diff --git a/src/leveled_cdb.erl b/src/leveled_cdb.erl
index 5c56433..40d564c 100644
--- a/src/leveled_cdb.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_cdb.erl
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@
 -define(DELETE_TIMEOUT, 10000).
 -define(TIMING_SAMPLECOUNTDOWN, 1000).
 -define(TIMING_SAMPLESIZE, 100).
+-define(MAX_OBJECT_SIZE, 1000000000). 
+    % 1GB but really should be much smaller than this
 
 -record(state, {hashtree,
                 last_position :: integer() | undefined,
@@ -464,7 +466,8 @@ writer({put_kv, Key, Value}, _From, State) ->
                     Value,
                     {State#state.last_position, State#state.hashtree},
                     State#state.binary_mode,
-                    State#state.max_size),
+                    State#state.max_size,
+                    State#state.last_key == empty),
     case Result of
         roll ->
             %% Key and value could not be written
@@ -891,7 +894,7 @@ open_active_file(FileName) when is_list(FileName) ->
 
 -spec put(list()|file:io_device(), 
             any(), any(), 
-            {integer(), ets:tid()}, boolean(), integer())
+            {integer(), ets:tid()}, boolean(), integer(), boolean())
                             -> roll|{file:io_device(), integer(), ets:tid()}.
 %% @doc
 %% put(Handle, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashDict}) -> {NewPosition, KeyDict}
@@ -903,20 +906,28 @@ put(FileName,
         Value,
         {LastPosition, HashTree},
         BinaryMode,
-        MaxSize) when is_list(FileName) ->
+        MaxSize,
+        IsEmpty) when is_list(FileName) ->
     {ok, Handle} = file:open(FileName, ?WRITE_OPS),
-    put(Handle, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree}, BinaryMode, MaxSize);
-put(Handle, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree}, BinaryMode, MaxSize) ->
+    put(Handle, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree}, 
+        BinaryMode, MaxSize, IsEmpty);
+put(Handle, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree}, 
+        BinaryMode, MaxSize, IsEmpty) ->
     Bin = key_value_to_record({Key, Value}, BinaryMode),
-    PotentialNewSize = LastPosition + byte_size(Bin),
-    if
-        PotentialNewSize > MaxSize ->
+    ObjectSize = byte_size(Bin),
+    SizeWithinReason = ObjectSize < ?MAX_OBJECT_SIZE,
+    PotentialNewSize = LastPosition + ObjectSize,
+    case {IsEmpty, PotentialNewSize > MaxSize} of
+        {false, true} ->
             roll;
-        true ->
-            ok = file:pwrite(Handle, LastPosition, Bin),
-            {Handle,
-                PotentialNewSize,
-                put_hashtree(Key, LastPosition, HashTree)}
+        _ ->
+            if
+                SizeWithinReason ->
+                    ok = file:pwrite(Handle, LastPosition, Bin),
+                    {Handle,
+                        PotentialNewSize,
+                        put_hashtree(Key, LastPosition, HashTree)}
+            end
     end.
 
 
@@ -1860,7 +1871,7 @@ create(FileName,KeyValueList) ->
 %% should be taken from the startup options not the default
 put(FileName, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree}) ->
     put(FileName, Key, Value, {LastPosition, HashTree},
-            ?BINARY_MODE, ?MAX_FILE_SIZE).
+            ?BINARY_MODE, ?MAX_FILE_SIZE, false).
 
 
 dump(FileName) ->
diff --git a/src/leveled_iclerk.erl b/src/leveled_iclerk.erl
index 3f71933..ed7a8f3 100644
--- a/src/leveled_iclerk.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_iclerk.erl
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ clerk_trim(Pid, Inker, PersistedSQN) ->
 %% of the hastable in the CDB file - so that the file is not blocked during
 %% this calculation
 clerk_hashtablecalc(HashTree, StartPos, CDBpid) ->
-    {ok, Clerk} = gen_server:start(?MODULE, [#iclerk_options{}], []),
+    {ok, Clerk} = gen_server:start_link(?MODULE, [#iclerk_options{}], []),
     gen_server:cast(Clerk, {hashtable_calc, HashTree, StartPos, CDBpid}).
 
 -spec clerk_stop(pid()) -> ok.
diff --git a/test/end_to_end/basic_SUITE.erl b/test/end_to_end/basic_SUITE.erl
index 32991d4..a2e105e 100644
--- a/test/end_to_end/basic_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/end_to_end/basic_SUITE.erl
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
             load_and_count_withdelete/1,
             space_clear_ondelete/1,
             is_empty_test/1,
-            many_put_fetch_switchcompression/1
+            many_put_fetch_switchcompression/1,
+            bigjournal_littlejournal/1
             ]).
 
 all() -> [
@@ -22,7 +23,8 @@ all() -> [
             load_and_count_withdelete,
             space_clear_ondelete,
             is_empty_test,
-            many_put_fetch_switchcompression
+            many_put_fetch_switchcompression,
+            bigjournal_littlejournal
             ].
 
 
@@ -111,6 +113,32 @@ many_put_fetch_head(_Config) ->
     testutil:check_formissingobject(Bookie3, "Bookie1", "MissingKey0123"),
     ok = leveled_bookie:book_destroy(Bookie3).
 
+bigjournal_littlejournal(_Config) ->
+    RootPath = testutil:reset_filestructure(),
+    StartOpts1 = [{root_path, RootPath},
+                    {max_journalsize, 50000000},
+                    {max_pencillercachesize, 32000},
+                    {sync_strategy, testutil:sync_strategy()},
+                    {compression_point, on_compact}],
+    {ok, Bookie1} = leveled_bookie:book_start(StartOpts1),
+    ObjL1 = 
+        testutil:generate_objects(100, 1, [], 
+                                    leveled_rand:rand_bytes(10000), 
+                                    fun() -> [] end, <<"B">>),
+    testutil:riakload(Bookie1, ObjL1),
+    ok = leveled_bookie:book_close(Bookie1),
+    StartOpts2 = lists:ukeysort(1, [{max_journalsize, 5000}|StartOpts1]),
+    {ok, Bookie2} = leveled_bookie:book_start(StartOpts2),
+    ObjL2 = 
+        testutil:generate_objects(10, 1000, [], 
+                                    leveled_rand:rand_bytes(10000), 
+                                    fun() -> [] end, <<"B">>),
+    testutil:riakload(Bookie2, ObjL2),
+    testutil:check_forlist(Bookie2, ObjL1),
+    testutil:check_forlist(Bookie2, ObjL2),
+    ok = leveled_bookie:book_destroy(Bookie2).
+    
+
 journal_compaction(_Config) ->
     journal_compaction_tester(false, 3600),
     journal_compaction_tester(false, undefined),
diff --git a/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl b/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
index e7940d8..83c3de3 100644
--- a/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/end_to_end/iterator_SUITE.erl
@@ -163,7 +163,20 @@ small_load_with2i(_Config) ->
         {foldobjects_bybucket, ?RIAK_TAG, "Bucket", all, {SumIntFun, 0}, true},
     {async, Sum1} = leveled_bookie:book_returnfolder(Bookie1, BucketObjQ),
     Total1 = Sum1(),
-    true = Total1 > 100000, 
+    io:format("Total from summing all I is ~w~n", [Total1]),
+    SumFromObjLFun = 
+        fun(Obj, Acc) ->
+            {I, _Bin} = testutil:get_value_from_objectlistitem(Obj),
+            Acc + I
+        end,
+    ObjL1Total = 
+        lists:foldl(SumFromObjLFun, 0, ObjL1),
+    ChkList1Total = 
+        lists:foldl(SumFromObjLFun, 0, ChkList1),
+    io:format("Total in original object list ~w and from removed list ~w~n", 
+                [ObjL1Total, ChkList1Total]),
+
+    Total1 = ObjL1Total - ChkList1Total, 
     
     ok = leveled_bookie:book_close(Bookie1),
     
diff --git a/test/end_to_end/testutil.erl b/test/end_to_end/testutil.erl
index 8501f25..176c065 100644
--- a/test/end_to_end/testutil.erl
+++ b/test/end_to_end/testutil.erl
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
             foldkeysfun_returnbucket/3,
             sync_strategy/0,
             riak_object/4,
+            get_value_from_objectlistitem/1,
         numbered_key/1,
         fixed_bin_key/1]).
 
@@ -478,6 +479,10 @@ set_object(Bucket, Key, Value, IndexGen, Indexes2Remove) ->
                 vclock=generate_vclock()},
         Spec1}.
 
+get_value_from_objectlistitem({_Int, Obj, _Spc}) ->
+    [Content] = Obj#r_object.contents,
+    Content#r_content.value.
+
 update_some_objects(Bookie, ObjList, SampleSize) ->
     StartWatchA = os:timestamp(),
     ToUpdateList = lists:sublist(lists:sort(ObjList), SampleSize),