diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
index b7dc0ae66..c7e27889b 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
+local ngx = ngx
+local tonumber = tonumber
+local assert = assert
+local string = string
+local tostring = tostring
 local socket = ngx.socket.tcp
 local cjson = require("cjson.safe")
-local assert = assert
 local new_tab = require "table.new"
 local clear_tab = require "table.clear"
 local clone_tab = require "table.clone"
-local nkeys = require "table.nkeys"
 
-local ngx = ngx
-local tonumber = tonumber
-local string = string
-local tostring = tostring
 
 -- if an Nginx worker processes more than (MAX_BATCH_SIZE/FLUSH_INTERVAL) RPS
 -- then it will start dropping metrics
@@ -17,6 +16,7 @@ local MAX_BATCH_SIZE = 10000
 local FLUSH_INTERVAL = 1 -- second
 
 local metrics_batch = new_tab(MAX_BATCH_SIZE, 0)
+local metrics_count = 0
 
 local _M = {}
 
@@ -53,12 +53,13 @@ local function flush(premature)
     return
   end
 
-  if #metrics_batch == 0 then
+  if metrics_count == 0 then
     return
   end
 
   local current_metrics_batch = clone_tab(metrics_batch)
   clear_tab(metrics_batch)
+  metrics_count = 0
 
   local payload, err = cjson.encode(current_metrics_batch)
   if not payload then
@@ -77,13 +78,13 @@ function _M.init_worker()
 end
 
 function _M.call()
-  local metrics_size = nkeys(metrics_batch)
-  if metrics_size >= MAX_BATCH_SIZE then
+  if metrics_count >= MAX_BATCH_SIZE then
     ngx.log(ngx.WARN, "omitting metrics for the request, current batch is full")
     return
   end
 
-  metrics_batch[metrics_size + 1] = metrics()
+  metrics_count = metrics_count + 1
+  metrics_batch[metrics_count] = metrics()
 end
 
 setmetatable(_M, {__index = {
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/plugins.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/plugins.lua
index a2c7c0a15..0c1fd899b 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/plugins.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/plugins.lua
@@ -3,16 +3,14 @@ local ngx = ngx
 local pairs = pairs
 local ipairs = ipairs
 local string_format = string.format
-local new_tab = require "table.new"
 local ngx_log = ngx.log
 local INFO = ngx.INFO
 local ERR = ngx.ERR
 local pcall = pcall
 
 local _M = {}
-local MAX_NUMBER_OF_PLUGINS = 10000
--- TODO: is this good for a dictionary?
-local plugins = new_tab(MAX_NUMBER_OF_PLUGINS, 0)
+local MAX_NUMBER_OF_PLUGINS = 20
+local plugins = {}
 
 local function load_plugin(name)
   local path = string_format("plugins.%s.main", name)
@@ -27,8 +25,14 @@ local function load_plugin(name)
 end
 
 function _M.init(names)
+  local count = 0
   for _, name in ipairs(names) do
+    if count >= MAX_NUMBER_OF_PLUGINS then
+      ngx_log(ERR, "the total number of plugins exceed the maximum number: ", MAX_NUMBER_OF_PLUGINS)
+      break
+    end
     load_plugin(name)
+    count = count + 1 -- ignore loading failure, just count the total
   end
 end