diff --git a/swarm/api/api.go b/swarm/api/api.go
index 0c8d9d1ea7..5197d7a4bd 100644
--- a/swarm/api/api.go
+++ b/swarm/api/api.go
@@ -384,11 +384,7 @@ func (self *Api) ResourceLookup(name string, period uint32, version uint32) (sto
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	key, data, err := self.resource.GetContent(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-	return key, data, nil
+	return self.resource.GetContent(name)
 }
 
 func (self *Api) ResourceCreate(name string, frequency uint64) (err error) {
diff --git a/swarm/api/http/server.go b/swarm/api/http/server.go
index 0b22b9d8da..c84d47dac4 100644
--- a/swarm/api/http/server.go
+++ b/swarm/api/http/server.go
@@ -378,19 +378,19 @@ func (s *Server) handleGetResource(w http.ResponseWriter, r *Request, name strin
 		if err != nil {
 			break
 		}
-		updateKey, data, err = s.api.ResourceLookup(name, uint32(period), uint32(version))
-	case 1:
-		version, err = strconv.ParseUint(params[1], 10, 32)
+		period, err = strconv.ParseUint(params[0], 10, 32)
 		if err != nil {
 			break
 		}
+		updateKey, data, err = s.api.ResourceLookup(name, uint32(period), uint32(version))
+	case 1:
 		period, err = strconv.ParseUint(params[0], 10, 32)
 		if err != nil {
 			break
 		}
 		updateKey, data, err = s.api.ResourceLookup(name, uint32(period), uint32(version))
 	default:
-		s.BadRequest(w, r, fmt.Sprintf("Invalid mutable resource request"))
+		s.BadRequest(w, r, "Invalid mutable resource request")
 		return
 	}
 	if err != nil {
@@ -463,14 +463,18 @@ func (s *Server) HandleGet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *Request) {
 	switch {
 	case r.uri.Raw():
 		m := &api.Manifest{}
-		sz, _ := reader.Size(nil)
-		b := make([]byte, sz)
-		reader.Read(b)
-		err = json.Unmarshal(b, m)
-		if len(m.Entries) > 0 {
-			if m.Entries[0].ContentType == api.ResourceContentType {
-				s.handleGetResource(w, r, m.Entries[0].Path)
-				return
+		sz, err := reader.Size(nil)
+		if err == nil {
+			b := make([]byte, sz)
+			reader.Read(b)
+			err = json.Unmarshal(b, m)
+			if err == nil {
+				if len(m.Entries) > 0 {
+					if m.Entries[0].ContentType == api.ResourceContentType {
+						s.handleGetResource(w, r, m.Entries[0].Path)
+						return
+					}
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		// allow the request to overwrite the content type using a query
diff --git a/swarm/api/http/server_test.go b/swarm/api/http/server_test.go
index e75bd04bcf..73036de203 100644
--- a/swarm/api/http/server_test.go
+++ b/swarm/api/http/server_test.go
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ func TestBzzResource(t *testing.T) {
 	resp, err := http.Post(url, "application/octet-stream", bytes.NewReader(databytes))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
+	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("err %s", resp.Status)
 	}
 	manifesthash, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		t.Fatalf("err %s", resp.Status)
-	}
+	resp.Body.Close()
 
 	// update 2
 	url = fmt.Sprintf("%s/bzz-resource:/%x", srv.URL, keybytes)
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ func TestBzzResource(t *testing.T) {
 	resp, err = http.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
+	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("err %s", resp.Status)
 	}
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -86,12 +88,15 @@ func TestBzzResource(t *testing.T) {
 	} else if !bytes.Equal(data, b) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected body '%x', got '%x'", data, b)
 	}
+	resp.Body.Close()
 
 	// get latest update (1.2) through resource directly
 	url = fmt.Sprintf("%s/bzz-resource:/%x", srv.URL, keybytes)
 	resp, err = http.Get(url)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
+	} else if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("err %s", resp.Status)
 	}
 	b, err = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -99,7 +104,7 @@ func TestBzzResource(t *testing.T) {
 	} else if !bytes.Equal(data, b) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected body '%x', got '%x'", data, b)
 	}
-
+	resp.Body.Close()
 }
 
 func TestBzzGetPath(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/swarm/storage/resource.go b/swarm/storage/resource.go
index 80251c841e..62e0dc5456 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/resource.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/resource.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/net/idna"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 )
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ type ResourceValidator interface {
 }
 
 type ethApi interface {
-	BlockNumber(context.Context) (big.Int, error)
+	HeaderByNumber(context.Context, *big.Int) (*types.Header, error)
 }
 
 // Mutable resource is an entity which allows updates to a resource
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ type ethApi interface {
 // TODO: Include modtime in chunk data + signature
 type ResourceHandler struct {
 	ChunkStore
-	ctx          context.Context
+	ctx          context.Context // base for new contexts passed to storage layer and ethapi, to ensure teardown when Close() is called
 	cancelFunc   func()
 	validator    ResourceValidator
 	ethClient    ethApi
@@ -609,11 +610,13 @@ func (self *ResourceHandler) Close() {
 }
 
 func (self *ResourceHandler) GetBlock() (uint64, error) {
-	bigblocknumber, err := self.ethClient.BlockNumber(self.ctx)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(self.ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+	blockheader, err := self.ethClient.HeaderByNumber(ctx, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	return bigblocknumber.Uint64(), nil
+	return blockheader.Number.Uint64(), nil
 }
 
 // Calculate the period index (aka major version number) from a given block number
@@ -771,11 +774,7 @@ func getNextPeriod(start uint64, current uint64, frequency uint64) uint32 {
 }
 
 func ToSafeName(name string) (string, error) {
-	validname, err := idna.ToASCII(name)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return validname, nil
+	return idna.ToASCII(name)
 }
 
 // check that name identifiers contain valid bytes
diff --git a/swarm/storage/resource_test.go b/swarm/storage/resource_test.go
index dd96f0b3d7..e6a00d88f4 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/resource_test.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/resource_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/contracts/ens"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/contracts/ens/contract"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/log"
 )
@@ -57,10 +58,12 @@ func (f *fakeBackend) Commit() {
 	f.blocknumber++
 }
 
-func (f *fakeBackend) BlockNumber(context context.Context) (big.Int, error) {
+func (f *fakeBackend) HeaderByNumber(context context.Context, bigblock *big.Int) (*types.Header, error) {
 	f.blocknumber++
 	biggie := big.NewInt(f.blocknumber)
-	return *biggie, nil
+	return &types.Header{
+		Number: biggie,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 // check that signature address matches update signer address
diff --git a/swarm/testutil/http.go b/swarm/testutil/http.go
index 4a6a68e43b..cf4b045c6d 100644
--- a/swarm/testutil/http.go
+++ b/swarm/testutil/http.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/types"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api"
 	httpapi "github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/api/http"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/swarm/storage"
@@ -34,10 +35,12 @@ type fakeBackend struct {
 	blocknumber int64
 }
 
-func (f *fakeBackend) BlockNumber(ctx context.Context) (big.Int, error) {
+func (f *fakeBackend) HeaderByNumber(context context.Context, bigblock *big.Int) (*types.Header, error) {
 	f.blocknumber++
 	biggie := big.NewInt(f.blocknumber)
-	return *biggie, nil
+	return &types.Header{
+		Number: biggie,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func NewTestSwarmServer(t *testing.T) *TestSwarmServer {