diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a95b13f..22dcc7a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<jettyVersion>9.3.9.v20160517</jettyVersion> 
 		<eelf.version>0.0.1</eelf.version>
-		<artifact.version>1.0.4-SNAPSHOT</artifact.version>
+		<artifact.version>1.0.5-SNAPSHOT</artifact.version>
 		<!-- SONAR -->
 		<jacoco.version>0.7.7.201606060606</jacoco.version>
 		<sonar-jacoco-listeners.version>3.2</sonar-jacoco-listeners.version>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrProvConnection.java b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrProvConnection.java
index a8ace78..4db6ca3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrProvConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrProvConnection.java
@@ -54,37 +54,31 @@
 
 	
 	private String topicMgrCred;
+	private boolean useAAF;
+	private	String	user;
+	private	String	encPwd;
 	
-	private String getCred( ) {
+	public MrProvConnection() {
 		String mechIdProperty = "aaf.TopicMgrUser";
 		String pwdProperty = "aaf.TopicMgrPassword";
 		DmaapConfig p = (DmaapConfig)DmaapConfig.getConfig();
-		logger.info( "templog:getCred: 10");
+		user = p.getProperty( mechIdProperty, "noMechId@domain.netset.com" );
+		encPwd = p.getProperty( pwdProperty, "notSet" );
+		useAAF= "true".equalsIgnoreCase(p.getProperty("UseAAF", "false"));
+		topicMgrCred =  getCred();
+		
+	}
+	
+	private String getCred( ) {
 
-		String user = p.getProperty( mechIdProperty, "noMechId@domain.netset.com" );
-		logger.info( "templog:getCred: 20");
 
 		String pwd = "";
-		String encPwd = p.getProperty( pwdProperty, "notSet" );
-		logger.info( "templog:getCred: 30");
-
-		AafDecrypt decryptor = new AafDecrypt();
-		logger.info( "templog:getCred: 40");
+		AafDecrypt decryptor = new AafDecrypt();	
 		pwd = decryptor.decrypt(encPwd);
-		logger.info( "templog:getCred: 50");
-	
-		return user + ":" + pwd;
-		
-		
-		
+		return user + ":" + pwd;	
 	}
 	
 	
-	public MrProvConnection( ) {
-		topicMgrCred =  getCred();
-
-	}
-	
 	public boolean makeTopicConnection( MR_Cluster cluster ) {
 		logger.info( "connect to cluster: " + cluster.getDcaeLocationName());
 	
@@ -162,8 +156,12 @@
 		try {
 			byte[] postData = postTopic.getBytes();
 			logger.info( "post fields=" + postData.toString() );
-			uc.setRequestProperty("Authorization", auth);
-			logger.info( "Authenticating with " + auth );
+			
+			// when not using AAF, do not attempt Basic Authentication
+			if ( useAAF ) {
+				uc.setRequestProperty("Authorization", auth);
+				logger.info( "Authenticating with " + auth );
+			}
 			uc.setRequestMethod("POST");
 			uc.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
 			uc.setRequestProperty( "charset", "utf-8");
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrTopicConnection.java b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrTopicConnection.java
index e1ea955..18fdeba 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrTopicConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/client/MrTopicConnection.java
@@ -47,13 +47,14 @@
 	
 	private  String mmProvCred; 
 	private	String unit_test;
-	
+	private boolean useAAF;
 
 
 	public MrTopicConnection(String user, String pwd ) {
 		mmProvCred = new String( user + ":" + pwd );
 		DmaapConfig p = (DmaapConfig)DmaapConfig.getConfig();
         unit_test = p.getProperty( "UnitTest", "No" );
+    	useAAF= "true".equalsIgnoreCase(p.getProperty("UseAAF", "false"));
 	}
 	
 	public boolean makeTopicConnection( MR_Cluster cluster, String topic, String overrideFqdn ) {
@@ -126,8 +127,10 @@
 		try {
 			byte[] postData = postMessage.getBytes();
 			logger.info( "post fields=" + postMessage );
-			uc.setRequestProperty("Authorization", auth);
-			logger.info( "Authenticating with " + auth );
+			if ( useAAF ) {
+				uc.setRequestProperty("Authorization", auth);
+				logger.info( "Authenticating with " + auth );
+			}
 			uc.setRequestMethod("POST");
 			uc.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
 			uc.setRequestProperty( "charset", "utf-8");
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_Cluster.java b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_Cluster.java
index 8185083..a6827a9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_Cluster.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_Cluster.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 
 	private String dcaeLocationName;
 	private String fqdn;
-	private String[] hosts;
 	private	DmaapTimestamp lastMod;
 	private	String	topicProtocol;
 	private String	topicPort;
@@ -47,7 +46,6 @@
 	public MR_Cluster() {
 		this.topicProtocol = defaultTopicProtocol;
 		this.topicPort = defaultTopicPort;
-		this.hosts = new String[3];
 		this.lastMod = new DmaapTimestamp();
 		this.lastMod.mark();
 
@@ -55,24 +53,7 @@
 		
 	}
 	
-	// Deprecate this constructor
-	public MR_Cluster( String dLN,
-						String f,
-						String a,
-						String[] h ) {
-		this.dcaeLocationName = dLN;
-		this.fqdn = f;
-		this.hosts = new String[3];
-		this.hosts[0] = h[0];
-		this.hosts[1] = h[1];
-		this.hosts[2] = h[2];
-		this.topicProtocol = defaultTopicProtocol;
-		this.topicPort = defaultTopicPort;
-		this.lastMod = new DmaapTimestamp();
-		this.lastMod.mark();
 
-		debugLogger.debug( "depracated MR_Cluster constructor w initialization complete" + this.lastMod.getVal() );
-	}
 	
 	// new style constructor
 	public MR_Cluster( String dLN,
@@ -81,12 +62,19 @@
 			String port ) {
 		this.dcaeLocationName = dLN;
 		this.fqdn = f;
-		this.hosts = new String[3];
-		this.hosts[0] = fqdn;
-		this.hosts[1] = fqdn;
-		this.hosts[2] = fqdn;
-		this.topicProtocol = prot;
-		this.topicPort = port;
+
+		if ( prot == null || prot.isEmpty() ) {
+			this.topicProtocol = defaultTopicProtocol;
+		} else {
+			this.topicProtocol = prot;
+		}
+		if ( port == null || port.isEmpty() ) {
+			this.topicPort = defaultTopicPort;
+		} else {
+			this.topicPort = port;
+		}
+		
+		
 		this.lastMod = new DmaapTimestamp();
 		this.lastMod.mark();
 		
@@ -108,13 +96,6 @@
 		this.fqdn = fqdn;
 	}
 
-	public String[] getHosts() {
-		return hosts;
-	}
-
-	public void setHosts(String[] hosts) {
-		this.hosts = hosts;
-	}
 
 	public String getTopicProtocol() {
 		return topicProtocol;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_ClusterTest.java b/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_ClusterTest.java
index df102e3..ebe7b1e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_ClusterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/model/MR_ClusterTest.java
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@
 	public void testMR_ClusterClassConstructor() {
 
 		MR_Cluster t = new MR_Cluster( d, fqdn, "http", "3904");
-
-		t.getHosts();
 	
 		assertTrue( t.getDcaeLocationName() == d  );
 		assertTrue( t.getFqdn() == fqdn  );
@@ -70,8 +68,6 @@
 	public void testw3() {
 
 		MR_Cluster t = new MR_Cluster();
-		String[] h = { "host1", "host2", "host3" };
-		t.setHosts( h );
 	
 		assertTrue( t.getDcaeLocationName() == null  );
 		assertTrue( t.getFqdn() == null  );
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/resources/MR_ClusterResourceTest.java b/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/resources/MR_ClusterResourceTest.java
index 4d4c731..2ff17d8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/resources/MR_ClusterResourceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/onap/dmaap/dbcapi/resources/MR_ClusterResourceTest.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 		}
 
 		// now change a field
-		cluster.setHosts( h );
+
 		reqEntity = Entity.entity( cluster, MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON );
 
 		// update with incorrect key
diff --git a/version.properties b/version.properties
index d49958a..5416ded 100644
--- a/version.properties
+++ b/version.properties
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 major=1
 minor=0
-patch=4
+patch=5
 base_version=${major}.${minor}.${patch}
 
 # Release must be completed with git revision # in Jenkins