diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 2f4320f67..6521720b4 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.24.4
+1.24.5
diff --git a/src/eckit/filesystem/URI.cc b/src/eckit/filesystem/URI.cc
index f30245e17..0dec1d4e0 100644
--- a/src/eckit/filesystem/URI.cc
+++ b/src/eckit/filesystem/URI.cc
@@ -219,7 +219,11 @@ std::string URI::authority() const {
 }
 
 void URI::query(const std::string& attribute, const std::string& value) {
-    queryValues_[attribute] = encode(value);
+    if (value.empty()) {
+        queryValues_.erase(attribute);
+    } else {
+        queryValues_[attribute] = encode(value);
+    }
 }
 
 const std::string URI::query(const std::string& attribute) const {
diff --git a/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc b/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
index 2de01763d..2eab33485 100644
--- a/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
+++ b/src/eckit/io/PooledFile.cc
@@ -73,10 +73,9 @@ class PoolFileEntry {
 
     void remove(const PooledFile* file) {
         auto s = statuses_.find(file);
-        ASSERT(s != statuses_.end());
-
-        statuses_.erase(s);
-
+        if (s != statuses_.end()) {
+            statuses_.erase(s);
+        }
         if (statuses_.size() == 0) {
             doClose();
             pool_.erase(name_);
@@ -114,10 +113,10 @@ class PoolFileEntry {
 
     void close(const PooledFile* file) {
         auto s = statuses_.find(file);
-        ASSERT(s != statuses_.end());
-
-        ASSERT(s->second.opened_);
-        s->second.opened_ = false;
+        if (s != statuses_.end()) {
+            ASSERT(s->second.opened_);
+            s->second.opened_ = false;
+        }
     }
 
     int fileno(const PooledFile* file) const {
diff --git a/src/eckit/net/Endpoint.h b/src/eckit/net/Endpoint.h
index 3fbb12e81..5ad08bcb2 100644
--- a/src/eckit/net/Endpoint.h
+++ b/src/eckit/net/Endpoint.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ class Endpoint {
     const std::string& host() const { return host_; }
     int port() const { return port_; }
 
+    std::string hostport() const { return host_+":"+std::to_string(port_); }
+
     bool operator==(const net::Endpoint& other);
 
     void print(std::ostream& os) const;