diff --git a/client/actions/user.js b/client/actions/user.js
index 558b44273..9a505098d 100644
--- a/client/actions/user.js
+++ b/client/actions/user.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import * as constants from '../constants';
 import { fetchUserLogs } from './userLog';
 import { fetchUserDevices } from './userDevice';
 import { getAccessLevel } from './auth';
-import { removeBlockedIPs } from "../reducers/removeBlockedIPs";
 
 const addRequiredTextParam = (url, languageDictionary) => {
   languageDictionary = languageDictionary || {};
@@ -77,10 +76,15 @@ export function createUser(user, languageDictionary) {
 export function requestCreateUser(memberships) {
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
     const connections = getState().connections.get('records').toJS();
+
+    const connection = connections.length === 0
+      ? null
+      : connections && connections.length && connections[0].name
+
     dispatch({
       type: constants.REQUEST_CREATE_USER,
       payload: {
-        connection: connections && connections.length && connections[0].name,
+        connection,
         memberships: memberships && memberships.length === 1 ? [ memberships[0] ] : [ ]
       }
     });
diff --git a/client/containers/Users/Users.jsx b/client/containers/Users/Users.jsx
index 62044f913..da5768b6b 100644
--- a/client/containers/Users/Users.jsx
+++ b/client/containers/Users/Users.jsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import './Users.styles.css';
 class Users extends Component {
   static propTypes = {
     loading: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+    connectionsLoading: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
     error: PropTypes.string,
     users: PropTypes.array,
     connections: PropTypes.array,
@@ -44,7 +45,9 @@ class Users extends Component {
 
   componentWillMount = () => {
     this.props.fetchUsers();
-    this.props.fetchConnections();
+    if (!this.props.connectionsLoading) {
+      this.props.fetchConnections();
+    }
   };
 
   onPageChange = (page) => {
@@ -77,7 +80,7 @@ class Users extends Component {
       error,
       users,
       total,
-      connections,
+      connectionsLoading,
       accessLevel,
       nextPage,
       pages,
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ class Users extends Component {
         <div className="row content-header">
           <div className="col-xs-12 user-table-content">
             <h1>{languageDictionary.usersTitle || 'Users'}</h1>
-            {(connections.length && role > 0 && showCreateUser) ?
+            {( !connectionsLoading && role > 0 && showCreateUser) ?
               <button id="create-user-button" className="btn btn-success pull-right new" onClick={this.createUser}>
                 <i className="icon-budicon-473"></i>
                 {languageDictionary.createUserButtonText || 'Create User'}
@@ -158,6 +161,7 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
     loading: state.users.get('loading'),
     users: state.users.get('records').toJS(),
     connections: state.connections.get('records').toJS(),
+    connectionsLoading: state.connections.get('loading'),
     total: state.users.get('total'),
     nextPage: state.users.get('nextPage'),
     pages: state.users.get('pages'),
diff --git a/client/utils/useDefaultFields.js b/client/utils/useDefaultFields.js
index 4d05bab60..86a381fce 100644
--- a/client/utils/useDefaultFields.js
+++ b/client/utils/useDefaultFields.js
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ export const useUsernameField = (isEditField, fields, connections, hasSelectedCo
   const type = isEditField ? 'edit' : 'create';
   const selectedConnection = _.find(connections, (conn) => conn.name === hasSelectedConnection);
   const requireUsername = selectedConnection && selectedConnection.options ? selectedConnection.options.requires_username : false;
-  const noUsername = !requireUsername && (!initialValues || !initialValues.username);
+  const noUsername = connections.length > 0
+    ? !requireUsername && (!initialValues || !initialValues.username)
+    // if we have no connections, we *might* need a username field, we don't know - 
+    // because we don't have the connections to check
+    : false;
 
   const defaults = {
     property: 'username',
@@ -23,7 +27,8 @@ export const useUsernameField = (isEditField, fields, connections, hasSelectedCo
     disable: noUsername,
     [type]: {
       type: 'text',
-      required: true
+      // if we have no connections we should show the field but not require it
+      required: connections.length > 0
     }
   };
 
@@ -57,18 +62,22 @@ export const useMembershipsField = (isEditField, fields, hasMembership, membersh
 
 export const useConnectionsField = (isEditField, fields, connections, onConnectionChange) => {
   const type = isEditField ? 'edit' : 'create';
-  if (!connections || connections.length <= 1) {
+  // if we have exactly one connection then don't show this field and use that connection
+  // however if we have zero connections, we should show the free text connections field
+  if (!connections || connections.length === 1) {
     return _.remove(fields, { property: 'connection' });
   }
 
+  const isConnectionLimitExceeded = connections.length === 0;
+
   const defaults = {
     property: 'connection',
-    label: 'Connection',
+    label: isConnectionLimitExceeded ? 'Connection Name' : 'Connection',
     [type]: {
       required: true,
-      type: 'select',
-      component: 'InputCombo',
-      options: connections.map(conn => ({ value: conn.name, label: conn.name })),
+      type: isConnectionLimitExceeded ? 'text' : 'select',
+      component: isConnectionLimitExceeded ? 'InputText' : 'InputCombo',
+      options: isConnectionLimitExceeded ? undefined : connections.map(conn => ({ value: conn.name, label: conn.name })),
       onChange: onConnectionChange
     }
   };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e2dce3e55..7f9e00b68 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,15 +14,13 @@
     "deploy": "a0-ext deploy --package ./dist/package.zip --url http://0.0.0.0:3000/api/extensions",
     "client:build": "a0-ext build:client ./client/app.jsx ./dist/client",
     "extension:build": "a0-ext build:server ./webtask.js ./dist && cp ./dist/auth0-delegated-admin.extension.$npm_package_version.js ./build/bundle.js && cp ./webtask.json ./dist/webtask.json",
-    "serve:dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development nodemon -e js --ignore assets/app/ --ignore build/webpack/ --ignore client/ --ignore server/data.json --ignore node_modules/ ./build/webpack/server.js",
+    "serve:dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-provider nodemon -e js --ignore assets/app/ --ignore build/webpack/ --ignore client/ --ignore server/data.json --ignore node_modules/ ./build/webpack/server.js",
     "serve:prod": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node index.js",
     "test": "cross-env NODE_ENV=test nyc --reporter=lcov mocha --require ignore-styles tests/mocha.js './tests/**/*.tests.js'",
     "test:watch": "cross-env NODE_ENV=test mocha --require ignore-styles tests/mocha.js './tests/**/*.tests.js' --watch",
     "test:pre": "npm run test:clean && npm run lint:js",
     "test:clean": "rimraf ./coverage && rimraf ./.nyc_output",
-    "extension:size": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack -p --config ./build/extension/webpack.config.js --json > ./build/extension/bundle-size.json && node ./build/extension/bundle-size.js",
-    "snyk-protect": "snyk protect",
-    "prepare": "npm run snyk-protect"
+    "extension:size": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production webpack -p --config ./build/extension/webpack.config.js --json > ./build/extension/bundle-size.json && node ./build/extension/bundle-size.js"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "auth0",
diff --git a/server/lib/multipartRequest.js b/server/lib/multipartRequest.js
index 007830566..46b8076e9 100644
--- a/server/lib/multipartRequest.js
+++ b/server/lib/multipartRequest.js
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import Promise from 'bluebird';
 import { ArgumentError } from 'auth0-extension-tools';
 
-export default function(client, entity, opts = {}, perPage = 50, concurrency = 5) {
+export default function(client, entity, opts = {}, fetchOptions = {} ) {
+  const perPage = fetchOptions.perPage || 50;
+  const concurrency = fetchOptions.concurrency || 5;
+  const limit = fetchOptions.limit || null;
+
   if (client === null || client === undefined) {
     throw new ArgumentError('Must provide a auth0 client object.');
   }
@@ -13,6 +17,7 @@ export default function(client, entity, opts = {}, perPage = 50, concurrency = 5
   const getter = client[entity].getAll;
   const options = { ...opts, per_page: perPage };
   const result = [];
+
   let total = 0;
   let pageCount = 0;
 
@@ -21,6 +26,14 @@ export default function(client, entity, opts = {}, perPage = 50, concurrency = 5
       .then((response) => {
         total = response.total || 0;
         pageCount = Math.ceil(total / perPage);
+
+        // if the total exceeds the limit, don't fetch any more connections from api2
+        // we get some from the initial request to get totals, but we'll ignore them
+        if (limit && (total > limit)) { 
+          pageCount = 1;
+          return null;
+        }
+
         const data = response[entity] || response || [];
         data.forEach(item => result.push(item));
         return null;
@@ -36,6 +49,13 @@ export default function(client, entity, opts = {}, perPage = 50, concurrency = 5
   const getAll = () =>
     getTotals()
       .then(() => {
+        // the number of connections exceeds the limit we can handle:
+        //   - don't return any to the frontend
+        //   - will use a free text box in the user creation dialogue
+        if (limit && (total > limit)) { 
+          return result;
+        }
+
         if (total === 0 || result.length >= total) {
           return result;
         }
diff --git a/server/routes/connections.js b/server/routes/connections.js
index c12e2dbe4..58d455a91 100644
--- a/server/routes/connections.js
+++ b/server/routes/connections.js
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@ import { Router } from 'express';
 
 import multipartRequest from '../lib/multipartRequest';
 
+// This is the number of connections in a tenant which the DAE can reasonably handle. More than this and it fails to
+// finish loading connections and the "create user" button is never shown. If there are more connections than this
+// in the tenant, we will return zero connections to the front end, and it will use a free text box for connection name
+// in the create user dialogue.
+const CONNECTIONS_FETCH_LIMIT = 20000;
+
 export default (scriptManager) => {
   const api = Router();
   api.get('/', (req, res, next) => {
-    multipartRequest(req.auth0, 'connections', { strategy: 'auth0', fields: 'id,name,strategy,options' })
+    multipartRequest(
+      req.auth0,
+      'connections',
+      { strategy: 'auth0', fields: 'id,name,strategy,options' },
+      { limit: CONNECTIONS_FETCH_LIMIT, perPage: 100 }
+    )
       .then((connections) => {
         global.connections = connections.map(conn => ({ name: conn.name, id: conn.id }));
         const settingsContext = {
diff --git a/tests/client/components/Users/UserForm.tests.js b/tests/client/components/Users/UserForm.tests.js
index d659c9cd8..9ed655e0f 100644
--- a/tests/client/components/Users/UserForm.tests.js
+++ b/tests/client/components/Users/UserForm.tests.js
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ describe('#Client-Components-UserForm', () => {
       someOtherKey: 'Some other value'
     };
 
-    const Component = renderComponent(languageDictionary);
+    const Component = renderComponent(everythingOptions, languageDictionary);
 
     expect(Component.length).to.be.greaterThan(0);
     expect(Component.find(Button).filterWhere(element => element.text() === 'Cancel').length).to.equal(1);
diff --git a/tests/client/utils/useDefaultFields.tests.js b/tests/client/utils/useDefaultFields.tests.js
index 25dd4cbc8..11e2b492c 100644
--- a/tests/client/utils/useDefaultFields.tests.js
+++ b/tests/client/utils/useDefaultFields.tests.js
@@ -247,13 +247,24 @@ describe('Client-Utils-useDefaultFields', () => {
 
     it('empty array population skip', () => {
       const fields = [];
-      const target = [];
+      const target1 = [{
+        property: 'connection',
+        label: 'Connection Name',
+        edit: {
+          required: true,
+          type: 'text',
+          component: 'InputText',
+          options: undefined,
+          onChange: undefined
+        }
+      }];
+      const target2 = [];
 
       useDefaultFields.useConnectionsField(true, fields, []);
-      expect(fields).to.deep.equal(target);
+      expect(fields).to.deep.equal(target1);
 
       useDefaultFields.useConnectionsField(true, fields, connection);
-      expect(fields).to.deep.equal(target);
+      expect(fields).to.deep.equal(target2);
     });
 
     it('pre populated array', () => {
@@ -321,7 +332,7 @@ describe('Client-Utils-useDefaultFields', () => {
       }];
       const target = [];
 
-      useDefaultFields.useConnectionsField(true, fields, []);
+      useDefaultFields.useConnectionsField(true, fields, connection);
       expect(fields).to.deep.equal(target);
     });