diff --git a/clearml_agent/commands/worker.py b/clearml_agent/commands/worker.py
index af0dd8b..9b3589a 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/commands/worker.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/commands/worker.py
@@ -1680,7 +1680,8 @@ class Worker(ServiceCommandSection):
                 open_kwargs={
                     "buffering": self._session.config.get("agent.log_files_buffering", 1)
                 },
-                dir=(ENV_TEMP_STDOUT_FILE_DIR.get() or None)
+                dir=(ENV_TEMP_STDOUT_FILE_DIR.get() or None),
+                mode="a",
             )
             print(
                 "Running CLEARML-AGENT daemon in background mode, writing stdout/stderr to {}".format(
@@ -1875,20 +1876,27 @@ class Worker(ServiceCommandSection):
     ):
         # type: (...) -> Tuple[Optional[int], Optional[TaskStopReason]]
         def _print_file(file_path, prev_pos=0):
-            with open(file_path, "ab+") as f:
-                f.seek(prev_pos)
-                binary_text = f.read()
-                if not self._truncate_task_output_files:
-                    # non-buffered behavior
+            mode = "rb+" if self._truncate_task_output_files else "rb"
+            # noinspection PyBroadException
+            try:
+                with open(file_path, mode) as f:
+                    f.seek(prev_pos)
+                    binary_text = f.read()
                     pos = f.tell()
-                else:
-                    # buffered - read everything and truncate
-                    # noinspection PyBroadException
-                    try:
-                        f.truncate(0)
+                    if self._truncate_task_output_files:
+                        # buffered - read everything and truncate
+                        # noinspection PyBroadException
+                        try:
+                            # we must seek to the beginning otherwise truncate will add \00
+                            f.seek(0)
+                            # os level truncate because f.truncate will push \00 at the end of the file
+                            os.ftruncate(f.fileno(), 0)
+                            os.fsync(f.fileno())
+                        except Exception:
+                            pass
                         pos = 0
-                    except Exception:
-                        pos = f.tell()
+            except Exception:
+                return [], prev_pos
 
             # skip the previously printed lines,
             blines = binary_text.split(b'\n') if binary_text else []
@@ -1901,8 +1909,13 @@ class Worker(ServiceCommandSection):
                 pos
             )
 
-        stdout = open(stdout_path, "wt")
-        stderr = open(stderr_path, "wt") if stderr_path else stdout
+        safe_remove_file(stdout_path)
+        stdout = open(stdout_path, "at")
+        if stderr_path:
+            safe_remove_file(stderr_path)
+            stderr = open(stderr_path, "at")
+        else:
+            stderr = stdout
         stdout_line_count, stdout_pos_count, stdout_last_lines = 0, 0, []
         stderr_line_count, stderr_pos_count, stderr_last_lines = 0, 0, []
         lines_buffer = defaultdict(list)
diff --git a/clearml_agent/helper/base.py b/clearml_agent/helper/base.py
index bee1cb3..ac9c671 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/helper/base.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/helper/base.py
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ def mkstemp(
         open_kwargs=None,  # type: Optional[Dict[Text, Any]]
         text=True,         # type: bool
         name_only=False,   # type: bool
+        mode=None,         # type: str
         *args,
         **kwargs):
     # type: (...) -> Union[(IO[AnyStr], Text), Text]
@@ -429,12 +430,14 @@ def mkstemp(
     :param open_kwargs: keyword arguments for ``io.open``
     :param text: open in text mode
     :param name_only: close the file and return its name
+    :param mode: open file mode
     :param args: tempfile.mkstemp args
     :param kwargs: tempfile.mkstemp kwargs
     """
     fd, name = tempfile.mkstemp(text=text, *args, **kwargs)
-    mode = 'w+'
-    if not text:
+    if not mode:
+        mode = 'w+'
+    if not text and 'b' not in mode:
         mode += 'b'
     if name_only:
         os.close(fd)
diff --git a/clearml_agent/helper/os/folder_cache.py b/clearml_agent/helper/os/folder_cache.py
index 15355d3..e192615 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/helper/os/folder_cache.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/helper/os/folder_cache.py
@@ -47,9 +47,11 @@ class FolderCache(object):
         # lock so we make sure no one deletes it before we copy it
         # noinspection PyBroadException
         try:
-            self._lock.acquire(timeout=self._lock_timeout_seconds)
+            self._lock.acquire(timeout=self._lock_timeout_seconds, readonly=True)
         except BaseException as ex:
             warning('Could not lock cache folder {}: {}'.format(self._cache_folder, ex))
+            import traceback
+            warning('DEBUG: Exception {}: {}'.format(ex, traceback.format_exc()))
             return None
 
         src = None
@@ -116,6 +118,8 @@ class FolderCache(object):
                     self._lock.acquire(timeout=self._lock_timeout_seconds)
                 except BaseException as ex:
                     warning('Could not lock cache folder {}: {}'.format(self._cache_folder, ex))
+                    import traceback
+                    warning('DEBUG: Exception {}: {}'.format(ex, traceback.format_exc()))
                     # failed locking do nothing
                     return True
                 keys = sorted(list(set(keys) | set(cached_keys)))
@@ -195,16 +199,23 @@ class FolderCache(object):
                           if cache_folder.is_dir() and not cache_folder.name.startswith(self._temp_entry_prefix)]
         folder_entries = sorted(folder_entries, key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
 
+        number_of_entries_to_keep = self._max_cache_entries - 1 \
+            if max_cache_entries is None else max(0, int(max_cache_entries))
+
+        # if nothing to do, leave
+        if not folder_entries[number_of_entries_to_keep:]:
+            return
+
         # lock so we make sure no one deletes it before we copy it
         # noinspection PyBroadException
         try:
             self._lock.acquire(timeout=self._lock_timeout_seconds)
         except BaseException as ex:
             warning('Could not lock cache folder {}: {}'.format(self._cache_folder, ex))
+            import traceback
+            warning('DEBUG: Exception {}: {}'.format(ex, traceback.format_exc()))
             return
 
-        number_of_entries_to_keep = self._max_cache_entries - 1 \
-            if max_cache_entries is None else max(0, int(max_cache_entries))
         for folder, ts in folder_entries[number_of_entries_to_keep:]:
             try:
                 shutil.rmtree(folder.as_posix(), ignore_errors=True)
diff --git a/clearml_agent/helper/os/portalocker.py b/clearml_agent/helper/os/portalocker.py
index 634bf58..81a1544 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/helper/os/portalocker.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/helper/os/portalocker.py
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ class exceptions:
     class FileToLarge(BaseLockException):
         pass
 
+    class LockTimeout(BaseLockException):
+        pass
+
 
 class constants:
     # The actual tests will execute the code anyhow so the following code can
@@ -185,6 +188,10 @@ elif os.name == 'posix':  # pragma: no cover
             # The exception code varies on different systems so we'll catch
             # every IO error
             raise exceptions.LockException(exc_value, fh=file_)
+        except BaseException as ex:
+            # DEBUG
+            print("Uncaught [{}] Exception [{}] in portalock: {}".format(locking_exceptions, type(ex), ex))
+            raise
 
     def unlock(file_):
         fcntl.flock(file_.fileno(), constants.LOCK_UN)
diff --git a/clearml_agent/helper/package/base.py b/clearml_agent/helper/package/base.py
index 8fea888..09d8147 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/helper/package/base.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/helper/package/base.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class PackageManager(object):
     _config_cache_folder = 'agent.venvs_cache.path'
     _config_cache_max_entries = 'agent.venvs_cache.max_entries'
     _config_cache_free_space_threshold = 'agent.venvs_cache.free_space_threshold_gb'
+    _config_cache_lock_timeout = 'agent.venvs_cache.lock_timeout'
 
     def __init__(self):
         self._cache_manager = None
@@ -302,7 +303,9 @@ class PackageManager(object):
                 max_entries = int(self.session.config.get(self._config_cache_max_entries, 10))
                 free_space_threshold = float(self.session.config.get(self._config_cache_free_space_threshold, 0))
                 self._cache_manager = FolderCache(
-                    cache_folder, max_cache_entries=max_entries, min_free_space_gb=free_space_threshold)
+                    cache_folder, max_cache_entries=max_entries,
+                    min_free_space_gb=free_space_threshold,
+                    lock_timeout_seconds=self.session.config.get(self._config_cache_lock_timeout, None))
             except Exception as ex:
                 print("WARNING: Failed accessing venvs cache at {}: {}".format(cache_folder, ex))
                 print("WARNING: Skipping venv cache - folder not accessible!")
diff --git a/clearml_agent/helper/repo.py b/clearml_agent/helper/repo.py
index 6f08e0e..c191093 100644
--- a/clearml_agent/helper/repo.py
+++ b/clearml_agent/helper/repo.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import stat
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import tempfile
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
 from hashlib import md5
 from os import environ
 from random import random
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ from clearml_agent.helper.base import (
     create_file_if_not_exists, safe_remove_file,
 )
 from clearml_agent.helper.os.locks import FileLock
-from clearml_agent.helper.process import DEVNULL, Argv, PathLike, COMMAND_SUCCESS
+from clearml_agent.helper.process import DEVNULL, Argv, PathLike, COMMAND_SUCCESS, find_executable
 from clearml_agent.session import Session