diff --git a/portal/static/js/src/admin.js b/portal/static/js/src/admin.js
index 391a5f218..718b1d8a4 100644
--- a/portal/static/js/src/admin.js
+++ b/portal/static/js/src/admin.js
@@ -143,6 +143,12 @@ let requestTimerId = 0;
           errorElement.innerHTML = errorMessage;
         }
       },
+      clearError: function() {
+        var errorElement = document.getElementById("admin-table-error-message");
+        if (errorElement) {
+          errorElement.innerHTML = "";
+        }
+      },
       injectDependencies: function () {
         var self = this;
         window.portalModules =
@@ -200,6 +206,8 @@ let requestTimerId = 0;
           );
           return;
         }
+        //reset error
+        this.clearError();
         this.patientDataAjaxRequest(params);
       },
       patientDataAjaxRequest: function (params) {
@@ -219,6 +227,12 @@ let requestTimerId = 0;
           }
           self.accessed = true;
           params.success(results);
+        }).fail(function(xhr, status) {
+          console.log("Error ", xhr);
+          console.log("status", status);
+          self.setError("Error occurred loading data.");
+          params.success([]);
+          self.accessed = true;
         });
       },
       handleCurrentUser: function () {
@@ -1229,11 +1243,12 @@ let requestTimerId = 0;
             sync: true,
           },
           function (data) {
+            prefData = data || self.getDefaultTablePreference();
+            self.currentTablePreference = prefData;
+
             if (!data || data.error) {
               return false;
             }
-            prefData = data || self.getDefaultTablePreference();
-            self.currentTablePreference = prefData;
 
             if (setFilter) {
               //set filter values
@@ -1303,6 +1318,7 @@ let requestTimerId = 0;
           for (var item in prefData.filters) {
             fname = "#adminTable .bootstrap-table-filter-control-" + item;
             if ($(fname).length === 0) {
+              prefData.filters[item] = null;
               continue;
             }
             //note this is based on the trigger event for filtering specify in the plugin
diff --git a/portal/templates/admin/patients_by_org.html b/portal/templates/admin/patients_by_org.html
index 6c0514d51..2465f98f5 100644
--- a/portal/templates/admin/patients_by_org.html
+++ b/portal/templates/admin/patients_by_org.html
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ <h4 class="tnth-headline">{{_("Patient List")}}</h4>
           </thead>
       </table>
   </div>
-  <div id="admin-table-error-message" class="text-danger smaller-text"></div>
+  <br/>
+  <div id="admin-table-error-message" class="text-danger"></div>
   {{ExportPopover()}}
 </div>
 {{ajaxDataScript(research_study_id=0)}}
diff --git a/portal/trigger_states/empro_states.py b/portal/trigger_states/empro_states.py
index b125bda37..901149a1f 100644
--- a/portal/trigger_states/empro_states.py
+++ b/portal/trigger_states/empro_states.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from ..timeout_lock import TimeoutLock, LockTimeout
 
 EMPRO_LOCK_KEY = "empro-trigger-state-lock-{user_id}"
+EMPRO_LOCK_EXPIRATION = 2*60*60  # yes, 2 hours given interruptions by big jobs (see IRONN-270)
 OPT_OUT_DELAY = 1800  # seconds to allow user to provide opt-out choices
 
 class EMPRO_state(StateMachine):
@@ -296,6 +297,9 @@ def process_processed(ts):
         # necessary to make deep copy in order to update DB JSON
         triggers = copy.deepcopy(ts.triggers)
         triggers['action_state'] = 'not applicable'
+        if 'actions' in triggers:
+            current_app.logger.error(
+                f"unexpected existing 'actions' in trigger_states.triggers({ts.id}): {triggers['actions']}")
         triggers['actions'] = dict()
         triggers['actions']['email'] = list()
 
@@ -413,6 +417,7 @@ def process_pending_actions(ts):
         try:
             with TimeoutLock(
                     key=EMPRO_LOCK_KEY.format(user_id=ts.user_id),
+                    expires=EMPRO_LOCK_EXPIRATION,
                     timeout=NEVER_WAIT):
                 process_processed(ts)
                 db.session.commit()
@@ -425,6 +430,7 @@ def process_pending_actions(ts):
             try:
                 with TimeoutLock(
                         key=EMPRO_LOCK_KEY.format(user_id=ts.user_id),
+                        expires=EMPRO_LOCK_EXPIRATION,
                         timeout=NEVER_WAIT):
                     process_pending_actions(ts)
                     db.session.commit()
@@ -555,7 +561,9 @@ def extract_observations(questionnaire_response_id, override_state=False):
 
     # given asynchronous possibility, require user's EMPRO lock
     with TimeoutLock(
-            key=EMPRO_LOCK_KEY.format(user_id=qnr.subject_id), timeout=60):
+            key=EMPRO_LOCK_KEY.format(user_id=qnr.subject_id),
+            expires=EMPRO_LOCK_EXPIRATION,
+            timeout=EMPRO_LOCK_EXPIRATION+60):
         ts = users_trigger_state(qnr.subject_id)
         sm = EMPRO_state(ts)
         if not override_state: