diff --git a/index/firestorm/analysis_test.go b/index/firestorm/analysis_test.go
index 9aab01f4..6764be23 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/analysis_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/analysis_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ func TestAnalysis(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	// warmup to load field cache and set maxRead correctly
-	f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	err = f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		d *document.Document
diff --git a/index/firestorm/dict_updater.go b/index/firestorm/dict_updater.go
index 25cb6df5..38a5e59a 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/dict_updater.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/dict_updater.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (d *DictUpdater) update() {
 	// open a writer
 	writer, err := d.f.store.Writer()
 	if err != nil {
-		writer.Close()
+		_ = writer.Close()
 		logger.Printf("dict updater fatal: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (d *DictUpdater) update() {
 
 	err = writer.ExecuteBatch(wb)
 	if err != nil {
-		writer.Close()
+		_ = writer.Close()
 		logger.Printf("dict updater fatal: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -123,18 +123,19 @@ func (d *DictUpdater) update() {
 // this is not intended to be used publicly, only for unit tests
 // which depend on consistency we no longer provide
 func (d *DictUpdater) waitTasksDone(dur time.Duration) error {
+	initial := atomic.LoadUint64(&d.batchesStarted)
 	timeout := time.After(dur)
 	tick := time.Tick(100 * time.Millisecond)
 	for {
 		select {
 		// Got a timeout! fail with a timeout error
 		case <-timeout:
-			return fmt.Errorf("timeout")
+			flushed := atomic.LoadUint64(&d.batchesFlushed)
+			return fmt.Errorf("timeout, %d/%d", initial, flushed)
 		// Got a tick, we should check on doSomething()
 		case <-tick:
-			started := atomic.LoadUint64(&d.batchesStarted)
 			flushed := atomic.LoadUint64(&d.batchesFlushed)
-			if started == flushed {
+			if flushed > initial {
 				return nil
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/index/firestorm/dump.go b/index/firestorm/dump.go
index c4126d30..b7c222db 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/dump.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/dump.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ import (
 // if your application relies on them, you're doing something wrong
 // they may change or be removed at any time
 
-func (f *Firestorm) dumpPrefix(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, prefix []byte) {
-	visitPrefix(kvreader, prefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
+func (f *Firestorm) dumpPrefix(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, prefix []byte) error {
+	return visitPrefix(kvreader, prefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
 		row, err := parseFromKeyValue(key, val)
 		if err != nil {
 			rv <- err
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ func (f *Firestorm) dumpPrefix(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, pre
 	})
 }
 
-func (f *Firestorm) dumpDoc(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, docID []byte) {
+func (f *Firestorm) dumpDoc(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, docID []byte) error {
 	// without a back index we have no choice but to walk the term freq and stored rows
 
 	// walk the term freqs
-	visitPrefix(kvreader, TermFreqKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
+	err := visitPrefix(kvreader, TermFreqKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
 		tfr, err := NewTermFreqRowKV(key, val)
 		if err != nil {
 			rv <- err
@@ -50,8 +50,12 @@ func (f *Firestorm) dumpDoc(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, docID
 		return true, nil
 	})
 
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// now walk the stored
-	visitPrefix(kvreader, StoredKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
+	err = visitPrefix(kvreader, StoredKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
 		sr, err := NewStoredRowKV(key, val)
 		if err != nil {
 			rv <- err
@@ -62,6 +66,8 @@ func (f *Firestorm) dumpDoc(kvreader store.KVReader, rv chan interface{}, docID
 		}
 		return true, nil
 	})
+
+	return err
 }
 
 func parseFromKeyValue(key, value []byte) (index.IndexRow, error) {
diff --git a/index/firestorm/dump_test.go b/index/firestorm/dump_test.go
index b75ec38f..8fb32f3c 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/dump_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/dump_test.go
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ func TestDump(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected %d rows for document, got %d", expectedDocRowCount, docRowCount)
 	}
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).dictUpdater.waitTasksDone(dictWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).dictUpdater.waitTasksDone(dictWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	// 1 version
 	// fieldsCount field rows
diff --git a/index/firestorm/firestorm.go b/index/firestorm/firestorm.go
index 30dd53e6..5dfdec13 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/firestorm.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/firestorm.go
@@ -90,7 +90,10 @@ func (f *Firestorm) Open() (err error) {
 
 	if !newIndex {
 		// process existing index before opening
-		f.warmup(kvreader)
+		err = f.warmup(kvreader)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	err = kvreader.Close()
@@ -100,7 +103,10 @@ func (f *Firestorm) Open() (err error) {
 
 	if newIndex {
 		// prepare a new index
-		f.bootstrap()
+		err = f.bootstrap()
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	// start the garbage collector
@@ -384,7 +390,11 @@ func (f *Firestorm) DumpAll() chan interface{} {
 			}
 		}()
 
-		f.dumpPrefix(kvreader, rv, nil)
+		err = f.dumpPrefix(kvreader, rv, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			rv <- err
+			return
+		}
 	}()
 	return rv
 }
@@ -407,7 +417,11 @@ func (f *Firestorm) DumpDoc(docID string) chan interface{} {
 			}
 		}()
 
-		f.dumpDoc(kvreader, rv, []byte(docID))
+		err = f.dumpDoc(kvreader, rv, []byte(docID))
+		if err != nil {
+			rv <- err
+			return
+		}
 	}()
 	return rv
 }
@@ -430,7 +444,11 @@ func (f *Firestorm) DumpFields() chan interface{} {
 			}
 		}()
 
-		f.dumpPrefix(kvreader, rv, FieldKeyPrefix)
+		err = f.dumpPrefix(kvreader, rv, FieldKeyPrefix)
+		if err != nil {
+			rv <- err
+			return
+		}
 	}()
 	return rv
 }
diff --git a/index/firestorm/firestorm_test.go b/index/firestorm/firestorm_test.go
index cee49fdc..469f9d25 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/firestorm_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/firestorm_test.go
@@ -115,7 +115,10 @@ func TestIndexInsert(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -168,7 +171,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertThenDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	doc2 := document.NewDocument("2")
 	doc2.AddField(document.NewTextField("name", []uint64{}, []byte("test")))
@@ -178,7 +184,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertThenDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -194,7 +203,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertThenDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount--
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -210,7 +222,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertThenDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount--
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -270,7 +285,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertThenUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Error deleting entry from index: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err := idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -347,7 +365,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err := idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -399,7 +420,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertWithStore(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -605,7 +629,10 @@ func TestIndexBatch(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount := indexReader.DocCount()
 	if docCount != expectedCount {
@@ -683,7 +710,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertUpdateDeleteWithMultipleTypesStored(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	expectedCount++
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -801,7 +831,10 @@ func TestIndexInsertUpdateDeleteWithMultipleTypesStored(t *testing.T) {
 	err = idx.Delete("1")
 	expectedCount--
 
-	idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	err = idx.(*Firestorm).lookuper.waitTasksDone(lookupWaitDuration)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	// expected doc count shouldn't have changed
 	docCount, err = idx.DocCount()
diff --git a/index/firestorm/garbage.go b/index/firestorm/garbage.go
index 0f08dfa6..42a6b999 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/garbage.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/garbage.go
@@ -122,7 +122,11 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) cleanup() {
 		logger.Printf("garbage collector fatal: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
-	defer reader.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		if cerr := reader.Close(); err == nil && cerr != nil {
+			err = cerr
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// walk all the term freq rows (where field > 0)
 	termFreqStart := TermFreqIteratorStart(0, []byte{ByteSeparator})
@@ -176,7 +180,7 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) cleanup() {
 		// open a writer
 		writer, err := gc.f.store.Writer()
 		if err != nil {
-			writer.Close()
+			_ = writer.Close()
 			logger.Printf("garbage collector fatal: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
@@ -190,7 +194,7 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) cleanup() {
 
 		err = writer.ExecuteBatch(wb)
 		if err != nil {
-			writer.Close()
+			_ = writer.Close()
 			logger.Printf("garbage collector fatal: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
@@ -212,7 +216,11 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) cleanup() {
 			logger.Printf("garbage collector fatal: %v", err)
 			return
 		}
-		writer.Close()
+		err = writer.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Printf("garbage collector fatal: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	// updating dictionary in one batch
diff --git a/index/firestorm/lookup.go b/index/firestorm/lookup.go
index 219a2559..c07ea525 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/lookup.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/lookup.go
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ func (l *Lookuper) lookup(task *lookupTask) {
 		logger.Printf("lookuper fatal: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
-	defer reader.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		if cerr := reader.Close(); err == nil && cerr != nil {
+			err = cerr
+		}
+	}()
 
 	prefix := TermFreqPrefixFieldTermDocId(0, nil, task.docID)
 	logger.Printf("lookuper prefix - % x", prefix)
diff --git a/index/firestorm/reader.go b/index/firestorm/reader.go
index 4178d53d..553ada99 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/reader.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/reader.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func (r *firestormReader) DocumentFieldTerms(id string) (index.FieldTerms, error
 
 	rv := make(index.FieldTerms, 0)
 	// walk the term freqs
-	visitPrefix(r.r, TermFreqKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
+	err = visitPrefix(r.r, TermFreqKeyPrefix, func(key, val []byte) (bool, error) {
 		tfr, err := NewTermFreqRowKV(key, val)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@ func (r *firestormReader) DocumentFieldTerms(id string) (index.FieldTerms, error
 		}
 		return true, nil
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	return rv, nil
 }
diff --git a/index/firestorm/reader_dict_test.go b/index/firestorm/reader_dict_test.go
index afe2aebf..846120df 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/reader_dict_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/reader_dict_test.go
@@ -67,7 +67,10 @@ func TestDictionaryReader(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	err = f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = kvreader.Close()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/index/firestorm/reader_docs_test.go b/index/firestorm/reader_docs_test.go
index 3f306e7a..bec40437 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/reader_docs_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/reader_docs_test.go
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@ func TestDocIDReaderSomeGarbage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// warmup to load field cache and set maxRead correctly
-	f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	err = f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = kvreader.Close()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/index/firestorm/reader_terms_test.go b/index/firestorm/reader_terms_test.go
index 2ed1031e..4007ec39 100644
--- a/index/firestorm/reader_terms_test.go
+++ b/index/firestorm/reader_terms_test.go
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ func TestTermReaderNoGarbage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// warmup to load field cache and set maxRead correctly
-	f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	err = f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = kvreader.Close()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -173,7 +176,10 @@ func TestTermReaderSomeGarbage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// warmup to load field cache and set maxRead correctly
-	f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	err = f.(*Firestorm).warmup(kvreader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
 	err = kvreader.Close()
 	if err != nil {