diff --git a/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c b/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
index 93459809..65f6e811 100644
--- a/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
+++ b/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
@@ -787,10 +787,6 @@ int _update_version_link(struct mars_rotate *rot, struct trans_logger_info *inf)
 			goto out;
 		}
 		prev_link = mars_readlink(prev);
-		if (unlikely(!prev_link)) {
-			MARS_ERR("cannot find previous version symlink '%s'\n", SAFE_STR(prev));
-			goto out;
-		}
 		rot->inf_prev_sequence = inf->inf_sequence;
 	}
 
@@ -2215,8 +2211,11 @@ int make_log_step(void *buf, struct mars_dent *dent)
 	prev_log = rot->next_log;
 	if (prev_log && prev_log->d_serial + 1 != dent->d_serial) {
 		MARS_WRN("transaction logs are not consecutive at '%s' (%d ~> %d)\n", dent->d_path, prev_log->d_serial, dent->d_serial);
-		status = -EINVAL;
-		goto done;
+		// allow the primary to create a hole in the logfile sequence numbers
+		if (!rot->todo_primary || prev_log->d_serial + 2 != dent->d_serial) {
+			status = -EINVAL;
+			goto done;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (dent->d_serial > rot->max_sequence) {
@@ -2280,7 +2279,7 @@ err:
  * ret == 3 : relevant for appending
  */
 static
-int _check_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot, long long *oldpos_start, long long *oldpos_end, long long *newpos)
+int _check_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot, int *log_nr, long long *oldpos_start, long long *oldpos_end, long long *newpos)
 {
 	struct mars_dent *dent = rot->relevant_log;
 	struct mars_dent *parent;
@@ -2298,6 +2297,10 @@ int _check_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot, long long *oldpos_start, long
 	CHECK_PTR(rot->replay_link, done);
 	CHECK_PTR(rot->aio_brick, done);
 
+	if (sscanf(rot->replay_link->d_argv[0], "log-%d", log_nr) != 1) {
+		MARS_ERR("malformed logfile number '%s'\n", rot->replay_link->d_argv[0]);
+		goto done;
+	}
 	if (sscanf(rot->replay_link->d_argv[1], "%lld", oldpos_start) != 1) {
 		MARS_ERR("bad start position argument '%s'\n", rot->replay_link->d_argv[1]);
 		goto done;
@@ -2355,6 +2358,7 @@ int _make_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot)
 	struct mars_dent *parent;
 	struct mars_global *global = NULL;
 	struct trans_logger_brick *trans_brick;
+	int log_nr = 0;
 	loff_t start_pos = 0;
 	loff_t dirty_pos = 0;
 	loff_t end_pos = 0;
@@ -2378,7 +2382,7 @@ int _make_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot)
 
 	/* Find current logging status.
 	 */
-	status = _check_logging_status(rot, &start_pos, &dirty_pos, &end_pos);
+	status = _check_logging_status(rot, &log_nr, &start_pos, &dirty_pos, &end_pos);
 	if (status < 0) {
 		goto done;
 	}
@@ -2402,8 +2406,10 @@ int _make_logging_status(struct mars_rotate *rot)
 					_make_new_replaylink(rot, rot->next_relevant_log->d_rest, rot->next_relevant_log->d_serial, rot->next_relevant_log->new_stat.size);
 				}
 			} else if (rot->todo_primary) {
-				MARS_DBG("preparing new transaction log '%s' from version %d to %d\n", dent->d_path, dent->d_serial, dent->d_serial + 1);
-				_make_new_replaylink(rot, my_id(), dent->d_serial + 1, 0);
+				if (dent->d_serial > log_nr)
+					log_nr = dent->d_serial;
+				MARS_DBG("preparing new transaction log '%s' from version %d to %d\n", dent->d_path, dent->d_serial, log_nr + 1);
+				_make_new_replaylink(rot, my_id(), log_nr + 1, 0);
 			} else {
 				MARS_DBG("nothing to do on last transaction log '%s'\n", dent->d_path);
 			}
@@ -2517,7 +2523,8 @@ void _rotate_trans(struct mars_rotate *rot)
 	// try to setup new log
 	if (log_nr == trans_brick->new_input_nr &&
 	    rot->next_relevant_log &&
-	    rot->next_relevant_log->d_serial == trans_brick->inputs[log_nr]->inf.inf_sequence + 1 &&
+	    (rot->next_relevant_log->d_serial == trans_brick->inputs[log_nr]->inf.inf_sequence + 1 ||
+	     trans_brick->cease_logging) &&
 	    (next_nr = _get_free_input(trans_brick)) >= 0) {
 		struct trans_logger_input *trans_input;
 		int status;
@@ -2719,40 +2726,6 @@ done:
 	return status;
 }
 
-static
-void override_all_syncstatus(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_rotate *rot, char *parent_path)
-{
-	char *prefix = NULL;
-	struct mars_dent **table = NULL;
-	int count;
-	int i;
-
-
-	prefix = path_make("%s/syncstatus-", parent_path);
-	if (!prefix)
-		goto done;
-		
-	count = mars_find_dent_all(global, prefix, &table);
-	MARS_DBG("prefix='%s' count=%d\n", prefix, count);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		struct mars_dent *dent = table[i];
-		int status;
-
-		if (!dent || !dent->d_path || dent == rot->syncstatus_dent)
-			continue;
-		
-		status = mars_symlink("0", dent->d_path, NULL, 0);
-		MARS_DBG("clearing syncstatus link '%s' status=%d\n", dent->d_path, status);
-	}
-
-done:
-	if (table)
-		brick_mem_free(table);
-	if (prefix)
-		brick_string_free(prefix);
-}
-
 static
 int make_log_finalize(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *dent)
 {
@@ -2780,12 +2753,23 @@ int make_log_finalize(struct mars_global *global, struct mars_dent *dent)
 		brick_say_logging = 0;
 		if (rot->todo_primary || rot->is_primary) {
 			trans_brick->cease_logging = true;
+			rot->inf_prev_sequence = 0; // disable checking
 		}
 	} else if (!rot->todo_primary && !rot->is_primary) {
 		trans_brick->cease_logging = false;
 	}
-	if (trans_brick->cease_logging)
-		override_all_syncstatus(global, rot, parent->d_path);
+	if (trans_brick->cease_logging) {
+		/* Create a hole in the sequence of logfile numbers.
+		 * The secondaries will later stumble over it.
+		 */
+		if (trans_brick->inputs[trans_brick->log_input_nr]->inf.inf_max_pos > 0) {
+			char *new_path = path_make("%s/log-%09d-%s", rot->parent_path, rot->max_sequence + 2, my_id());
+			if (likely(new_path && !mars_find_dent(global, new_path))) {
+				_create_new_logfile(new_path);
+			}
+			brick_string_free(new_path);
+		}
+	}
 
 	// check whether some copy has finished
 	copy_brick = (struct copy_brick*)mars_find_brick(global, &copy_brick_type, rot->copy_path);