diff --git a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.cpp
index bde53e4a87..bdd5728246 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ void EntityServer::pruneDeletedEntities() {
     }
 }
 
-void EntityServer::readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject) {
+bool EntityServer::readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject) {
     bool wantEditLogging = false;
     readOptionBool(QString("wantEditLogging"), settingsSectionObject, wantEditLogging);
     qDebug("wantEditLogging=%s", debug::valueOf(wantEditLogging));
@@ -150,4 +150,6 @@ void EntityServer::readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectio
 
     EntityTreePointer tree = std::static_pointer_cast<EntityTree>(_tree);
     tree->setWantEditLogging(wantEditLogging);
+
+    return true;
 }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.h b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.h
index d2be75d05e..114e0e1726 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityServer.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public:
     virtual int sendSpecialPackets(const SharedNodePointer& node, OctreeQueryNode* queryNode, int& packetsSent);
 
     virtual void entityCreated(const EntityItem& newEntity, const SharedNodePointer& senderNode);
-    virtual void readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject);
+    virtual bool readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject) override;
 
 public slots:
     void pruneDeletedEntities();
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeQueryNode.cpp b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeQueryNode.cpp
index c68fb4e1b5..f70ff62f91 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeQueryNode.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeQueryNode.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,8 @@ bool OctreeQueryNode::updateCurrentViewFrustum() {
 
     if (0.0f != getCameraAspectRatio() &&
         0.0f != getCameraNearClip() &&
-        0.0f != getCameraFarClip()) {
+        0.0f != getCameraFarClip() &&
+        getCameraNearClip() != getCameraFarClip()) {
         newestViewFrustum.setProjection(glm::perspective(
             glm::radians(wideFOV), // hack
             getCameraAspectRatio(),
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.cpp
index 0368e8a408..ee0403d57b 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.cpp
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ bool OctreeServer::readOptionString(const QString& optionName, const QJsonObject
     return optionAvailable;
 }
 
-void OctreeServer::readConfiguration() {
+bool OctreeServer::readConfiguration() {
     // if the assignment had a payload, read and parse that
     if (getPayload().size() > 0) {
         parsePayload();
@@ -907,8 +907,11 @@ void OctreeServer::readConfiguration() {
     loop.exec();
 
     if (domainHandler.getSettingsObject().isEmpty()) {
-        qDebug() << "No settings object from domain-server.";
+        qDebug() << "Failed to retreive settings object from domain-server. Bailing on assignment.";
+        setFinished(true);
+        return false;
     }
+
     const QJsonObject& settingsObject = domainHandler.getSettingsObject();
     QString settingsKey = getMyDomainSettingsKey();
     QJsonObject settingsSectionObject = settingsObject[settingsKey].toObject();
@@ -1017,7 +1020,7 @@ void OctreeServer::readConfiguration() {
                     packetsPerSecondTotalMax, _packetsTotalPerInterval);
 
 
-    readAdditionalConfiguration(settingsSectionObject);
+    return readAdditionalConfiguration(settingsSectionObject);
 }
 
 void OctreeServer::run() {
@@ -1043,7 +1046,9 @@ void OctreeServer::run() {
     commonInit(getMyLoggingServerTargetName(), getMyNodeType());
 
     // read the configuration from either the payload or the domain server configuration
-    readConfiguration();
+    if (!readConfiguration()) {
+        return; // bailing on run, because readConfiguration failed
+    }
 
     beforeRun(); // after payload has been processed
 
@@ -1333,19 +1338,22 @@ void OctreeServer::sendStatsPacket() {
     QJsonObject statsObject2;
     statsObject2["data"] = dataObject1;
     statsObject2["timing"] = timingArray1;
-    
-    // Stats Object 3
+
     QJsonObject dataArray2;
-    dataArray2["1. packetQueue"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->packetsToProcessCount();
-    dataArray2["2. totalPackets"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getTotalPacketsProcessed();
-    dataArray2["3. totalElements"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getTotalElementsProcessed();
-    
     QJsonObject timingArray2;
-    timingArray2["1. avgTransitTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageTransitTimePerPacket();
-    timingArray2["2. avgProcessTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageProcessTimePerPacket();
-    timingArray2["3. avgLockWaitTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageLockWaitTimePerPacket();
-    timingArray2["4. avgProcessTimePerElement"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageProcessTimePerElement();
-    timingArray2["5. avgLockWaitTimePerElement"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageLockWaitTimePerElement();
+
+    // Stats Object 3
+    if (_octreeInboundPacketProcessor) {
+        dataArray2["1. packetQueue"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->packetsToProcessCount();
+        dataArray2["2. totalPackets"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getTotalPacketsProcessed();
+        dataArray2["3. totalElements"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getTotalElementsProcessed();
+
+        timingArray2["1. avgTransitTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageTransitTimePerPacket();
+        timingArray2["2. avgProcessTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageProcessTimePerPacket();
+        timingArray2["3. avgLockWaitTimePerPacket"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageLockWaitTimePerPacket();
+        timingArray2["4. avgProcessTimePerElement"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageProcessTimePerElement();
+        timingArray2["5. avgLockWaitTimePerElement"] = (double)_octreeInboundPacketProcessor->getAverageLockWaitTimePerElement();
+    }
     
     QJsonObject statsObject3;
     statsObject3["data"] = dataArray2;
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.h b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.h
index 64903ee558..b8e4a5c261 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/octree/OctreeServer.h
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ protected:
     bool readOptionBool(const QString& optionName, const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject, bool& result);
     bool readOptionInt(const QString& optionName, const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject, int& result);
     bool readOptionString(const QString& optionName, const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject, QString& result);
-    void readConfiguration();
-    virtual void readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject) { };
+    bool readConfiguration();
+    virtual bool readAdditionalConfiguration(const QJsonObject& settingsSectionObject) { return true;  };
     void parsePayload();
     void initHTTPManager(int port);
     void resetSendingStats();
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
index a5df256e29..aee2805f32 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void ThreadedAssignment::commonInit(const QString& targetName, NodeType_t nodeTy
     auto nodeList = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>();
     nodeList->setOwnerType(nodeType);
 
-    _domainServerTimer = new QTimer();
+    _domainServerTimer = new QTimer(this);
     connect(_domainServerTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(checkInWithDomainServerOrExit()));
     _domainServerTimer->start(DOMAIN_SERVER_CHECK_IN_MSECS);