diff --git a/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go b/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
index ecc3f827c7b..7eead7fe264 100644
--- a/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
+++ b/go/pools/smartconnpool/pool.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package smartconnpool
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -509,8 +510,12 @@ func (pool *ConnPool[C]) get(ctx context.Context) (*Pooled[C], error) {
 	// to other clients, wait until one of the connections is returned
 	if conn == nil {
 		start := time.Now()
+
+		oldPool := fmt.Sprintf("%+v", pool)
 		conn, err = pool.wait.waitForConn(ctx, nil)
 		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("===================== ERROR: waitForConn err: %s", err.Error())
+			log.Errorf("ctx:\n%+v\nOld pool: \n%s\n=================\nNew pool: \n%+v", ctx, oldPool, pool)
 			return nil, ErrTimeout
 		}
 		pool.recordWait(start)
@@ -568,6 +573,7 @@ func (pool *ConnPool[C]) getWithSetting(ctx context.Context, setting *Setting) (
 		start := time.Now()
 		conn, err = pool.wait.waitForConn(ctx, setting)
 		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("===================== getWithSetting ERROR: waitForConn err: %s", err.Error())
 			return nil, ErrTimeout
 		}
 		pool.recordWait(start)
diff --git a/go/pools/smartconnpool/waitlist.go b/go/pools/smartconnpool/waitlist.go
index f16215f4b14..06a08eb4b10 100644
--- a/go/pools/smartconnpool/waitlist.go
+++ b/go/pools/smartconnpool/waitlist.go
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ package smartconnpool
 import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/list"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
 )
 
 // waiter represents a client waiting for a connection in the waitlist
@@ -108,7 +110,12 @@ func (wl *waitlist[C]) expire(force bool) {
 func (wl *waitlist[D]) tryReturnConn(conn *Pooled[D]) bool {
 	// fast path: if there's nobody waiting there's nothing to do
 	if wl.list.Len() == 0 {
-		return false
+		// HACK: we're gonna sleep for a bit and try again, to see if there are still no waiters
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+		if wl.list.Len() == 0 {
+			log.Error("======================= WE HIT THE FAST PATH, WE'RE RETURNING")
+			return false
+		}
 	}
 	// split the slow path into a separate function to enable inlining
 	return wl.tryReturnConnSlow(conn)
diff --git a/go/vt/logutil/throttled.go b/go/vt/logutil/throttled.go
index 4ee11912e71..07c7aadc5df 100644
--- a/go/vt/logutil/throttled.go
+++ b/go/vt/logutil/throttled.go
@@ -55,30 +55,32 @@ var (
 )
 
 func (tl *ThrottledLogger) log(logF logFunc, format string, v ...any) {
-	now := time.Now()
+	// now := time.Now()
 
 	tl.mu.Lock()
 	defer tl.mu.Unlock()
-	logWaitTime := tl.maxInterval - (now.Sub(tl.lastlogTime))
-	if logWaitTime < 0 {
-		tl.lastlogTime = now
-		logF(2, fmt.Sprintf(tl.name+": "+format, v...))
-		return
-	}
-	// If this is the first message to be skipped, start a goroutine
-	// to log and reset skippedCount
-	if tl.skippedCount == 0 {
-		go func(d time.Duration) {
-			<-time.After(d)
-			tl.mu.Lock()
-			defer tl.mu.Unlock()
-			// Because of the go func(), we lose the stack trace,
-			// so we just use the current line for this.
-			logF(0, fmt.Sprintf("%v: skipped %v log messages", tl.name, tl.skippedCount))
-			tl.skippedCount = 0
-		}(logWaitTime)
-	}
-	tl.skippedCount++
+	// logWaitTime := tl.maxInterval - (now.Sub(tl.lastlogTime))
+	// if logWaitTime < 0 {
+	// 	tl.lastlogTime = now
+	logF(2, fmt.Sprintf(tl.name+": "+format, v...))
+	// return
+	// }
+	// // If this is the first message to be skipped, start a goroutine
+	// // to log and reset skippedCount
+	//
+	//	if tl.skippedCount == 0 {
+	//		go func(d time.Duration) {
+	//			<-time.After(d)
+	//			tl.mu.Lock()
+	//			defer tl.mu.Unlock()
+	//			// Because of the go func(), we lose the stack trace,
+	//			// so we just use the current line for this.
+	//			logF(0, fmt.Sprintf("%v: skipped %v log messages", tl.name, tl.skippedCount))
+	//			tl.skippedCount = 0
+	//		}(logWaitTime)
+	//	}
+	//
+	// tl.skippedCount++
 }
 
 // Infof logs an info if not throttled.
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/query_executor.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/query_executor.go
index ccf0398d5e5..06135f85c7c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/query_executor.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/query_executor.go
@@ -726,6 +726,7 @@ func (qre *QueryExecutor) execSelect() (*sqltypes.Result, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer conn.Recycle()
+
 	res, err := qre.execDBConn(conn.Conn, sql, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err