diff --git a/hyracks-dataflow-std/pom.xml b/hyracks-dataflow-std/pom.xml
index 4e9b42b..afd779f 100644
--- a/hyracks-dataflow-std/pom.xml
+++ b/hyracks-dataflow-std/pom.xml
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
   <groupId>edu.uci.ics.hyracks</groupId>
   <artifactId>hyracks-dataflow-std</artifactId>
-  <version>0.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>0.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
 
   <parent>
     <groupId>edu.uci.ics.hyracks</groupId>
     <artifactId>hyracks</artifactId>
-    <version>0.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <build>
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@
   	<dependency>
   		<groupId>edu.uci.ics.hyracks</groupId>
   		<artifactId>hyracks-api</artifactId>
-  		<version>0.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  		<version>0.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   		<type>jar</type>
   		<scope>compile</scope>
   	</dependency>
   	<dependency>
   		<groupId>edu.uci.ics.hyracks</groupId>
   		<artifactId>hyracks-dataflow-common</artifactId>
-  		<version>0.2.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  		<version>0.2.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   		<type>jar</type>
   		<scope>compile</scope>
   	</dependency>
diff --git a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/group/ExternalGroupOperatorDescriptor.java b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/group/ExternalGroupOperatorDescriptor.java
index 58f9ffa..6f7b706 100644
--- a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/group/ExternalGroupOperatorDescriptor.java
+++ b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/group/ExternalGroupOperatorDescriptor.java
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
 
                 @Override
                 public void fail() throws HyracksDataException {
-                    throw new HyracksDataException("failed");
+                    //do nothing for failures
                 }
 
                 @Override
@@ -318,10 +318,8 @@
                             }
                             gTable = null;
                             aggState = null;
-                            System.gc();
                         } else {
                             aggState = null;
-                            System.gc();
                             runs = new LinkedList<RunFileReader>(runs);
                             inFrames = new ArrayList<ByteBuffer>();
                             outFrame = ctx.allocateFrame();
diff --git a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/BSTMemMgr.java b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/BSTMemMgr.java
index d07ba51..d111954 100644
--- a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/BSTMemMgr.java
+++ b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/BSTMemMgr.java
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@
         //clean up all frames
         for (int i = 0; i < frames.length; i++)
             frames[i] = null;
-        System.gc();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/ExternalSortRunMerger.java b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/ExternalSortRunMerger.java
index 5e413da..79e4e65 100644
--- a/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/ExternalSortRunMerger.java
+++ b/hyracks-dataflow-std/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/dataflow/std/sort/ExternalSortRunMerger.java
@@ -100,12 +100,9 @@
                 }
                 /** recycle sort buffer */
                 frameSorter.close();
-                System.gc();
-
             } else {
                 /** recycle sort buffer */
                 frameSorter.close();
-                System.gc();
 
                 inFrames = new ArrayList<ByteBuffer>();
                 outFrame = ctx.allocateFrame();
@@ -186,7 +183,6 @@
                         FrameUtils.flushFrame(nextFrame, writer);
                         outFrameAppender.reset(nextFrame, true);
                     }
-                    System.gc();
                     return;
                 }
                 // Limit on the output size
@@ -216,11 +212,9 @@
                     FrameUtils.flushFrame(outFrame, writer);
                     outFrameAppender.reset(outFrame, true);
                 }
-                System.gc();
                 return;
             }
             // More than one run, actual merging is needed
-            System.gc();
             inFrames = new ArrayList<ByteBuffer>();
             for (int i = 0; i < framesLimit - 1; ++i) {
                 inFrames.add(ctx.allocateFrame());