diff --git a/src/common/connection.js b/src/common/connection.js
index cf1e30ef..45722703 100644
--- a/src/common/connection.js
+++ b/src/common/connection.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ const WebSocket = require('ws');
 const parseURL = require('url').parse;
 const RangeSet = require('./rangeset').RangeSet;
 const {RippledError, DisconnectedError, NotConnectedError,
-  TimeoutError, ResponseFormatError} = require('./errors');
+  TimeoutError, ResponseFormatError, ConnectionError} = require('./errors');
 
 function isStreamMessageType(type) {
   return type === 'ledgerClosed' ||
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
 
   connect() {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      if (!this._url) {
+        reject(new ConnectionError(
+          'Cannot connect because no server was specified'));
+      }
       if (this._state === WebSocket.OPEN) {
         resolve();
       } else if (this._state === WebSocket.CONNECTING) {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index dd1ce30d..895bc846 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@ class RippleAPI extends EventEmitter {
   constructor(options: APIOptions = {}) {
     common.validate.apiOptions(options);
     super();
+    this._feeCushion = options.feeCushion || 1.2;
     if (options.servers !== undefined) {
       const servers: Array<string> = options.servers;
       if (servers.length === 1) {
-        this._feeCushion = options.feeCushion || 1.2;
         this.connection = new RestrictedConnection(servers[0], options);
         this.connection.on('ledgerClosed', message => {
           this.emit('ledgerClosed', server.formatLedgerClose(message));
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ class RippleAPI extends EventEmitter {
       } else {
         throw new errors.RippleError('Multi-server not implemented');
       }
+    } else {
+      // use null object pattern to provide better error message if user
+      // tries to call a method that requires a connection
+      this.connection = new RestrictedConnection(null, options);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/ledger/parse/account-order.js b/src/ledger/parse/account-order.js
index 008ab418..517fdeb5 100644
--- a/src/ledger/parse/account-order.js
+++ b/src/ledger/parse/account-order.js
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ function parseAccountOrder(address: string, order: Object): Object {
   const properties = {
     maker: address,
     sequence: order.seq,
-    makerExchangeRate: computeQuality(takerGetsAmount, takerPaysAmount)
+    makerExchangeRate: order.quality ? order.quality.toString()
+      : computeQuality(takerGetsAmount, takerPaysAmount)
   };
 
   return {specification, properties};
diff --git a/test/api-test.js b/test/api-test.js
index 5f99d0e4..aea7a162 100644
--- a/test/api-test.js
+++ b/test/api-test.js
@@ -884,6 +884,15 @@ describe('RippleAPI - offline', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('getServerInfo - offline', function() {
+    const api = new RippleAPI();
+    return api.getServerInfo().then(() => {
+      assert(false, 'Should throw error');
+    }).catch(error => {
+      assert(error instanceof api.errors.NotConnectedError);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('computeLedgerHash', function() {
     const api = new RippleAPI();
     const header = requests.computeLedgerHash.header;
diff --git a/test/mock-rippled.js b/test/mock-rippled.js
index 9fb21d69..a8109229 100644
--- a/test/mock-rippled.js
+++ b/test/mock-rippled.js
@@ -282,8 +282,7 @@ module.exports = function(port) {
       assert(false, 'Unrecognized path find request: '
              + JSON.stringify(request));
     }
-    // delay response to simulate calculation time so we can test queuing
-    setTimeout(() => conn.send(response), 20);
+    conn.send(response);
   });
 
   mock.on('request_gateway_balances', function(request, conn) {