ = 0;
 	__sync_fetch_and_add(&GloMTH->status_variables.threads_initialized, 1);