If anyone has seen the following I'd appreciate what fixed the issue: First the environment: Oracle 11.1.0.7.4 on RedHat Linux x86-64 Front end is also on RedHat Linux, x86-64 using Tomcat for a Java application written in Hibernate. Problem is that an individual displays a pick list of items to work on, goes off to work on one and then returns. Intermittently the list is blank, but if they refresh their browser the list populates. Note that the query always returns the appropriate results in sql*plus when the issue occurs. Further note: The app in written here for client usage and is also having database locking problems due to locking inside the Java pool. We see in the catalina log that one session will process an update, a second will process an identical update a second or so later and then the first will get the java lock saying that someone else already has that object locked. Long story and a messy one too. As usual it's a db issue you know. Richard Goulet Senior Oracle DBA/Na Team Leader