diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index ab2f4294..dea9aad7 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,7 +1,21 @@
-1.38.1 - 2016-mm-dd
+1.38.3 - 2016-mm-dd
 -------------------
 
 
+1.38.2 - 2016-10-13
+-------------------
+
+Bug fixes:
+ * Batch queries: release redis clients to pool from locker and seeker.
+
+
+1.38.1 - 2016-10-13
+-------------------
+
+Enhancements:
+ * Batch queries: improvements over leader locking.
+
+
 1.38.0 - 2016-10-11
 -------------------
 
diff --git a/batch/leader/provider/redis-distlock.js b/batch/leader/provider/redis-distlock.js
index 5a466946..18287707 100644
--- a/batch/leader/provider/redis-distlock.js
+++ b/batch/leader/provider/redis-distlock.js
@@ -10,8 +10,14 @@ var debug = require('../../util/debug')('redis-distlock');
 
 function RedisDistlockLocker(redisPool) {
     this.pool = redisPool;
-    this.redlock = null;
-    this.client = null;
+    this.redlock = new Redlock([{}], {
+        // see http://redis.io/topics/distlock
+        driftFactor: 0.01, // time in ms
+        // the max number of times Redlock will attempt to lock a resource before failing
+        retryCount: 3,
+        // the time in ms between attempts
+        retryDelay: 100
+    });
     this._locks = {};
 }
 
@@ -49,9 +55,19 @@ RedisDistlockLocker.prototype.lock = function(host, ttl, callback) {
 };
 
 RedisDistlockLocker.prototype.unlock = function(host, callback) {
+    var self = this;
     var lock = this._getLock(resourceId(host));
-    if (lock && this.redlock) {
-        return this.redlock.unlock(lock, callback);
+    if (lock) {
+        this.pool.acquire(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, function (err, client) {
+            if (err) {
+                return callback(err);
+            }
+            self.redlock.servers = [client];
+            return self.redlock.unlock(lock, function(err) {
+                self.pool.release(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, client);
+                return callback(err);
+            });
+        });
     }
 };
 
@@ -67,30 +83,29 @@ RedisDistlockLocker.prototype._setLock = function(resource, lock) {
 };
 
 RedisDistlockLocker.prototype._tryExtend = function(lock, ttl, callback) {
-    return lock.extend(ttl, function(err, _lock) {
-        return callback(err, _lock);
+    var self = this;
+    this.pool.acquire(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, function (err, client) {
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
+        self.redlock.servers = [client];
+        return lock.extend(ttl, function(err, _lock) {
+            self.pool.release(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, client);
+            return callback(err, _lock);
+        });
     });
 };
 
 RedisDistlockLocker.prototype._tryAcquire = function(resource, ttl, callback) {
-    if (this.redlock & this.client && this.client.connected) {
-        return this.redlock.lock(resource, ttl, callback);
-    }
-    if (this.client && !this.client.connected) {
-        this.pool.release(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, this.client);
-    }
     var self = this;
     this.pool.acquire(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, function (err, client) {
-        self.client = client;
-        self.redlock = new Redlock([client], {
-            // see http://redis.io/topics/distlock
-            driftFactor: 0.01, // time in ms
-            // the max number of times Redlock will attempt to lock a resource before failing
-            retryCount: 3,
-            // the time in ms between attempts
-            retryDelay: 100
+        if (err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
+        self.redlock.servers = [client];
+        return self.redlock.lock(resource, ttl, function(err, _lock) {
+            self.pool.release(REDIS_DISTLOCK.DB, client);
+            return callback(err, _lock);
         });
-
-        self.redlock.lock(resource, ttl, callback);
     });
 };
diff --git a/batch/pubsub/queue-seeker.js b/batch/pubsub/queue-seeker.js
index fa9fc490..6c8380e0 100644
--- a/batch/pubsub/queue-seeker.js
+++ b/batch/pubsub/queue-seeker.js
@@ -11,37 +11,41 @@ module.exports = QueueSeeker;
 QueueSeeker.prototype.seek = function (callback) {
     var initialCursor = ['0'];
     var users = {};
-    this._seek(initialCursor, users, callback);
-};
-
-QueueSeeker.prototype._seek = function (cursor, users, callback) {
     var self = this;
-    var redisParams = [cursor[0], 'MATCH', QUEUE.PREFIX + '*'];
 
     this.pool.acquire(QUEUE.DB, function(err, client) {
         if (err) {
             return callback(err);
         }
-
-        client.scan(redisParams, function(err, currentCursor) {
-            // checks if iteration has ended
-            if (currentCursor[0] === '0') {
-                self.pool.release(QUEUE.DB, client);
-                return callback(null, Object.keys(users));
-            }
-
-            var queues = currentCursor[1];
-
-            if (!queues) {
-                return callback(null);
-            }
-
-            queues.forEach(function (queue) {
-                var user = queue.substr(QUEUE.PREFIX.length);
-                users[user] = true;
-            });
-
-            self._seek(currentCursor, users, callback);
+        self._seek(client, initialCursor, users, function(err, users) {
+            self.pool.release(QUEUE.DB, client);
+            return callback(err, users);
         });
     });
 };
+
+QueueSeeker.prototype._seek = function (client, cursor, users, callback) {
+    var self = this;
+    var redisParams = [cursor[0], 'MATCH', QUEUE.PREFIX + '*'];
+
+    client.scan(redisParams, function(err, currentCursor) {
+        // checks if iteration has ended
+        if (currentCursor[0] === '0') {
+            self.pool.release(QUEUE.DB, client);
+            return callback(null, Object.keys(users));
+        }
+
+        var queues = currentCursor[1];
+
+        if (!queues) {
+            return callback(null);
+        }
+
+        queues.forEach(function (queue) {
+            var user = queue.substr(QUEUE.PREFIX.length);
+            users[user] = true;
+        });
+
+        self._seek(client, currentCursor, users, callback);
+    });
+};
diff --git a/npm-shrinkwrap.json b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
index b2f03e10..801d2ce2 100644
--- a/npm-shrinkwrap.json
+++ b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "cartodb_sql_api",
-  "version": "1.38.1",
+  "version": "1.38.3",
   "dependencies": {
     "bunyan": {
       "version": "1.8.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 415e5551..8304e471 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "keywords": [
     "cartodb"
   ],
-  "version": "1.38.1",
+  "version": "1.38.3",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "git://github.com/CartoDB/CartoDB-SQL-API.git"
diff --git a/test/prepare_db.sh b/test/prepare_db.sh
index e0605e48..b86d96cf 100755
--- a/test/prepare_db.sh
+++ b/test/prepare_db.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 PREPARE_REDIS=yes
 PREPARE_PGSQL=yes
+OFFLINE=no
 
 while [ -n "$1" ]; do
   if test "$1" = "--skip-pg"; then
@@ -15,6 +16,9 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
   elif test "$1" = "--skip-redis"; then
     PREPARE_REDIS=no
     shift; continue
+  elif test "$1" = "--offline"; then
+    OFFLINE=yes
+    shift; continue
   fi
 done
 
@@ -74,13 +78,15 @@ if test x"$PREPARE_PGSQL" = xyes; then
   LOCAL_SQL_SCRIPTS='test populated_places_simple_reduced'
   REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS='CDB_QueryStatements CDB_QueryTables CDB_CartodbfyTable CDB_TableMetadata CDB_ForeignTable CDB_UserTables CDB_ColumnNames CDB_ZoomFromScale CDB_OverviewsSupport CDB_Overviews'
 
-  CURL_ARGS=""
-  for i in ${REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS}
-  do
-    CURL_ARGS="${CURL_ARGS}\"https://github.com/CartoDB/cartodb-postgresql/raw/master/scripts-available/$i.sql\" -o support/sql/$i.sql "
-  done
-  echo "Downloading and updating: ${REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS}"
-  echo ${CURL_ARGS} | xargs curl -L -s
+  if test x"$OFFLINE" = xno; then
+      CURL_ARGS=""
+      for i in ${REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS}
+      do
+        CURL_ARGS="${CURL_ARGS}\"https://github.com/CartoDB/cartodb-postgresql/raw/master/scripts-available/$i.sql\" -o support/sql/$i.sql "
+      done
+      echo "Downloading and updating: ${REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS}"
+      echo ${CURL_ARGS} | xargs curl -L -s
+  fi
 
   psql -c "CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS plpythonu;" ${TEST_DB}
   ALL_SQL_SCRIPTS="${REMOTE_SQL_SCRIPTS} ${LOCAL_SQL_SCRIPTS}"
diff --git a/test/run_tests.sh b/test/run_tests.sh
index 8741199c..b91216f8 100755
--- a/test/run_tests.sh
+++ b/test/run_tests.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ OPT_CREATE_REDIS=yes # create/prepare the redis test databases
 OPT_DROP_PGSQL=yes   # drop the postgreql test environment
 OPT_DROP_REDIS=yes   # drop the redis test environment
 OPT_COVERAGE=no      # run tests with coverage
+OPT_OFFLINE=no       # do not donwload scripts
 
 cd $(dirname $0)
 BASEDIR=$(pwd)
@@ -85,6 +86,10 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
                 OPT_COVERAGE=yes
                 shift
                 continue
+        elif test "$1" = "--offline"; then
+                OPT_OFFLINE=yes
+                shift
+                continue
         else
                 break
         fi
@@ -119,6 +124,9 @@ fi
 if test x"$OPT_CREATE_REDIS" != xyes; then
   PREPARE_DB_OPTS="$PREPARE_DB_OPTS --skip-redis"
 fi
+if test x"$OPT_OFFLINE" == xyes; then
+  PREPARE_DB_OPTS="$PREPARE_DB_OPTS --offline"
+fi
 
 echo "Preparing the environment"
 cd ${BASEDIR}