diff --git a/jrpcfs/config.go b/jrpcfs/config.go
index 22d8b84df..d87201ec1 100644
--- a/jrpcfs/config.go
+++ b/jrpcfs/config.go
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ func (dummy *globalsStruct) Up(confMap conf.ConfMap) (err error) {
 	retryRPCServerUp(jserver, globals.publicIPAddr, globals.retryRPCPort, globals.retryRPCTTLCompleted, globals.retryRPCAckTrim,
 		globals.retryRPCDeadlineIO, globals.retryRPCKeepAlivePeriod)
 
+	err = nil
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/liveness/polling.go b/liveness/polling.go
index ab630ec50..f72325569 100644
--- a/liveness/polling.go
+++ b/liveness/polling.go
@@ -525,11 +525,13 @@ func computeLivenessCheckAssignments(observingPeerNameList []string) (internalLi
 															err = json.Unmarshal(ringFilePayload, ringFilePayloadJSON)
 															if nil == err {
 																for _, ringFilePayloadJSONDev = range ringFilePayloadJSON.Devs {
-																	_, alreadyInSwiftReconEndpointIAddrSet = swiftReconEndpointIPAddrSet[ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP]
-																	if !alreadyInSwiftReconEndpointIAddrSet {
-																		swiftReconEndpointIPAddrSet[ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP] = struct{}{}
-																		swiftReconEndpoint = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP, ringFilePayloadJSONDev.Port)
-																		globals.swiftReconEndpointSet[swiftReconEndpoint] = struct{}{}
+																	if nil != ringFilePayloadJSONDev {
+																		_, alreadyInSwiftReconEndpointIAddrSet = swiftReconEndpointIPAddrSet[ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP]
+																		if !alreadyInSwiftReconEndpointIAddrSet {
+																			swiftReconEndpointIPAddrSet[ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP] = struct{}{}
+																			swiftReconEndpoint = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", ringFilePayloadJSONDev.IP, ringFilePayloadJSONDev.Port)
+																			globals.swiftReconEndpointSet[swiftReconEndpoint] = struct{}{}
+																		}
 																	}
 																}
 															} else {
diff --git a/release_notes.md b/release_notes.md
index e2c912b05..efc45a968 100644
--- a/release_notes.md
+++ b/release_notes.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # ProxyFS Release Notes
 
-## 1.16.2 (July 1, 2020)
+## 1.16.3 (July 2, 2020)
 
 ### Bug Fixes: