diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
index 96d0617..3502abb 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
@@ -129,16 +129,26 @@
 
         isMetadataNode = nodeId.equals(metadataProperties.getMetadataNodeName());
         if (isMetadataNode) {
-            registerRemoteMetadataNode(proxy);
-
             if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
                 LOGGER.info("Bootstrapping metadata");
             }
-            MetadataManager.INSTANCE = new MetadataManager(proxy, metadataProperties);
-            MetadataManager.INSTANCE.init();
+            MetadataNode.INSTANCE.initialize(runtimeContext);
+
+            // This is a special case, we just give the metadataNode directly.
+            // This way we can delay the registration of the metadataNode until
+            // it is completely initialized.
+            MetadataManager.INSTANCE = new MetadataManager(proxy, MetadataNode.INSTANCE);
             MetadataBootstrap.startUniverse(((IAsterixPropertiesProvider) runtimeContext), ncApplicationContext,
                     systemState == SystemState.NEW_UNIVERSE);
             MetadataBootstrap.startDDLRecovery();
+
+            IMetadataNode stub = null;
+            stub = (IMetadataNode) UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject(MetadataNode.INSTANCE, 0);
+            proxy.setMetadataNode(stub);
+            
+            if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+                LOGGER.info("Metadata node bound");
+            }
         }
 
         if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
@@ -166,17 +176,6 @@
         // reclaim storage for orphaned index artifacts in NCs.
     }
 
-    public void registerRemoteMetadataNode(IAsterixStateProxy proxy) throws RemoteException {
-        IMetadataNode stub = null;
-        MetadataNode.INSTANCE.initialize(runtimeContext);
-        stub = (IMetadataNode) UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject(MetadataNode.INSTANCE, 0);
-        proxy.setMetadataNode(stub);
-
-        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
-            LOGGER.info("Metadata node bound");
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Shutdown hook that invokes {@link NCApplicationEntryPoint#stop() stop} method.
      */
diff --git a/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/config/GlobalConfig.java b/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/config/GlobalConfig.java
index 21913b0..e00c432 100644
--- a/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/config/GlobalConfig.java
+++ b/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/config/GlobalConfig.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 package edu.uci.ics.asterix.common.config;
 
-import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
     public static final Map<String, String> DEFAULT_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES;
     static {
-        DEFAULT_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES = new HashMap<String, String>();
+        DEFAULT_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES = new LinkedHashMap<String, String>();
         DEFAULT_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES.put("max-mergable-component-size", "1073741824"); // 1GB
         DEFAULT_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES.put("max-tolernace-component-count", "5"); // 5 components
     }
diff --git a/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java b/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
index 3fec2c8..e47dfdb 100644
--- a/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
+++ b/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
@@ -422,26 +422,7 @@
                             break;
                         case "txnqar": //qar represents query after recovery
                             try {
-                                ////////////// <begin of temporary fix> ////////////////////////////
-                                //TODO
-                                //Temporary fix in order not to block the build test(mvn verify)
-                                //A proper fix should not have the while loop here.
-                                int maxRetryCount = 12;
-                                int tryCount = 0;
-                                InputStream resultStream = null;
-                                long sleepTime = 5;
-                                
-                                do {
-                                    //wait until NC starts
-                                    sleepTime *= 2;
-                                    Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
-                                    if (++tryCount > maxRetryCount) {
-                                        LOGGER.info("Metadata node is not running - this test will fail.");
-                                        break;
-                                    }
-                                    resultStream = executeQuery(statement);
-                                } while (resultStream.toString().contains("Connection refused to host"));
-                                ////////////// <end of temporary fix> //////////////////////////////
+                                InputStream resultStream = executeQuery(statement);
 
                                 qarFile = new File(actualPath + File.separator
                                         + testCaseCtx.getTestCase().getFilePath().replace(File.separator, "_") + "_"
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java b/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
index 89cbec8..e8fd61f 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
             }
         })[0];
         managixHomePath = new File(installerTargetPath, managixHomeDirName).getAbsolutePath();
+        LOGGER.info("MANAGIX_HOME=" + managixHomePath);
 
         String fileListPath = asterixInstallerPath.getAbsolutePath() + File.separator + "src" + File.separator + "test"
                 + File.separator + "resources" + File.separator + "transactionts" + File.separator + "data"
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@
         String srcBasePath = asterixAppPath.getAbsolutePath();
         String destBasePath = managixHomePath + File.separator + "clusters" + File.separator + "local" + File.separator
                 + "working_dir";
+        LOGGER.info("working dir: " + destBasePath);
         prepareDataFiles(fileListPath, srcBasePath, destBasePath);
 
         pb = new ProcessBuilder();
diff --git a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataManager.java b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataManager.java
index 46159ba..c616fbf 100644
--- a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataManager.java
+++ b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataManager.java
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@
  * with transaction ids of regular jobs or other metadata transactions.
  */
 public class MetadataManager implements IMetadataManager {
+    private static final int INITIAL_SLEEP_TIME = 64;
+    private static final int RETRY_MULTIPLIER = 4;
+    private static final int MAX_RETRY_COUNT = 6;
     // Set in init().
     public static MetadataManager INSTANCE;
     private final MetadataCache cache = new MetadataCache();
@@ -89,14 +92,37 @@
         this.metadataLatch = new ReentrantReadWriteLock(true);
     }
 
+    public MetadataManager(IAsterixStateProxy proxy, IMetadataNode metadataNode) {
+        if (metadataNode == null) {
+            throw new Error("Null metadataNode given to MetadataManager.");
+        }
+        this.proxy = proxy;
+        this.metadataProperties = null;
+        this.metadataNode = metadataNode;
+        this.metadataLatch = new ReentrantReadWriteLock(true);
+    }
+
     @Override
-    public void init() throws RemoteException {
+    public void init() throws RemoteException, MetadataException {
         // Could be synchronized on any object. Arbitrarily chose proxy.
         synchronized (proxy) {
             if (metadataNode != null) {
                 return;
             }
-            metadataNode = proxy.getMetadataNode();
+            try {
+                int retry = 0;
+                int sleep = INITIAL_SLEEP_TIME;
+                while (retry++ < MAX_RETRY_COUNT) {
+                    metadataNode = proxy.getMetadataNode();
+                    if (metadataNode != null) {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    Thread.sleep(sleep);
+                    sleep *= RETRY_MULTIPLIER;
+                }
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                throw new MetadataException(e);
+            }
             if (metadataNode == null) {
                 throw new Error("Failed to get the MetadataNode.\n" + "The MetadataNode was configured to run on NC: "
                         + metadataProperties.getMetadataNodeName());
diff --git a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataNode.java b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataNode.java
index b344f69..29452f3 100644
--- a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataNode.java
+++ b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/MetadataNode.java
@@ -1005,9 +1005,9 @@
             try {
                 while (rangeCursor.hasNext()) {
                     rangeCursor.next();
-                    ITupleReference ref = rangeCursor.getTuple();
-                    Dataset ds = valueExtractor.getValue(jobId, rangeCursor.getTuple());
-                    datasetId = ((Dataset) valueExtractor.getValue(jobId, rangeCursor.getTuple())).getDatasetId();
+                    final ITupleReference ref = rangeCursor.getTuple();
+                    final Dataset ds = valueExtractor.getValue(jobId, ref);
+                    datasetId = ds.getDatasetId();
                     if (mostRecentDatasetId < datasetId) {
                         mostRecentDatasetId = datasetId;
                     }
diff --git a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/entitytupletranslators/DatasetTupleTranslator.java b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/entitytupletranslators/DatasetTupleTranslator.java
index 3f70e2b..6c9c7f2 100644
--- a/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/entitytupletranslators/DatasetTupleTranslator.java
+++ b/asterix-metadata/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/metadata/entitytupletranslators/DatasetTupleTranslator.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Calendar;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@
                 cursor = ((AOrderedList) datasetDetailsRecord
                         .getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.FEED_DETAILS_ARECORD_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES_FIELD_INDEX))
                         .getCursor();
-                Map<String, String> compactionPolicyProperties = new HashMap<String, String>();
+                Map<String, String> compactionPolicyProperties = new LinkedHashMap<String, String>();
                 while (cursor.next()) {
                     ARecord field = (ARecord) cursor.get();
                     key = ((AString) field.getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.PROPERTIES_NAME_FIELD_INDEX))
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@
                 cursor = ((AOrderedList) datasetDetailsRecord
                         .getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.INTERNAL_DETAILS_ARECORD_COMPACTION_POLICY_PROPERTIES_FIELD_INDEX))
                         .getCursor();
-                Map<String, String> compactionPolicyProperties = new HashMap<String, String>();
+                Map<String, String> compactionPolicyProperties = new LinkedHashMap<String, String>();
                 String key;
                 String value;
                 while (cursor.next()) {
@@ -379,10 +380,8 @@
         IACursor cursor = list.getCursor();
         while (cursor.next()) {
             ARecord field = (ARecord) cursor.get();
-            key = ((AString) field.getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.PROPERTIES_NAME_FIELD_INDEX))
-                    .getStringValue();
-            value = ((AString) field.getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.PROPERTIES_VALUE_FIELD_INDEX))
-                    .getStringValue();
+            key = ((AString) field.getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.PROPERTIES_NAME_FIELD_INDEX)).getStringValue();
+            value = ((AString) field.getValueByPos(MetadataRecordTypes.PROPERTIES_VALUE_FIELD_INDEX)).getStringValue();
             hints.put(key, value);
         }
         return hints;