diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr.c b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr.c
index bacadea31..1367019f6 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr.c
@@ -211,24 +211,27 @@ int		rc = 0;
 	 * We only support one server behind this router, since the server is
 	 * the master from which we replicate binlog records. Therefore check
 	 * that only one server has been defined.
-	 *
-	 * A later improvement will be to define multiple servers and have the
-	 * router use the information that is supplied by the monitor to find
-	 * which of these servers is currently the master and replicate from
-	 * that server.
 	 */
-	if (service->dbref == NULL || service->dbref->next != NULL)
+	if (service->dbref != NULL)
 	{
-		skygw_log_write(LE,
-			"%s: Error : Exactly one database server may be "
-			"for use with the binlog router.",
-			service->name);
-		return NULL;
+		LOGIF(LE, (skygw_log_write_flush(LOGFILE_ERROR,
+			"%s: Warning: backend database server is provided by master.ini file "
+			"for use with the binlog router."
+			" Server section is no longer required.",
+			service->name)));
+
+		server_free(service->dbref->server);
+		free(service->dbref);
+		service->dbref = NULL;
 	}
 
 	if ((inst = calloc(1, sizeof(ROUTER_INSTANCE))) == NULL) {
-                return NULL;
-        }
+		LOGIF(LE, (skygw_log_write_flush(LOGFILE_ERROR,
+			"%s: Error: failed to allocate memory for router instance.",
+			service->name)));
+
+		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	memset(&inst->stats, 0, sizeof(ROUTER_STATS));
 	memset(&inst->saved_master, 0, sizeof(MASTER_RESPONSES));
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_master.c b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_master.c
index cbd8d78c8..1ce316ebb 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_master.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/binlog/blr_master.c
@@ -1161,7 +1161,7 @@ int			n_bufs = -1, pn_bufs = -1;
 				int msg_len=0;
 				msg_err = (char *)ptr+7+6;	// err msg starts after 7 bytes + 6 of status message
 				msg_len = len-7-6;	// msg len is decreased by 7 and 6
-				msg_err = (uint8_t *)malloc(msg_len + 1);
+				msg_err = (char *)malloc(msg_len + 1);
 				strncpy(msg_err, (char *)ptr+7+6, msg_len);
 				/* NULL terminate error string */
 				*(msg_err+msg_len)='\0';