diff --git a/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py b/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
index 0978c1b8d..ad976cc64 100644
--- a/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
+++ b/buildman/manager/ephemeral.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import uuid
 import calendar
 import os.path
 import json
+import boto
 
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from trollius import From, coroutine, Return, async
@@ -45,6 +46,10 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
   _etcd_client_klass = etcd.Client
 
   def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    # Set a timeout so that boto connections don't hang indefinitely.
+    boto.config.add_section('Boto')
+    boto.config.set('Boto', 'http_socket_timeout', '10')
+
     self._shutting_down = False
 
     self._manager_config = None
@@ -90,6 +95,9 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
       self._watch_tasks[watch_task_key] = async(watch_future)
 
   def _handle_builder_expiration(self, etcd_result):
+    if etcd_result is None:
+      return
+
     if etcd_result.action == EtcdAction.EXPIRE:
       # Handle the expiration
       logger.debug('Builder expired, clean up the old build node')
@@ -100,6 +108,9 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
         async(self._executor.stop_builder(job_metadata['builder_id']))
 
   def _handle_realm_change(self, etcd_result):
+    if etcd_result is None:
+      return
+
     if etcd_result.action == EtcdAction.CREATE:
       # We must listen on the realm created by ourselves or another worker
       realm_spec = json.loads(etcd_result.value)
@@ -160,7 +171,8 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
     self._async_thread_executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(worker_threads)
     self._etcd_client = AsyncWrapper(self._etcd_client_klass(host=etcd_host, port=etcd_port,
                                                              cert=etcd_auth, ca_cert=etcd_ca_cert,
-                                                             protocol=etcd_protocol),
+                                                             protocol=etcd_protocol,
+                                                             read_timeout=5),
                                      executor=self._async_thread_executor)
 
     self._etcd_builder_prefix = self._manager_config.get('ETCD_BUILDER_PREFIX', 'building/')
@@ -201,6 +213,9 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
       workers_alive = sum(1 for child in building.children if not child.dir)
     except KeyError:
       workers_alive = 0
+    except etcd.EtcdException:
+      logger.exception('Exception when reading job count from etcd')
+      raise Return(False)
 
     logger.debug('Total jobs: %s', workers_alive)
 
@@ -231,6 +246,9 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
       # The job was already taken by someone else, we are probably a retry
       logger.error('Job already exists in etcd, are timeouts misconfigured or is the queue broken?')
       raise Return(False)
+    except etcd.EtcdException:
+      logger.exception('Exception when writing job %s to etcd', build_uuid)
+      raise Return(False)
 
     logger.debug('Starting builder with executor: %s', self._executor)
 
@@ -255,12 +273,16 @@ class EphemeralBuilderManager(BaseManager):
         'builder_id': builder_id,
         'job_queue_item': build_job.job_item,
     })
+
     try:
       yield From(self._etcd_client.write(self._etcd_realm_key(realm), realm_spec, prevExist=False,
                                          ttl=ttl))
     except KeyError:
       logger.error('Realm already exists in etcd. UUID collision or something is very very wrong.')
       raise Return(False)
+    except etcd.EtcdException:
+      logger.exception('Exception when writing realm %s to etcd', realm)
+      raise Return(False)
 
     raise Return(True)
 
diff --git a/buildman/server.py b/buildman/server.py
index 6346f4a2e..63ccd9309 100644
--- a/buildman/server.py
+++ b/buildman/server.py
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ class BuilderServer(object):
 
   @trollius.coroutine
   def _work_checker(self):
+    logger.debug('Initializing work checker')
     while self._current_status == BuildServerStatus.RUNNING:
       with database.CloseForLongOperation(app.config):
         yield From(trollius.sleep(WORK_CHECK_TIMEOUT))
@@ -192,10 +193,12 @@ class BuilderServer(object):
   def _queue_metrics_updater(self):
     logger.debug('Initializing queue metrics updater')
     while self._current_status == BuildServerStatus.RUNNING:
-      yield From(trollius.sleep(30))
       logger.debug('Writing metrics')
       self._queue.update_metrics()
 
+      logger.debug('Metrics going to sleep for 30 seconds')
+      yield From(trollius.sleep(30))
+
   @trollius.coroutine
   def _initialize(self, loop, host, websocket_port, controller_port, ssl=None):
     self._loop = loop