diff --git a/cmd/bootstrap-peer-server.go b/cmd/bootstrap-peer-server.go
index 13005d061..8d0e7e701 100644
--- a/cmd/bootstrap-peer-server.go
+++ b/cmd/bootstrap-peer-server.go
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ var skipEnvs = map[string]struct{}{
 	"MINIO_OPTS":         {},
 	"MINIO_CERT_PASSWD":  {},
 	"MINIO_SERVER_DEBUG": {},
+	"MINIO_DSYNC_TRACE":  {},
 }
 
 func getServerSystemCfg() ServerSystemConfig {
diff --git a/cmd/common-main.go b/cmd/common-main.go
index c3b777a06..11bb3af6c 100644
--- a/cmd/common-main.go
+++ b/cmd/common-main.go
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ func handleCommonEnvVars() {
 		for _, endpoint := range minioEndpoints {
 			if net.ParseIP(endpoint) == nil {
 				// Checking if the IP is a DNS entry.
-				addrs, err := net.LookupHost(endpoint)
+				addrs, err := globalDNSCache.LookupHost(GlobalContext, endpoint)
 				if err != nil {
 					logger.FatalIf(err, "Unable to initialize MinIO server with [%s] invalid entry found in MINIO_PUBLIC_IPS", endpoint)
 				}
diff --git a/cmd/endpoint.go b/cmd/endpoint.go
index d6088ca06..aadfa17c6 100644
--- a/cmd/endpoint.go
+++ b/cmd/endpoint.go
@@ -643,20 +643,33 @@ func CreateEndpoints(serverAddr string, foundLocal bool, args ...[]string) (Endp
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Check whether same path is not used in endpoints of a host on different port.
-	{
-		pathIPMap := make(map[string]set.StringSet)
-		for _, endpoint := range endpoints {
-			host := endpoint.Hostname()
-			hostIPSet, _ := getHostIP(host)
-			if IPSet, ok := pathIPMap[endpoint.Path]; ok {
-				if !IPSet.Intersection(hostIPSet).IsEmpty() {
-					return endpoints, setupType,
-						config.ErrInvalidErasureEndpoints(nil).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("path '%s' can not be served by different port on same address", endpoint.Path))
+	orchestrated := IsKubernetes() || IsDocker()
+	if !orchestrated {
+		// Check whether same path is not used in endpoints of a host on different port.
+		// Only verify this on baremetal setups, DNS is not available in orchestrated
+		// environments so we can't do much here.
+		{
+			pathIPMap := make(map[string]set.StringSet)
+			hostIPCache := make(map[string]set.StringSet)
+			for _, endpoint := range endpoints {
+				host := endpoint.Hostname()
+				hostIPSet, ok := hostIPCache[host]
+				if !ok {
+					hostIPSet, err = getHostIP(host)
+					if err != nil {
+						return endpoints, setupType, config.ErrInvalidErasureEndpoints(nil).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("host '%s' cannot resolve: %s", host, err))
+					}
+					hostIPCache[host] = hostIPSet
+				}
+				if IPSet, ok := pathIPMap[endpoint.Path]; ok {
+					if !IPSet.Intersection(hostIPSet).IsEmpty() {
+						return endpoints, setupType,
+							config.ErrInvalidErasureEndpoints(nil).Msg(fmt.Sprintf("same path '%s' can not be served by different port on same address", endpoint.Path))
+					}
+					pathIPMap[endpoint.Path] = IPSet.Union(hostIPSet)
+				} else {
+					pathIPMap[endpoint.Path] = hostIPSet
 				}
-				pathIPMap[endpoint.Path] = IPSet.Union(hostIPSet)
-			} else {
-				pathIPMap[endpoint.Path] = hostIPSet
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/net.go b/cmd/net.go
index a3f8c5f6f..f15f68562 100644
--- a/cmd/net.go
+++ b/cmd/net.go
@@ -102,15 +102,14 @@ func mustGetLocalIP6() (ipList set.StringSet) {
 
 // getHostIP returns IP address of given host.
 func getHostIP(host string) (ipList set.StringSet, err error) {
-	var ips []net.IP
-
-	if ips, err = net.LookupIP(host); err != nil {
+	addrs, err := globalDNSCache.LookupHost(GlobalContext, host)
+	if err != nil {
 		return ipList, err
 	}
 
 	ipList = set.NewStringSet()
-	for _, ip := range ips {
-		ipList.Add(ip.String())
+	for _, addr := range addrs {
+		ipList.Add(addr)
 	}
 
 	return ipList, err
diff --git a/cmd/prepare-storage.go b/cmd/prepare-storage.go
index 1b972c778..0d1ebb5d1 100644
--- a/cmd/prepare-storage.go
+++ b/cmd/prepare-storage.go
@@ -179,11 +179,17 @@ func connectLoadInitFormats(retryCount int, firstDisk bool, endpoints Endpoints,
 	}(storageDisks)
 
 	// Sanitize all local disks during server startup.
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for _, disk := range storageDisks {
 		if disk != nil && disk.IsLocal() {
-			disk.(*xlStorageDiskIDCheck).storage.(*xlStorage).Sanitize()
+			wg.Add(1)
+			go func(disk StorageAPI) {
+				defer wg.Done()
+				disk.(*xlStorageDiskIDCheck).storage.(*xlStorage).Sanitize()
+			}(disk)
 		}
 	}
+	wg.Wait()
 
 	for i, err := range errs {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -239,13 +245,14 @@ func connectLoadInitFormats(retryCount int, firstDisk bool, endpoints Endpoints,
 
 	// Return error when quorum unformatted disks - indicating we are
 	// waiting for first server to be online.
-	if quorumUnformattedDisks(sErrs) && !firstDisk {
+	unformattedDisks := quorumUnformattedDisks(sErrs)
+	if unformattedDisks && !firstDisk {
 		return nil, nil, errNotFirstDisk
 	}
 
 	// Return error when quorum unformatted disks but waiting for rest
 	// of the servers to be online.
-	if quorumUnformattedDisks(sErrs) && firstDisk {
+	if unformattedDisks && firstDisk {
 		return nil, nil, errFirstDiskWait
 	}
 
@@ -311,10 +318,18 @@ func waitForFormatErasure(firstDisk bool, endpoints Endpoints, poolCount, setCou
 		return time.Now().Round(time.Second).Sub(formatStartTime).String()
 	}
 
-	// Wait on each try for an update.
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(500 * time.Millisecond)
-	defer ticker.Stop()
 	var tries int
+	storageDisks, format, err := connectLoadInitFormats(tries, firstDisk, endpoints, poolCount, setCount, setDriveCount, deploymentID, distributionAlgo)
+	if err == nil {
+		return storageDisks, format, nil
+	}
+
+	tries++ // tried already once
+
+	// Wait on each try for an update.
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(250 * time.Millisecond)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker.C:
diff --git a/cmd/server-main.go b/cmd/server-main.go
index b1d55ee81..7be9b81d9 100644
--- a/cmd/server-main.go
+++ b/cmd/server-main.go
@@ -580,22 +580,23 @@ func serverMain(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	// Initialize users credentials and policies in background right after config has initialized.
 	go globalIAMSys.Init(GlobalContext, newObject, globalEtcdClient, globalNotificationSys, globalRefreshIAMInterval)
 
-	// Initialize transition tier configuration manager
-	if globalIsErasure {
-		if err := globalTierConfigMgr.Init(GlobalContext, newObject); err != nil {
-			logger.LogIf(GlobalContext, err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	initDataScanner(GlobalContext, newObject)
 
-	if globalIsErasure { // to be done after config init
+	// Initialize transition tier configuration manager
+	if globalIsErasure {
 		initBackgroundReplication(GlobalContext, newObject)
 		initBackgroundTransition(GlobalContext, newObject)
-		globalTierJournal, err = initTierDeletionJournal(GlobalContext)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.FatalIf(err, "Unable to initialize remote tier pending deletes journal")
-		}
+
+		go func() {
+			if err := globalTierConfigMgr.Init(GlobalContext, newObject); err != nil {
+				logger.LogIf(GlobalContext, err)
+			}
+
+			globalTierJournal, err = initTierDeletionJournal(GlobalContext)
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.FatalIf(err, "Unable to initialize remote tier pending deletes journal")
+			}
+		}()
 	}
 
 	// initialize the new disk cache objects.
@@ -609,7 +610,7 @@ func serverMain(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	}
 
 	// Prints the formatted startup message, if err is not nil then it prints additional information as well.
-	printStartupMessage(getAPIEndpoints(), err)
+	go printStartupMessage(getAPIEndpoints(), err)
 
 	if globalActiveCred.Equal(auth.DefaultCredentials) {
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf("WARNING: Detected default credentials '%s', we recommend that you change these values with 'MINIO_ROOT_USER' and 'MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD' environment variables", globalActiveCred)
@@ -636,7 +637,17 @@ func serverMain(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	if serverDebugLog {
 		logger.Info("== DEBUG Mode enabled ==")
 		logger.Info("Currently set environment settings:")
+		ks := []string{
+			config.EnvAccessKey,
+			config.EnvSecretKey,
+			config.EnvRootUser,
+			config.EnvRootPassword,
+		}
 		for _, v := range os.Environ() {
+			// Do not print sensitive creds in debug.
+			if contains(ks, strings.Split(v, "=")[0]) {
+				continue
+			}
 			logger.Info(v)
 		}
 		logger.Info("======")
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 20350f1c7..204da23cc 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.2.0
 	github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.7.3
 	github.com/rs/cors v1.7.0
-	github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20210201191234-295bba877686
+	github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20211102005908-e0241e321417
 	github.com/secure-io/sio-go v0.3.1
 	github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3 v3.21.9
 	github.com/streadway/amqp v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 78d5468ac..a0c218f61 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1356,8 +1356,8 @@ github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.3.0/go.mod h1:M8bDsm7K2OlrFYOpmOWEs/qY81heoFR
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.5.2/go.mod h1:xXDCJY+GAPziupqXw64V24skbSoqbTEfhy4qGm1nDQc=
 github.com/rs/cors v1.7.0 h1:+88SsELBHx5r+hZ8TCkggzSstaWNbDvThkVK8H6f9ik=
 github.com/rs/cors v1.7.0/go.mod h1:gFx+x8UowdsKA9AchylcLynDq+nNFfI8FkUZdN/jGCU=
-github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20210201191234-295bba877686 h1:IJ6Df0uxPDtNoByV0KkzVKNseWvZFCNM/S9UoyOMCSI=
-github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20210201191234-295bba877686/go.mod h1:qe5TWALJ8/a1Lqznoc5BDHpYX/8HU60Hm2AwRmqzxqA=
+github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20211102005908-e0241e321417 h1:Lt9DzQALzHoDwMBGJ6v8ObDPR0dzr2a6sXTB1Fq7IHs=
+github.com/rs/dnscache v0.0.0-20211102005908-e0241e321417/go.mod h1:qe5TWALJ8/a1Lqznoc5BDHpYX/8HU60Hm2AwRmqzxqA=
 github.com/rs/xid v1.2.1/go.mod h1:+uKXf+4Djp6Md1KODXJxgGQPKngRmWyn10oCKFzNHOQ=
 github.com/rs/xid v1.3.0 h1:6NjYksEUlhurdVehpc7S7dk6DAmcKv8V9gG0FsVN2U4=
 github.com/rs/xid v1.3.0/go.mod h1:trrq9SKmegXys3aeAKXMUTdJsYXVwGY3RLcfgqegfbg=