diff --git a/server/core/config.c b/server/core/config.c
index 7958cb175..31c550b9a 100644
--- a/server/core/config.c
+++ b/server/core/config.c
@@ -2824,12 +2824,6 @@ int configure_new_service(CONFIG_CONTEXT *context, CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj)
                 s = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &lasts);
             }
         }
-        else if (servers == NULL && !is_internal_service(router))
-        {
-            MXS_ERROR("The service '%s' is missing a definition of the servers "
-                      "that provide the service.", obj->object);
-            error_count++;
-        }
 
         if (roptions)
         {
@@ -2882,12 +2876,6 @@ int create_new_monitor(CONFIG_CONTEXT *context, CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj, HASHTABLE*
     }
 
     char *servers = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "servers");
-    if (servers == NULL)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("Monitor '%s' is missing the 'servers' parameter that "
-                  "lists the servers that it monitors.", obj->object);
-        error_count++;
-    }
 
     if (error_count == 0)
     {
@@ -2934,36 +2922,39 @@ int create_new_monitor(CONFIG_CONTEXT *context, CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj, HASHTABLE*
             }
         }
 
-        /* get the servers to monitor */
-        char *s, *lasts;
-        s = strtok_r(servers, ",", &lasts);
-        while (s)
+        if (servers)
         {
-            CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj1 = context;
-            int found = 0;
-            while (obj1)
+            /* get the servers to monitor */
+            char *s, *lasts;
+            s = strtok_r(servers, ",", &lasts);
+            while (s)
             {
-                if (strcmp(trim(s), obj1->object) == 0 && obj->element && obj1->element)
+                CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj1 = context;
+                int found = 0;
+                while (obj1)
                 {
-                    found = 1;
-                    if (hashtable_add(monitorhash, obj1->object, "") == 0)
+                    if (strcmp(trim(s), obj1->object) == 0 && obj->element && obj1->element)
                     {
-                        MXS_WARNING("Multiple monitors are monitoring server [%s]. "
-                                    "This will cause undefined behavior.",
-                                    obj1->object);
+                        found = 1;
+                        if (hashtable_add(monitorhash, obj1->object, "") == 0)
+                        {
+                            MXS_WARNING("Multiple monitors are monitoring server [%s]. "
+                                        "This will cause undefined behavior.",
+                                        obj1->object);
+                        }
+                        monitorAddServer(obj->element, obj1->element);
                     }
-                    monitorAddServer(obj->element, obj1->element);
+                    obj1 = obj1->next;
+                }
+                if (!found)
+                {
+                    MXS_ERROR("Unable to find server '%s' that is "
+                              "configured in the monitor '%s'.", s, obj->object);
+                    error_count++;
                 }
-                obj1 = obj1->next;
-            }
-            if (!found)
-            {
-                MXS_ERROR("Unable to find server '%s' that is "
-                          "configured in the monitor '%s'.", s, obj->object);
-                error_count++;
-            }
 
-            s = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &lasts);
+                s = strtok_r(NULL, ",", &lasts);
+            }
         }
 
         char *user = config_get_value(obj->parameters, "user");
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.c b/server/core/monitor.c
index b67e6ecf4..d1d2a8d88 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.c
+++ b/server/core/monitor.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ const monitor_def_t monitor_event_definitions[MAX_MONITOR_EVENT] =
 static MONITOR  *allMonitors = NULL;
 static SPINLOCK monLock = SPINLOCK_INIT;
 
-static void monitor_servers_free(MONITOR_SERVERS *servers);
+static void monitor_server_free_all(MONITOR_SERVERS *servers);
 
 /**
  * Allocate a new monitor, load the associated module for the monitor
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ monitor_free(MONITOR *mon)
     }
     spinlock_release(&monLock);
     free_config_parameter(mon->parameters);
-    monitor_servers_free(mon->databases);
+    monitor_server_free_all(mon->databases);
     MXS_FREE(mon->name);
     MXS_FREE(mon);
 }
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ static void monitor_server_free(MONITOR_SERVERS *tofree)
  * Free monitor server list
  * @param servers Servers to free
  */
-static void monitor_servers_free(MONITOR_SERVERS *servers)
+static void monitor_server_free_all(MONITOR_SERVERS *servers)
 {
     while (servers)
     {
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ void monitorRemoveServer(MONITOR *mon, SERVER *server)
 
     if (ptr)
     {
-      monitor_servers_free(ptr);
+      monitor_server_free(ptr);
     }
 
     if (old_state == MONITOR_STATE_RUNNING)
@@ -608,13 +608,8 @@ monitorGetList()
  */
 bool check_monitor_permissions(MONITOR* monitor, const char* query)
 {
-    if (monitor->databases == NULL)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("[%s] Monitor is missing the servers parameter.", monitor->name);
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    if (config_get_global_options()->skip_permission_checks)
+    if (monitor->databases == NULL || // No servers to check
+        config_get_global_options()->skip_permission_checks)
     {
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/server/core/service.c b/server/core/service.c
index aef3b022d..c2196ac51 100644
--- a/server/core/service.c
+++ b/server/core/service.c
@@ -821,13 +821,12 @@ void serviceRemoveBackend(SERVICE *service, const SERVER *server)
 {
     spinlock_acquire(&service->spin);
 
-    service->n_dbref--;
-
     for (SERVER_REF *ref = service->dbref; ref; ref = ref->next)
     {
         if (ref->server == server)
         {
             ref->active = false;
+            service->n_dbref--;
             break;
         }
     }
diff --git a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
index ec4cbad6f..d08a0d40a 100644
--- a/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
+++ b/server/modules/authenticator/MySQLAuth/dbusers.c
@@ -2649,17 +2649,12 @@ static bool check_server_permissions(SERVICE *service, SERVER* server,
 bool check_service_permissions(SERVICE* service)
 {
     if (is_internal_service(service->routerModule) ||
-        config_get_global_options()->skip_permission_checks)
+        config_get_global_options()->skip_permission_checks ||
+        service->dbref == NULL) // No servers to check
     {
         return true;
     }
 
-    if (service->dbref == NULL)
-    {
-        MXS_ERROR("[%s] Service is missing the servers parameter.", service->name);
-        return false;
-    }
-
     char *user, *password;
 
     if (serviceGetUser(service, &user, &password) == 0)
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
index 86967962d..cc2b425df 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ bool init_server_info(MYSQL_MONITOR *handle, MONITOR_SERVERS *database)
     while (database)
     {
         /** Delete any existing structures and replace them with empty ones */
-        hashtable_delete(handle->server_info, database->server);
+        hashtable_delete(handle->server_info, database->server->unique_name);
 
         if (!hashtable_add(handle->server_info, database->server->unique_name, &info))
         {