anchor.diff:  merkle_resolve_leaves_receive(Sync, Hashes, DestRRPid, Stats, OwnerL, Params,
                                 P1EOneLeaf, IsInitiator) ->
       BucketSizeBits = merkle_max_bucket_size_bits(Params),
  -    {<<>>, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc} =
  +    % mismatches to resolve:
  +    % * at initiator    : inner(I)-leaf(NI) or leaf-leaf
  +    % * at non-initiator: inner(NI)-leaf(I)
  +    {<<>>, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc, NIResolves} =
           lists:foldl(
  -          fun({MyMaxItemsCount, MyKVItems, LeafCount},
  -              {HashesAcc, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc}) ->
  -                  % inner-leaf mismatch to resolve
  +          fun({_MaxItemsCount, [], 1},
  +              {HashesAcc, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc, _NIResolves}) when IsInitiator ->
  +                  % empty leaf on this node
  +                  % -> this is directly resolved at the non-initiator but we
  +                  %    need to increase the resolve_started counter by 1 (no
  +                  %    matter how many empty leaves)!
  +                  {HashesAcc, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc, 1};
  +             ({MyMaxItemsCount, MyKVItems, LeafCount},
  +              {HashesAcc, ToSend, ToResolve, ResolveNonEmpty, LeafNAcc, NIResolves}) ->
                     {NHashes, OBucketTree, _OrigDBChunkLen, SigSize, VSize} =
                         merkle_resolve_retrieve_leaf_hashes(
                           HashesAcc, P1EOneLeaf, MyMaxItemsCount, BucketSizeBits),
  
positive.code:     merkle_resolve_leaves_ckidx(TL, BinKeyList, DestRRPid, Stats, OwnerL, Params,
                                  ToSend1, IsInitiator);
  merkle_resolve_leaves_ckidx([{_MyKVItems, _MyItemCount} | TL],
                               BinKeyList0,
                               DestRRPid, Stats, OwnerL, Params, ToSend, IsInitiator) ->
      Positions = Params#merkle_params.bucket_size + 1,
      <<0:Positions, BinKeyList/bitstring>> = BinKeyList0,
      merkle_resolve_leaves_ckidx(TL, BinKeyList, DestRRPid, Stats, OwnerL, Params,
                                  ToSend, IsInitiator);
  merkle_resolve_leaves_ckidx([], <<>>, DestRRPid, Stats, OwnerL, _Params, ToSend, IsInitiator) ->
  
negative.code:            MerkleResReqs = 0
      end,
      NStats = rr_recon_stats:inc([{tree_leavesSynced, LeafNAcc},
                                   {resolve_started, MerkleResReqs + NIResolves}],
                                  Stats1),
      ?TRACE("resolve_req Merkle Session=~p ; resolve started=~B",
             [rr_recon_stats:get(session_id, Stats),
  