diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index eae564d8718c..76884f7c73f6 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ MAN3_FILES_SECONDARY = \
 	man3/flux_kvs_getroot_cancel.3 \
 	man3/flux_kvs_fence.3 \
 	man3/flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj.3 \
+	man3/flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref.3 \
 	man3/flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence.3 \
 	man3/flux_kvs_txn_destroy.3 \
 	man3/flux_kvs_txn_put.3 \
diff --git a/doc/man3/flux_kvs_commit.rst b/doc/man3/flux_kvs_commit.rst
index 59b3e216c493..e51ddb25eeba 100644
--- a/doc/man3/flux_kvs_commit.rst
+++ b/doc/man3/flux_kvs_commit.rst
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ SYNOPSIS
    int flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj (flux_future_t *f,
                                     const char **treeobj);
 
+   int flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref (flux_future_t *f,
+                                    const char **rootref);
+
    int flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence (flux_future_t *f, int *seq);
 
 Link with :command:`-lflux-core`.
@@ -57,22 +60,25 @@ complete.
 request has been received. :man3:`flux_future_wait_for` may be used to
 block until the response has been received. Both accept an optional timeout.
 
-:man3:`flux_future_get`, :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj`, or
-:func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence` can decode the response. A return of
-0 indicates success and the entire transaction was committed. A
-return of -1 indicates failure, none of the transaction was committed.
-All can be used on the :type:`flux_future_t` returned by :func:`flux_kvs_commit`
-or :func:`flux_kvs_fence`.
+:man3:`flux_future_get`, :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj`,
+:func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref`, or :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence`
+can decode the response. A return of 0 indicates success and the
+entire transaction was committed. A return of -1 indicates failure,
+none of the transaction was committed.  All can be used on the
+:type:`flux_future_t` returned by :func:`flux_kvs_commit` or
+:func:`flux_kvs_fence`.
 
 In addition to checking for success or failure,
-:func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj` and :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence`
-can return information about the root snapshot that the commit or
-fence has completed its transaction on.
+:func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj`, :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref()`,
+and :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence` can return information about the
+root snapshot that the commit or fence has completed its transaction on.
 
 :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj` obtains the root hash in the form of
 an RFC 11 *dirref* treeobj, suitable to be passed to
 :man3:`flux_kvs_lookupat`.
 
+:func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref` retrieves the blobref for the root.
+
 :func:`flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence` retrieves the monotonic sequence number
 for the root.
 
diff --git a/doc/manpages.py b/doc/manpages.py
index 63acbdfbfbd8..43cf27d0388f 100644
--- a/doc/manpages.py
+++ b/doc/manpages.py
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@
     ('man3/flux_idle_watcher_create', 'flux_idle_watcher_create', 'create prepare/check/idle watchers', [author], 3),
     ('man3/flux_kvs_commit', 'flux_kvs_fence', 'commit a KVS transaction', [author], 3),
     ('man3/flux_kvs_commit', 'flux_kvs_commit_get_treeobj', 'commit a KVS transaction', [author], 3),
+    ('man3/flux_kvs_commit', 'flux_kvs_commit_get_rootref', 'commit a KVS transaction', [author], 3),
     ('man3/flux_kvs_commit', 'flux_kvs_commit_get_sequence', 'commit a KVS transaction', [author], 3),
     ('man3/flux_kvs_commit', 'flux_kvs_commit', 'commit a KVS transaction', [author], 3),
     ('man3/flux_kvs_copy', 'flux_kvs_move', 'copy/move a KVS key', [author], 3),
diff --git a/src/broker/broker.h b/src/broker/broker.h
index c51c91e9442f..c389304fdb8a 100644
--- a/src/broker/broker.h
+++ b/src/broker/broker.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ struct broker {
     zlist_t *sigwatchers;
     struct service_switch *services;
     struct brokercfg *config;
-    double heartbeat_rate;
     struct subhash *sub;        /* subscriptions for internal services */
     struct content_cache *cache;
     struct publisher *publisher;
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
index 4cd5043d6552..fdf27d4ce1b2 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
@@ -1805,7 +1805,7 @@ static void commit_request_cb (flux_t *h,
          * the ready queue.  We don't need to call
          * treq_count_reached() b/c this is a commit and nprocs is 1
          */
-        treq_set_processed (tr, true);
+        treq_mark_processed (tr);
 
         if (kvstxn_mgr_add_transaction (root->ktm,
                                         treq_get_name (tr),
@@ -1915,7 +1915,7 @@ static void relayfence_request_cb (flux_t *h,
 
         /* we use this flag to indicate if a treq has been added to
          * the ready queue */
-        treq_set_processed (tr, true);
+        treq_mark_processed (tr);
 
         if (kvstxn_mgr_add_transaction (root->ktm,
                                         treq_get_name (tr),
@@ -2036,7 +2036,7 @@ static void fence_request_cb (flux_t *h,
 
             /* we use this flag to indicate if a treq has been added to
              * the ready queue */
-            treq_set_processed (tr, true);
+            treq_mark_processed (tr);
 
             if (kvstxn_mgr_add_transaction (root->ktm,
                                             treq_get_name (tr),
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c b/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
index 301925aaa337..89317db0cd8e 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ void kvstxn_mgr_merge_tests (void)
                          ops,
                          FLUX_KVS_NO_MERGE,
                          0,
-                         "unmerged transaction");
+                         "unmerged transaction (no merge 1)");
 
     json_decref (names);
     json_decref (ops);
@@ -539,7 +539,12 @@ void kvstxn_mgr_merge_tests (void)
     ops = json_array ();
     ops_append (ops, "key1", "1", 0);
 
-    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm, names, ops, 0, 0, "unmerged transaction");
+    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm,
+                         names,
+                         ops,
+                         0,
+                         0,
+                         "unmerged transaction (no merge 2)");
 
     json_decref (names);
     json_decref (ops);
@@ -566,7 +571,7 @@ void kvstxn_mgr_merge_tests (void)
                          ops,
                          FLUX_KVS_SYNC,
                          0,
-                         "unmerged transaction");
+                         "unmerged transaction (sync 1)");
 
     json_decref (names);
     json_decref (ops);
@@ -588,7 +593,12 @@ void kvstxn_mgr_merge_tests (void)
     ops = json_array ();
     ops_append (ops, "key1", "1", 0);
 
-    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm, names, ops, 0, 0, "unmerged transaction");
+    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm,
+                         names,
+                         ops,
+                         0,
+                         0,
+                         "unmerged transaction (sync 2)");
 
     json_decref (names);
     json_decref (ops);
@@ -610,7 +620,12 @@ void kvstxn_mgr_merge_tests (void)
     ops = json_array ();
     ops_append (ops, "key1", "1", 0);
 
-    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm, names, ops, 0, 0, "unmerged fence");
+    verify_ready_kvstxn (ktm,
+                         names,
+                         ops,
+                         0,
+                         0,
+                         "unmerged transaction (diff flags)");
 
     json_decref (names);
     json_decref (ops);
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/test/treq.c b/src/modules/kvs/test/treq.c
index 76c6cbe2bd1f..0eb7b50c0741 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/test/treq.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/test/treq.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void treq_basic_tests (void)
     ok (treq_get_processed (tr) == false,
         "treq_get_processed returns false initially");
 
-    treq_set_processed (tr, true);
+    treq_mark_processed (tr);
 
     ok (treq_get_processed (tr) == true,
         "treq_get_processed returns true");
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/treq.c b/src/modules/kvs/treq.c
index 1f6532e390f3..e616cca132a0 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/treq.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/treq.c
@@ -343,9 +343,9 @@ bool treq_get_processed (treq_t *tr)
     return tr->processed;
 }
 
-void treq_set_processed (treq_t *tr, bool p)
+void treq_mark_processed (treq_t *tr)
 {
-    tr->processed = p;
+    tr->processed = true;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/treq.h b/src/modules/kvs/treq.h
index 2cdccf4bcdcc..eb1c857358e0 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/treq.h
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/treq.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int treq_iter_request_copies (treq_t *tr, treq_msg_cb cb, void *data);
 /* convenience processing flag
  */
 bool treq_get_processed (treq_t *tr);
-void treq_set_processed (treq_t *tr, bool p);
+void treq_mark_processed (treq_t *tr);
 
 #endif /* !_FLUX_KVS_TREQ_H */
 
diff --git a/t/kvs/.gitignore b/t/kvs/.gitignore
index d8b8b473dc7f..3e8d42516e64 100644
--- a/t/kvs/.gitignore
+++ b/t/kvs/.gitignore
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
-/asyncfence
-/basic
 /blobref
 /commit
+/commit_order
+/content-spam
 /dtree
-/getas
-/hashtest
+/fence_api
+/fence_invalid
+/fence_namespace_remove
+/issue1760
+/issue1876
+/lookup_invalid
+/setrootevents
 /torture
-/watch
+/transactionmerge
+/waitcreate_cancel
 /watch_disconnect
+/watch_stream