diff --git a/core/services/feeds/service.go b/core/services/feeds/service.go
index f986d1753af..61b2d53f2d5 100644
--- a/core/services/feeds/service.go
+++ b/core/services/feeds/service.go
@@ -362,8 +362,8 @@ func (s *service) ListManagersByIDs(ctx context.Context, ids []int64) ([]FeedsMa
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to list managers by IDs")
 	}
 
-	for _, manager := range managers {
-		manager.IsConnectionActive = s.connMgr.IsConnected(manager.ID)
+	for i, manager := range managers {
+		managers[i].IsConnectionActive = s.connMgr.IsConnected(manager.ID)
 	}
 
 	return managers, nil
diff --git a/deployment/environment/devenv/don.go b/deployment/environment/devenv/don.go
index 830f5b921bc..05a3d5bea08 100644
--- a/deployment/environment/devenv/don.go
+++ b/deployment/environment/devenv/don.go
@@ -335,8 +335,30 @@ func (n *Node) RegisterNodeToJobDistributor(ctx context.Context, jd JobDistribut
 		Labels:    n.labels,
 		Name:      n.Name,
 	})
-
-	if err != nil {
+	// node already registered, fetch it's id
+	// TODO: check for rpc code = "AlreadyExists" instead
+	if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "AlreadyExists") {
+		nodesResponse, err := jd.ListNodes(ctx, &nodev1.ListNodesRequest{
+			Filter: &nodev1.ListNodesRequest_Filter{
+				Selectors: []*ptypes.Selector{
+					{
+						Key:   "p2p_id",
+						Op:    ptypes.SelectorOp_EQ,
+						Value: peerID,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		nodes := nodesResponse.GetNodes()
+		if len(nodes) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find node: %v", n.Name)
+		}
+		n.NodeId = nodes[0].Id
+		return nil
+	} else if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to register node %s: %w", n.Name, err)
 	}
 	if registerResponse.GetNode().GetId() == "" {
@@ -372,7 +394,7 @@ func (n *Node) SetUpAndLinkJobDistributor(ctx context.Context, jd JobDistributor
 	}
 	// now create the job distributor in the node
 	id, err := n.CreateJobDistributor(ctx, jd)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "DuplicateFeedsManagerError") {
 		return err
 	}
 	// wait for the node to connect to the job distributor
@@ -381,7 +403,7 @@ func (n *Node) SetUpAndLinkJobDistributor(ctx context.Context, jd JobDistributor
 			Id: n.NodeId,
 		})
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get node %s: %w", n.Name, err)
+			return retry.RetryableError(fmt.Errorf("failed to get node %s: %w", n.Name, err))
 		}
 		if getRes.GetNode() == nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("no node found for node id %s", n.NodeId)
diff --git a/deployment/environment/devenv/jd.go b/deployment/environment/devenv/jd.go
index 9af8412d61e..48150340cae 100644
--- a/deployment/environment/devenv/jd.go
+++ b/deployment/environment/devenv/jd.go
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ func authTokenInterceptor(source oauth2.TokenSource) grpc.UnaryClientInterceptor
 }
 
 func NewJDConnection(cfg JDConfig) (*grpc.ClientConn, error) {
-	opts := []grpc.DialOption{
-		grpc.WithTransportCredentials(cfg.Creds),
+	opts := []grpc.DialOption{}
+	if cfg.Creds != nil {
+		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(cfg.Creds))
 	}
 	if cfg.Auth != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, grpc.WithUnaryInterceptor(authTokenInterceptor(cfg.Auth)))
diff --git a/deployment/environment/web/sdk/client/client.go b/deployment/environment/web/sdk/client/client.go
index 011eb0cce31..5472591ef94 100644
--- a/deployment/environment/web/sdk/client/client.go
+++ b/deployment/environment/web/sdk/client/client.go
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@ func (c *client) CreateJobDistributor(ctx context.Context, in JobDistributorInpu
 		feedsManager := success.GetFeedsManager()
 		return feedsManager.GetId(), nil
 	}
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to create feeds manager")
+	if err, ok := response.GetCreateFeedsManager().(*generated.CreateFeedsManagerCreateFeedsManagerSingleFeedsManagerError); ok {
+		msg := err.GetMessage()
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to create feeds manager: %v", msg)
+	}
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to create feeds manager: %v", response.GetCreateFeedsManager().GetTypename())
 }
 
 func (c *client) UpdateJobDistributor(ctx context.Context, id string, in JobDistributorInput) error {