diff --git a/swarm/api/api_test.go b/swarm/api/api_test.go
index e673f76c42..17e12dbd4f 100644
--- a/swarm/api/api_test.go
+++ b/swarm/api/api_test.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func testApi(t *testing.T, f func(*Api)) {
 	}
 	os.RemoveAll(datadir)
 	defer os.RemoveAll(datadir)
-	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir)
+	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/swarm/fuse/swarmfs_test.go b/swarm/fuse/swarmfs_test.go
index 42af36345f..b5ea7643e5 100644
--- a/swarm/fuse/swarmfs_test.go
+++ b/swarm/fuse/swarmfs_test.go
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ func TestFUSE(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	os.RemoveAll(datadir)
 
-	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir)
+	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/swarm/storage/dbstore.go b/swarm/storage/dbstore.go
index 46a5c16ccc..2c4ec25cf7 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/dbstore.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/dbstore.go
@@ -93,12 +93,23 @@ func NewDbStore(path string, hash SwarmHasher, capacity uint64, radius int) (s *
 	s.gcStartPos[0] = kpIndex
 	s.gcArray = make([]*gcItem, gcArraySize)
 
+	// the database closes with pointer to last entry stored
+	// we increment upon open so that the last entry doesn't get overwritten
 	data, _ := s.db.Get(keyEntryCnt)
 	s.entryCnt = BytesToU64(data)
+	if len(data) > 0 {
+		s.entryCnt++
+	}
 	data, _ = s.db.Get(keyAccessCnt)
 	s.accessCnt = BytesToU64(data)
+	if len(data) > 0 {
+		s.accessCnt++
+	}
 	data, _ = s.db.Get(keyDataIdx)
 	s.dataIdx = BytesToU64(data)
+	if len(data) > 0 {
+		s.dataIdx++
+	}
 	s.gcPos, _ = s.db.Get(keyGCPos)
 	if s.gcPos == nil {
 		s.gcPos = s.gcStartPos
diff --git a/swarm/storage/dpa.go b/swarm/storage/dpa.go
index 44a2669f12..adbf915335 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/dpa.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/dpa.go
@@ -63,17 +63,27 @@ type DPA struct {
 }
 
 // for testing locally
-func NewLocalDPA(datadir string) (*DPA, error) {
+func NewLocalDPA(datadir string, hashalgorithm string, dbcapacity uint64, memcapacity uint) (*DPA, error) {
 
-	hash := MakeHashFunc("SHA256")
+	if hashalgorithm == "" {
+		hashalgorithm = "SHA3"
+	}
+	hash := MakeHashFunc(hashalgorithm)
 
-	dbStore, err := NewDbStore(datadir, hash, singletonSwarmDbCapacity, 0)
+	if dbcapacity == 0 {
+		dbcapacity = uint64(singletonSwarmDbCapacity)
+	}
+	if memcapacity == 0 {
+		memcapacity = uint(singletonSwarmCacheCapacity)
+	}
+
+	log.Debug("LocalDPA create", "dbcap", dbcapacity, "memcap", memcapacity)
+	dbStore, err := NewDbStore(datadir, hash, dbcapacity, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
 	return NewDPA(&LocalStore{
-		NewMemStore(dbStore, singletonSwarmCacheCapacity),
+		NewMemStore(dbStore, memcapacity),
 		dbStore,
 	}, NewChunkerParams()), nil
 }
@@ -117,6 +127,7 @@ func (self *DPA) Start() {
 func (self *DPA) Stop() {
 	self.lock.Lock()
 	defer self.lock.Unlock()
+	self.Close()
 	if !self.running {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/swarm/storage/localstore.go b/swarm/storage/localstore.go
index b442e6cc54..bf9eeb2e77 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/localstore.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/localstore.go
@@ -74,4 +74,6 @@ func (self *LocalStore) Get(key Key) (chunk *Chunk, err error) {
 }
 
 // Close local store
-func (self *LocalStore) Close() {}
+func (self *LocalStore) Close() {
+	self.DbStore.Close()
+}
diff --git a/swarm/storage/types.go b/swarm/storage/types.go
index d35f1f9294..860659020a 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/types.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/types.go
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/sha3"
 )
 
+const (
+	CHUNKSIZE = 4096
+)
+
 type Hasher func() hash.Hash
 type SwarmHasher func() SwarmHash
 
diff --git a/swarm/swarm.go b/swarm/swarm.go
index 3be3660b58..7e2631857f 100644
--- a/swarm/swarm.go
+++ b/swarm/swarm.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func NewLocalSwarm(datadir, port string) (self *Swarm, err error) {
 	config.Init(prvKey)
 	config.Port = port
 
-	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir)
+	dpa, err := storage.NewLocalDPA(datadir, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}