diff --git a/server/core/config.c b/server/core/config.c
index cabf82c4c..e1dc53701 100644
--- a/server/core/config.c
+++ b/server/core/config.c
@@ -387,45 +387,6 @@ config_load(char *file)
     {
         return 0;
     }
-    MYSQL *conn;
-    conn = mysql_init(NULL);
-    if (conn)
-    {
-        if (mysql_real_connect(conn, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0))
-        {
-            char *ptr, *tmp;
-
-            tmp = (char *)mysql_get_server_info(conn);
-            unsigned int server_version = mysql_get_server_version(conn);
-
-            if (version_string)
-            {
-                free(version_string);
-            }
-
-            if ((version_string = malloc(strlen(tmp) + strlen("5.5.5-") + 1)) == NULL)
-            {
-                return 0;
-            }
-
-            if (server_version >= 100000)
-            {
-                strcpy(version_string, "5.5.5-");
-                strcat(version_string, tmp);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                strcpy(version_string, tmp);
-            }
-
-            ptr = strstr(version_string, "-embedded");
-            if (ptr)
-            {
-                *ptr = '\0';
-            }
-        }
-        mysql_close(conn);
-    }
 
     global_defaults();
     feedback_defaults();
diff --git a/server/core/dbusers.c b/server/core/dbusers.c
index 91894f176..628f9a59c 100644
--- a/server/core/dbusers.c
+++ b/server/core/dbusers.c
@@ -790,34 +790,40 @@ get_all_users(SERVICE *service, USERS *users)
 
     while (server != NULL)
     {
-        con = gw_mysql_init();
-
-        if (!con)
+        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown && server != NULL)
         {
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
+            con = gw_mysql_init();
+            if (con)
+            {
+                if (mysql_real_connect(con, server->server->name, service_user, dpwd,
+                                       NULL, server->server->port, NULL, 0) == NULL)
+                {
+                    MXS_ERROR("Failure loading users data from backend "
+                              "[%s:%i] for service [%s]. MySQL error %i, %s",
+                              server->server->name, server->server->port,
+                              service->name, mysql_errno(con), mysql_error(con));
+                    mysql_close(con);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    /** Successfully connected to a server */
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                server = NULL;
+                break;
+            }
 
-        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown &&
-               server != NULL &&
-               (mysql_real_connect(con,
-                                   server->server->name,
-                                   service_user,
-                                   dpwd,
-                                   NULL,
-                                   server->server->port,
-                                   NULL,
-                                   0) == NULL))
-        {
             server = server->next;
         }
 
-
         if (server == NULL)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("Unable to get user data from backend database "
                       "for service [%s]. Missing server information.",
                       service->name);
-            mysql_close(con);
             goto cleanup;
         }
 
@@ -830,28 +836,40 @@ get_all_users(SERVICE *service, USERS *users)
 
     while (server != NULL)
     {
-        con = gw_mysql_init();
-
-        if (!con)
+        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown && server != NULL)
         {
-            goto cleanup;
-        }
+            con = gw_mysql_init();
+            if (con)
+            {
+                if (mysql_real_connect(con, server->server->name, service_user, dpwd,
+                                       NULL, server->server->port, NULL, 0) == NULL)
+                {
+                    MXS_ERROR("Failure loading users data from backend "
+                              "[%s:%i] for service [%s]. MySQL error %i, %s",
+                              server->server->name, server->server->port,
+                              service->name, mysql_errno(con), mysql_error(con));
+                    mysql_close(con);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    /** Successfully connected to a server */
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                server = NULL;
+                break;
+            }
 
-
-        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown && server != NULL &&
-               (mysql_real_connect(con, server->server->name, service_user, dpwd,
-                                   NULL, server->server->port, NULL, 0) == NULL))
-        {
             server = server->next;
         }
 
-
         if (server == NULL)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("Unable to get user data from backend database "
                       "for service [%s]. Missing server information.",
                       service->name);
-            mysql_close(con);
             goto cleanup;
         }
 
@@ -1300,17 +1318,36 @@ get_users(SERVICE *service, USERS *users)
     }
     else
     {
+        mysql_close(con);
         /* load data from other servers via loop */
         server = service->dbref;
 
-        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown && server != NULL &&
-               (mysql_real_connect(con, server->server->name, service_user, dpwd,
-                                   NULL, server->server->port, NULL, 0) == NULL))
+        while (!service->svc_do_shutdown && server != NULL)
         {
-            MXS_ERROR("Failure loading users data from backend "
-                      "[%s:%i] for service [%s]. MySQL error %i, %s",
-                      server->server->name, server->server->port,
-                      service->name, mysql_errno(con), mysql_error(con));
+            con = gw_mysql_init();
+            if (con)
+            {
+                if (mysql_real_connect(con, server->server->name, service_user, dpwd,
+                                       NULL, server->server->port, NULL, 0) == NULL)
+                {
+                    MXS_ERROR("Failure loading users data from backend "
+                              "[%s:%i] for service [%s]. MySQL error %i, %s",
+                              server->server->name, server->server->port,
+                              service->name, mysql_errno(con), mysql_error(con));
+                    mysql_close(con);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    /** Successfully connected to a server */
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                server = NULL;
+                break;
+            }
+
             server = server->next;
         }
 
@@ -1334,7 +1371,6 @@ get_users(SERVICE *service, USERS *users)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("Unable to get user data from backend database for service [%s]."
                   " Failed to connect to any of the backend databases.", service->name);
-        mysql_close(con);
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.c b/server/core/monitor.c
index 46f10b821..a84b3fed1 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.c
+++ b/server/core/monitor.c
@@ -522,24 +522,25 @@ bool check_monitor_permissions(MONITOR* monitor)
 {
     MYSQL* mysql;
     MYSQL_RES* res;
-    char *user,*dpasswd;
+    char *user, *dpasswd;
     SERVER* server;
-    int conn_timeout = 1;
     bool rval = true;
 
-    user = monitor->user;
-    dpasswd = decryptPassword(monitor->password);
-
     if ((mysql = mysql_init(NULL)) == NULL)
     {
         MXS_ERROR("[%s] Error: MySQL connection initialization failed.", __FUNCTION__);
-        free(dpasswd);
         return false;
     }
 
+    GATEWAY_CONF* cnf = config_get_global_options();
+
+    mysql_options(mysql, MYSQL_OPT_READ_TIMEOUT, &cnf->auth_read_timeout);
+    mysql_options(mysql, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, &cnf->auth_conn_timeout);
+    mysql_options(mysql, MYSQL_OPT_WRITE_TIMEOUT, &cnf->auth_write_timeout);
+
+    user = monitor->user;
+    dpasswd = decryptPassword(monitor->password);
     server = monitor->databases->server;
-    mysql_options(mysql,MYSQL_OPT_USE_REMOTE_CONNECTION,NULL);
-    mysql_options(mysql,MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT,&conn_timeout);
 
     /** Connect to the first server. This assumes all servers have identical
      * user permissions. */
@@ -556,17 +557,17 @@ bool check_monitor_permissions(MONITOR* monitor)
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (mysql_query(mysql,"show slave status") != 0)
+    if (mysql_query(mysql, "show slave status") != 0)
     {
         if (mysql_errno(mysql) == ER_SPECIFIC_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("%s: User '%s' is missing REPLICATION CLIENT privileges. MySQL error message: %s",
-                      monitor->name,user,mysql_error(mysql));
+                      monitor->name, user, mysql_error(mysql));
         }
         else
         {
             MXS_ERROR("%s: Monitor failed to query for slave status. MySQL error message: %s",
-                      monitor->name,mysql_error(mysql));
+                      monitor->name, mysql_error(mysql));
         }
         rval = false;
     }
@@ -575,7 +576,7 @@ bool check_monitor_permissions(MONITOR* monitor)
         if ((res = mysql_use_result(mysql)) == NULL)
         {
             MXS_ERROR("%s: Result retrieval failed when checking for REPLICATION CLIENT permissions: %s",
-                      monitor->name,mysql_error(mysql));
+                      monitor->name, mysql_error(mysql));
             rval = false;
         }
         else
@@ -906,47 +907,46 @@ mon_connect_to_db(MONITOR* mon, MONITOR_SERVERS *database)
         return rval;
     }
 
-    int connect_timeout = mon->connect_timeout;
-    int read_timeout = mon->read_timeout;
-    int write_timeout = mon->write_timeout;
-    char *uname = database->server->monuser ? database->server->monuser : mon->user;
-    char *passwd = database->server->monpw ? database->server->monpw : mon->password;
-    char *dpwd = decryptPassword(passwd);
-
     if (database->con)
     {
         mysql_close(database->con);
     }
-    database->con = mysql_init(NULL);
 
-    mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, (void *) &connect_timeout);
-    mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_READ_TIMEOUT, (void *) &read_timeout);
-    mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_WRITE_TIMEOUT, (void *) &write_timeout);
-
-    time_t start = time(NULL);
-    bool result = (mysql_real_connect(database->con,
-                                      database->server->name,
-                                      uname,
-                                      dpwd,
-                                      NULL,
-                                      database->server->port,
-                                      NULL,
-                                      0) != NULL);
-    time_t end = time(NULL);
-
-    if (!result)
+    if ((database->con = mysql_init(NULL)))
     {
-        if ((int) difftime(end, start) >= connect_timeout)
+        char *uname = database->server->monuser ? database->server->monuser : mon->user;
+        char *passwd = database->server->monpw ? database->server->monpw : mon->password;
+        char *dpwd = decryptPassword(passwd);
+
+        mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_CONNECT_TIMEOUT, (void *) &mon->connect_timeout);
+        mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_READ_TIMEOUT, (void *) &mon->read_timeout);
+        mysql_options(database->con, MYSQL_OPT_WRITE_TIMEOUT, (void *) &mon->write_timeout);
+
+        time_t start = time(NULL);
+        bool result = (mysql_real_connect(database->con, database->server->name,
+                                          uname, dpwd, NULL, database->server->port,
+                                          NULL, 0) != NULL);
+        time_t end = time(NULL);
+
+        if (!result)
         {
-            rval = MONITOR_CONN_TIMEOUT;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            rval = MONITOR_CONN_REFUSED;
+            if ((int) difftime(end, start) >= mon->connect_timeout)
+            {
+                rval = MONITOR_CONN_TIMEOUT;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                rval = MONITOR_CONN_REFUSED;
+            }
         }
+
+        free(dpwd);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        rval = MONITOR_CONN_REFUSED;
     }
 
-    free(dpwd);
     return rval;
 }