diff --git a/src/leveled_bookie.erl b/src/leveled_bookie.erl
index c01281a..5808690 100644
--- a/src/leveled_bookie.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_bookie.erl
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
 
 -include_lib("eunit/include/eunit.hrl").
 
--define(CACHE_SIZE, 2000).
+-define(CACHE_SIZE, 1600).
 -define(JOURNAL_FP, "journal").
 -define(LEDGER_FP, "ledger").
 -define(SHUTDOWN_WAITS, 60).
diff --git a/src/leveled_penciller.erl b/src/leveled_penciller.erl
index bfc2124..3611de7 100644
--- a/src/leveled_penciller.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_penciller.erl
@@ -1520,11 +1520,15 @@ confirm_delete_test() ->
     ?assertMatch(R3, false).
 
 
-maybe_pause_push(R) ->
+maybe_pause_push(PCL, KL) ->
+    R = pcl_pushmem(PCL, KL),
     if
         R == pause ->
             io:format("Pausing push~n"),
-            timer:sleep(1000);
+            timer:sleep(500),
+            ok;
+        R == returned ->
+            maybe_pause_push(PCL, KL);
         true ->
             ok
     end.
@@ -1546,11 +1550,11 @@ simple_server_test() ->
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
     ok = pcl_pushmem(PCL, KL1),
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCL, [Key2])),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCL, [Key2]),
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key2, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0002", "Key0002", null})),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCL, KL2)),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCL, [Key3])),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCL, KL2),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCL, [Key3]),
     
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key2, pcl_fetch(PCL, {o,"Bucket0002", "Key0002", null})),
@@ -1562,9 +1566,9 @@ simple_server_test() ->
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key2, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0002", "Key0002", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key3, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0003", "Key0003", null})),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCLr, KL3)),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCLr, [Key4])),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCLr, KL4)),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCLr, KL3),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCLr, [Key4]),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCLr, KL4),
     ?assertMatch(Key1, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key2, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0002", "Key0002", null})),
     ?assertMatch(Key3, pcl_fetch(PCLr, {o,"Bucket0003", "Key0003", null})),
@@ -1606,8 +1610,8 @@ simple_server_test() ->
     % in a new snapshot
     Key1A = {{o,"Bucket0001", "Key0001", null}, {4002, {active, infinity}, null}},
     KL1A = leveled_sft:generate_randomkeys({4002, 2}),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCLr, [Key1A])),
-    maybe_pause_push(pcl_pushmem(PCLr, KL1A)),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCLr, [Key1A]),
+    ok = maybe_pause_push(PCLr, KL1A),
     ?assertMatch(true, pcl_checksequencenumber(PclSnap,
                                                 {o,
                                                     "Bucket0001",
diff --git a/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl b/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
index d1e3967..f119496 100644
--- a/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ simple_querycount(_Config) ->
                                         Book1,
                                         ?KEY_ONLY),
     ok = leveled_bookie:book_close(Book1),
-    {ok, Book2} = leveled_bookie:book_start(RootPath, 2000, 50000000),
+    {ok, Book2} = leveled_bookie:book_start(RootPath, 1000, 50000000),
     Index1Count = count_termsonindex("Bucket",
                                         "idx1_bin",
                                         Book2,