diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/HGInventoryBroker.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/HGInventoryBroker.cs
index b5c0af6686..4be3804c1f 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/HGInventoryBroker.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/HGInventoryBroker.cs
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.ServiceConnectorsOut.Inventory
 
         private List<Scene> m_Scenes = new List<Scene>();
 
+        private InventoryCache m_Cache = new InventoryCache();
+
         protected IUserManagement m_UserManagement;
         protected IUserManagement UserManagementModule
         {
@@ -312,6 +314,9 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.ServiceConnectorsOut.Inventory
         public InventoryFolderBase GetRootFolder(UUID userID)
         {
             //m_log.DebugFormat("[HG INVENTORY CONNECTOR]: GetRootFolder for {0}", userID);
+            InventoryFolderBase root = m_Cache.GetRootFolder(userID);
+            if (root != null)
+                return root;
 
             string invURL = GetInventoryServiceURL(userID);
 
@@ -320,12 +325,19 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.ServiceConnectorsOut.Inventory
 
             IInventoryService connector = GetConnector(invURL);
 
-            return connector.GetRootFolder(userID);
+            root = connector.GetRootFolder(userID);
+
+            m_Cache.Cache(userID, root);
+
+            return root;
         }
 
         public InventoryFolderBase GetFolderForType(UUID userID, AssetType type)
         {
             //m_log.DebugFormat("[HG INVENTORY CONNECTOR]: GetFolderForType {0} type {1}", userID, type);
+            InventoryFolderBase f = m_Cache.GetFolderForType(userID, type);
+            if (f != null)
+                return f;
 
             string invURL = GetInventoryServiceURL(userID);
 
@@ -334,7 +346,11 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.ServiceConnectorsOut.Inventory
 
             IInventoryService connector = GetConnector(invURL);
 
-            return connector.GetFolderForType(userID, type);
+            f = connector.GetFolderForType(userID, type);
+
+            m_Cache.Cache(userID, type, f);
+
+            return f;
         }
 
         public InventoryCollection GetFolderContent(UUID userID, UUID folderID)
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/InventoryCache.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/InventoryCache.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0fe778dfa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/ServiceConnectorsOut/Inventory/InventoryCache.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+using OpenSim.Framework;
+using OpenMetaverse;
+
+namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.ServiceConnectorsOut.Inventory
+{
+    public class InventoryCache
+    {
+        private const double CACHE_EXPIRATION_SECONDS = 3600.0; // 1 hour
+
+        private static ExpiringCache<UUID, InventoryFolderBase> m_RootFolders = new ExpiringCache<UUID, InventoryFolderBase>();
+        private static ExpiringCache<UUID, Dictionary<AssetType, InventoryFolderBase>> m_FolderTypes = new ExpiringCache<UUID, Dictionary<AssetType, InventoryFolderBase>>();
+
+        public void Cache(UUID userID, InventoryFolderBase root)
+        {
+            lock (m_RootFolders)
+                m_RootFolders.AddOrUpdate(userID, root, CACHE_EXPIRATION_SECONDS);
+        }
+
+        public InventoryFolderBase GetRootFolder(UUID userID)
+        {
+            InventoryFolderBase root = null;
+            if (m_RootFolders.TryGetValue(userID, out root))
+                return root;
+
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        public void Cache(UUID userID, AssetType type, InventoryFolderBase folder)
+        {
+            lock (m_FolderTypes)
+            {
+                Dictionary<AssetType, InventoryFolderBase> ff = null;
+                if (!m_FolderTypes.TryGetValue(userID, out ff))
+                {
+                    ff = new Dictionary<AssetType, InventoryFolderBase>();
+                    m_FolderTypes.Add(userID, ff, CACHE_EXPIRATION_SECONDS);
+                }
+                if (!ff.ContainsKey(type))
+                    ff.Add(type, folder);
+            }
+        }
+
+        public InventoryFolderBase GetFolderForType(UUID userID, AssetType type)
+        {
+            Dictionary<AssetType, InventoryFolderBase> ff = null;
+            if (m_FolderTypes.TryGetValue(userID, out ff))
+            {
+                InventoryFolderBase f = null;
+                if (ff.TryGetValue(type, out f))
+                    return f;
+            }
+
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.Inventory.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.Inventory.cs
index 719c300985..d1739de284 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.Inventory.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.Inventory.cs
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
             {
                 IInventoryAccessModule invAccess = RequestModuleInterface<IInventoryAccessModule>();
                 if (invAccess != null)
-                    invAccess.TransferInventoryAssets(itemCopy, senderId, recipient);
+                    Util.FireAndForget(delegate { invAccess.TransferInventoryAssets(itemCopy, senderId, recipient); });
             }
 
             if (!Permissions.BypassPermissions())
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/World/NPC/NPCAvatar.cs b/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/World/NPC/NPCAvatar.cs
index 96f33a5a91..cdb6efec71 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/World/NPC/NPCAvatar.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/World/NPC/NPCAvatar.cs
@@ -34,13 +34,17 @@ using OpenSim.Framework;
 using OpenSim.Region.Framework.Interfaces;
 using OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes;
 using OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Estate;
+using log4net;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Xml;
 
 namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.World.NPC
 {
     public class NPCAvatar : IClientAPI, INPC
     {
-        public bool SenseAsAgent { get; set; }
+        private static readonly Dictionary<string, UUID> m_defaultAnimations = new Dictionary<string, UUID>();
 
+        public bool SenseAsAgent { get; set; }
         private readonly string m_firstname;
         private readonly string m_lastname;
         private readonly Vector3 m_startPos;
@@ -57,8 +61,16 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.World.NPC
             m_scene = scene;
             m_ownerID = ownerID;
             SenseAsAgent = senseAsAgent;
+            
         }
 
+        static NPCAvatar()
+        {
+            InitDefaultAnimations();
+        }
+
+       
+
         public IScene Scene
         {
             get { return m_scene; }
@@ -130,8 +142,31 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.World.NPC
 
         }
 
+        private static void InitDefaultAnimations()
+        {
+            using (XmlTextReader reader = new XmlTextReader("data/avataranimations.xml"))
+            {
+                XmlDocument doc = new XmlDocument();
+                doc.Load(reader);
+                if (doc.DocumentElement != null)
+                    foreach (XmlNode nod in doc.DocumentElement.ChildNodes)
+                    {
+                        if (nod.Attributes["name"] != null)
+                        {
+                            string name = nod.Attributes["name"].Value.ToLower();
+                            string id = nod.InnerText;
+                            m_defaultAnimations.Add(name, (UUID)id);
+                        }
+                    }
+            }
+        }
+
         public UUID GetDefaultAnimation(string name)
         {
+            if (m_defaultAnimations.ContainsKey(name))
+            {
+                return m_defaultAnimations[name];
+            }
             return UUID.Zero;
         }
 
diff --git a/OpenSim/Services/Connectors/Inventory/XInventoryConnector.cs b/OpenSim/Services/Connectors/Inventory/XInventoryConnector.cs
index a662abb867..39e983bfd9 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Services/Connectors/Inventory/XInventoryConnector.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Services/Connectors/Inventory/XInventoryConnector.cs
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Services.Connectors
 
         private string m_ServerURI = String.Empty;
 
+        private object m_Lock = new object();
+
         public XInventoryServicesConnector()
         {
         }
@@ -514,9 +516,11 @@ namespace OpenSim.Services.Connectors
         {
             sendData["METHOD"] = method;
 
-            string reply = SynchronousRestFormsRequester.MakeRequest("POST",
-                    m_ServerURI + "/xinventory",
-                    ServerUtils.BuildQueryString(sendData));
+            string reply = string.Empty;
+            lock (m_Lock)
+                reply = SynchronousRestFormsRequester.MakeRequest("POST",
+                         m_ServerURI + "/xinventory",
+                         ServerUtils.BuildQueryString(sendData));
 
             Dictionary<string, object> replyData = ServerUtils.ParseXmlResponse(
                     reply);