diff --git a/index/brand.go b/index/brand.go
index a0f64bbd1..4b562d21b 100644
--- a/index/brand.go
+++ b/index/brand.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package index
 
 import (
+	"math/rand"
 	"time"
 
 	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
@@ -392,10 +393,21 @@ func (self *Brand) Load(requestChan chan Command, f *Fragment) {
 		return
 		//log.Println("Bad mojo")
 	}
+	time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Intn(15)) * time.Second) //trying to avoid mass cassandra hit
+	batch_count := 0
 	for _, k := range keys {
 		request := NewLoadRequest(k)
+		if f.queue_size > 0 {
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+		}
+		if batch_count > 200 {
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+			batch_count = 0
+		}
 		requestChan <- request
 		request.Response()
+		batch_count++
+		//so execute will decrement...GetFragment Increments..since this doesn't call GetFragment it doesn't increment
 
 	}
 }
diff --git a/index/fragment_container.go b/index/fragment_container.go
index 8c6112178..5c1e0ae22 100644
--- a/index/fragment_container.go
+++ b/index/fragment_container.go
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ func (self *FragmentContainer) LoadBitmap(frag_id util.SUUID, bitmap_id uint64,
 }
 
 func (self *FragmentContainer) GetFragment(frag_id util.SUUID) (*Fragment, bool) {
-	//lock
 	c, v := self.fragments[frag_id]
-	//log.Println(self.fragments)
-	//log.Println(c)
+	if v {
+		c.inc()
+	}
 	return c, v
 }
 
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ type Fragment struct {
 	mesg_count  uint64
 	mesg_time   time.Duration
 	exit        chan *sync.WaitGroup
+	queue_size  int
 }
 
 func getStorage(db string, slice int, frame string, fid util.SUUID) Storage {
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ func NewFragment(frag_id util.SUUID, db string, slice int, frame string) *Fragme
 	f.impl = impl //NewGeneral(db, slice, NewMemoryStorage())
 	f.slice = slice
 	f.exit = make(chan *sync.WaitGroup)
+	f.queue_size = 0
 	return f
 }
 
@@ -454,6 +456,15 @@ func (self *Fragment) Load() {
 	self.impl.Load(self.requestChan, self)
 }
 
+func (self *Fragment) inc() {
+	self.queue_size++
+}
+func (self *Fragment) dec() {
+	self.queue_size--
+	if self.queue_size < 0 {
+		self.queue_size = 0
+	}
+}
 func (self *Fragment) ServeFragment() {
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -461,6 +472,10 @@ func (self *Fragment) ServeFragment() {
 			self.mesg_count++
 			start := time.Now()
 			answer := req.Execute(self)
+
+			if req.QueryType() != "LoadRequest" {
+				self.dec()
+			}
 			delta := time.Since(start)
 			self.mesg_count += 1
 			self.mesg_time += delta
diff --git a/index/storage_cass.go b/index/storage_cass.go
index 9d4e37f95..fb318ce3c 100644
--- a/index/storage_cass.go
+++ b/index/storage_cass.go
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ func init() {
 	cluster = gocql.NewCluster(hosts...)
 	cluster.Keyspace = keyspace
 	cluster.Consistency = gocql.One
-	cluster.Timeout = 3 * time.Second
+	cluster.Timeout = 5 * time.Second
+	cluster.RetryPolicy = gocql.RetryPolicy{NumRetries: 10}
 }
 
 func BuildSchema() {