diff --git a/kong/clustering/services/sync/hooks.lua b/kong/clustering/services/sync/hooks.lua
index 931e6599001..01bc6c1d9d1 100644
--- a/kong/clustering/services/sync/hooks.lua
+++ b/kong/clustering/services/sync/hooks.lua
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ local _MT = { __index = _M, }
 
 
 local hooks = require("kong.hooks")
-local constants = require("kong.constants")
+--local constants = require("kong.constants")
 
 
-local CLUSTERING_PING_INTERVAL = constants.CLUSTERING_PING_INTERVAL
+--local CLUSTERING_PING_INTERVAL = constants.CLUSTERING_PING_INTERVAL
 local ngx_log = ngx.log
-local ngx_DEBUG = ngx.DEBUG
+--local ngx_DEBUG = ngx.DEBUG
 local ngx_ERR = ngx.ERR
 
 
diff --git a/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua b/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
index 504894109bf..67f062e6f65 100644
--- a/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
+++ b/kong/clustering/services/sync/rpc.lua
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ local _M = {}
 local _MT = { __index = _M, }
 
 
-local semaphore = require("ngx.semaphore")
-local lmdb = require("resty.lmdb")
+--local semaphore = require("ngx.semaphore")
+--local lmdb = require("resty.lmdb")
 local txn = require("resty.lmdb.transaction")
 local declarative = require("kong.db.declarative")
 local constants = require("kong.constants")
@@ -201,9 +201,13 @@ function _M:sync_once(delay)
             -- upsert the entity
             -- does the entity already exists?
             local old_entity, err = kong.db[delta.type]:select(delta.row)
+            if err then
+              return nil, err
+            end
+
             local crud_event_type = "create"
 
-            if entity then
+            if old_entity then
               local res, err = delete_entity_for_txn(t, delta.type, old_entity, nil)
               if not res then
                 return nil, err
@@ -223,6 +227,10 @@ function _M:sync_once(delay)
           else
             -- delete the entity
             local old_entity, err = kong.db[delta.type]:select({ id = delta.id, }) -- TODO: composite key
+            if err then
+              return nil, err
+            end
+
             if old_entity then
               local res, err = delete_entity_for_txn(t, delta.type, old_entity, nil)
               if not res then
diff --git a/kong/db/declarative/import.lua b/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
index c6e353d3055..430c6f13559 100644
--- a/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
+++ b/kong/db/declarative/import.lua
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ local sha256_hex = require("kong.tools.sha256").sha256_hex
 local pk_string = declarative_config.pk_string
 
 local assert = assert
-local sort = table.sort
+--local sort = table.sort
 local type = type
 local pairs = pairs
-local next = next
+--local next = next
 local insert = table.insert
 local string_format = string.format
 local null = ngx.null
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ local function insert_entity_for_txn(t, entity_name, item, options)
         end
 
         if fdata.unique_across_ws then
-          ws_id = default_workspace_id
+          ws_id = kong.default_workspace
         end
 
         local key = unique_field_key(entity_name, ws_id, fname, value)
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ local function delete_entity_for_txn(t, entity_name, item, options)
         end
 
         if fdata.unique_across_ws then
-          ws_id = default_workspace_id
+          ws_id = kong.default_workspace
         end
 
         local key = unique_field_key(entity_name, ws_id, fname, value)
diff --git a/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua b/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
index 1f34d6725d9..54a5f68d2af 100644
--- a/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
+++ b/kong/db/strategies/off/init.lua
@@ -1,34 +1,35 @@
 local declarative_config = require("kong.db.schema.others.declarative_config")
-local workspaces = require("kong.workspaces")
+--local workspaces = require("kong.workspaces")
 local lmdb = require("resty.lmdb")
 local lmdb_prefix = require("resty.lmdb.prefix")
-local lmdb_transaction = require("resty.lmdb.transaction")
+--local lmdb_transaction = require("resty.lmdb.transaction")
 local marshaller = require("kong.db.declarative.marshaller")
-local yield = require("kong.tools.yield").yield
+--local yield = require("kong.tools.yield").yield
 local declarative = require("kong.db.declarative")
 
 local kong = kong
 local string_format = string.format
 local type = type
 local next = next
-local sort = table.sort
-local pairs = pairs
-local match = string.match
+--local sort = table.sort
+--local pairs = pairs
+--local match = string.match
 local assert = assert
-local tostring = tostring
-local tonumber = tonumber
-local encode_base64 = ngx.encode_base64
-local decode_base64 = ngx.decode_base64
+--local tostring = tostring
+--local tonumber = tonumber
+--local encode_base64 = ngx.encode_base64
+--local decode_base64 = ngx.decode_base64
 local null = ngx.null
 local unmarshall = marshaller.unmarshall
-local marshall = marshaller.marshall
+--local marshall = marshaller.marshall
 local lmdb_get = lmdb.get
-local get_workspace_id = workspaces.get_workspace_id
+--local get_workspace_id = workspaces.get_workspace_id
 local pk_string = declarative_config.pk_string
 local unique_field_key = declarative.unique_field_key
 local item_key = declarative.item_key
 local item_key_prefix = declarative.item_key_prefix
 local workspace_id = declarative.workspace_id
+local foreign_field_key_prefix = declarative.foreign_field_key_prefix
 
 
 local PROCESS_AUTO_FIELDS_OPTS = {
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ local function page_for_prefix(self, prefix, size, offset, options, follow)
 
   offset = offset or prefix
 
-  local list = {}
+  --local list = {}
 
   local ret = {}
   local ret_idx = 0
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ local function select_by_field(self, field, value, options)
 end
 
 
+--[[
 local function remove_nulls(tbl)
   for k,v in pairs(tbl) do
     if v == null then
@@ -212,6 +214,7 @@ local function remove_nulls(tbl)
   end
   return tbl
 end
+--]]
 
 
 do