diff --git a/src/block/manager.rs b/src/block/manager.rs
index 5bad34d4..d18d3f4c 100644
--- a/src/block/manager.rs
+++ b/src/block/manager.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ pub struct BlockManager {
 	data_fsync: bool,
 	compression_level: Option<i32>,
 
-	mutation_lock: [Mutex<BlockManagerLocked>; 256],
+	mutation_lock: Vec<Mutex<BlockManagerLocked>>,
 
 	pub(crate) rc: BlockRc,
 	pub resync: BlockResyncManager,
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ pub struct BlockResyncErrorInfo {
 	pub next_try: u64,
 }
 
+// The number of different mutexes used to parallelize write access to data blocks
+const MUTEX_COUNT: usize = 256;
+
 // This custom struct contains functions that must only be ran
 // when the lock is held. We ensure that it is the case by storing
 // it INSIDE a Mutex.
@@ -124,21 +127,24 @@ impl BlockManager {
 		compression_level: Option<i32>,
 		replication: TableShardedReplication,
 		system: Arc<System>,
-	) -> Arc<Self> {
-		// TODO don't panic, report error
+	) -> Result<Arc<Self>, Error> {
+		// Load or compute layout, i.e. assignment of data blocks to the different data directories
 		let layout_persister: Persister<DataLayout> =
 			Persister::new(&system.metadata_dir, "data_layout");
 		let data_layout = match layout_persister.load() {
 			Ok(mut layout) => {
-				layout.update(&data_dir).expect("invalid data_dir config");
+				layout
+					.update(&data_dir)
+					.ok_or_message("invalid data_dir config")?;
 				layout
 			}
-			Err(_) => DataLayout::initialize(&data_dir).expect("invalid data_dir config"),
+			Err(_) => DataLayout::initialize(&data_dir).ok_or_message("invalid data_dir config")?,
 		};
 		layout_persister
 			.save(&data_layout)
 			.expect("cannot save data_layout");
 
+		// Open metadata tables
 		let rc = db
 			.open_tree("block_local_rc")
 			.expect("Unable to open block_local_rc tree");
@@ -165,7 +171,10 @@ impl BlockManager {
 			data_layout,
 			data_fsync,
 			compression_level,
-			mutation_lock: [(); 256].map(|_| Mutex::new(BlockManagerLocked())),
+			mutation_lock: vec![(); MUTEX_COUNT]
+				.iter()
+				.map(|_| Mutex::new(BlockManagerLocked()))
+				.collect::<Vec<_>>(),
 			rc,
 			resync,
 			system,
@@ -177,7 +186,7 @@ impl BlockManager {
 		block_manager.endpoint.set_handler(block_manager.clone());
 		block_manager.scrub_persister.set_with(|_| ()).unwrap();
 
-		block_manager
+		Ok(block_manager)
 	}
 
 	pub fn spawn_workers(self: &Arc<Self>, bg: &BackgroundRunner) {
@@ -224,44 +233,10 @@ impl BlockManager {
 		hash: &Hash,
 		order_tag: Option<OrderTag>,
 	) -> Result<(DataBlockHeader, ByteStream), Error> {
-		let who = self.replication.read_nodes(hash);
-		let who = self.system.rpc.request_order(&who);
-
-		for node in who.iter() {
-			let node_id = NodeID::from(*node);
-			let rpc = self.endpoint.call_streaming(
-				&node_id,
-				BlockRpc::GetBlock(*hash, order_tag),
-				PRIO_NORMAL | PRIO_SECONDARY,
-			);
-			tokio::select! {
-				res = rpc => {
-					let res = match res {
-						Ok(res) => res,
-						Err(e) => {
-							debug!("Node {:?} returned error: {}", node, e);
-							continue;
-						}
-					};
-					let (header, stream) = match res.into_parts() {
-						(Ok(BlockRpc::PutBlock { hash: _, header }), Some(stream)) => (header, stream),
-						_ => {
-							debug!("Node {:?} returned a malformed response", node);
-							continue;
-						}
-					};
-					return Ok((header, stream));
-				}
-				_ = tokio::time::sleep(self.system.rpc.rpc_timeout()) => {
-					debug!("Node {:?} didn't return block in time, trying next.", node);
-				}
-			};
-		}
-
-		Err(Error::Message(format!(
-			"Unable to read block {:?}: no node returned a valid block",
-			hash
-		)))
+		self.rpc_get_raw_block_internal(hash, order_tag, |header, stream| async move {
+			Ok((header, stream))
+		})
+		.await
 	}
 
 	/// Ask nodes that might have a (possibly compressed) block for it
@@ -271,6 +246,24 @@ impl BlockManager {
 		hash: &Hash,
 		order_tag: Option<OrderTag>,
 	) -> Result<DataBlock, Error> {
+		self.rpc_get_raw_block_internal(hash, order_tag, |header, stream| async move {
+			read_stream_to_end(stream)
+				.await
+				.map(|data| DataBlock::from_parts(header, data))
+		})
+		.await
+	}
+
+	async fn rpc_get_raw_block_internal<F, Fut, T>(
+		&self,
+		hash: &Hash,
+		order_tag: Option<OrderTag>,
+		f: F,
+	) -> Result<T, Error>
+	where
+		F: Fn(DataBlockHeader, ByteStream) -> Fut,
+		Fut: futures::Future<Output = Result<T, Error>>,
+	{
 		let who = self.replication.read_nodes(hash);
 		let who = self.system.rpc.request_order(&who);
 
@@ -297,13 +290,17 @@ impl BlockManager {
 							continue;
 						}
 					};
-					match read_stream_to_end(stream).await {
-						Ok(bytes) => return Ok(DataBlock::from_parts(header, bytes)),
+					match f(header, stream).await {
+						Ok(ret) => return Ok(ret),
 						Err(e) => {
 							debug!("Error reading stream from node {:?}: {}", node, e);
 						}
 					}
 				}
+				// TODO: sleep less long (fail early), initiate a second request earlier
+				// if the first one doesn't succeed rapidly
+				// TODO: keep first request running when initiating a new one and take the
+				// one that finishes earlier
 				_ = tokio::time::sleep(self.system.rpc.rpc_timeout()) => {
 					debug!("Node {:?} didn't return block in time, trying next.", node);
 				}
@@ -680,11 +677,6 @@ impl StreamingEndpointHandler<BlockRpc> for BlockManager {
 	}
 }
 
-pub(crate) struct BlockStatus {
-	pub(crate) exists: bool,
-	pub(crate) needed: RcEntry,
-}
-
 impl BlockManagerLocked {
 	async fn write_block(
 		&self,
diff --git a/src/model/garage.rs b/src/model/garage.rs
index d6eebfb0..721d5e3a 100644
--- a/src/model/garage.rs
+++ b/src/model/garage.rs
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ impl Garage {
 			config.compression_level,
 			data_rep_param,
 			system.clone(),
-		);
+		)?;
 		block_manager.register_bg_vars(&mut bg_vars);
 
 		// ---- admin tables ----