diff --git a/lib/vmpooler/api/v1.rb b/lib/vmpooler/api/v1.rb
index 43f1f9a..3773e2c 100644
--- a/lib/vmpooler/api/v1.rb
+++ b/lib/vmpooler/api/v1.rb
@@ -354,8 +354,6 @@ module Vmpooler
         return result
       end
 
-      return result unless backend.zadd('vmpooler__provisioning__request', score, request_id)
-
       status 201
 
       platforms_with_aliases = []
@@ -363,8 +361,9 @@ module Vmpooler
         selection = evaluate_template_aliases(poolname, count)
         selection.map { |selected_pool, selected_pool_count| platforms_with_aliases << "#{poolname}:#{selected_pool}:#{selected_pool_count}" }
       end
-
       platforms_string = platforms_with_aliases.join(',')
+
+      return result unless backend.zadd('vmpooler__provisioning__request', score, request_id)
       backend.hset("vmpooler__odrequest__#{request_id}", 'requested', platforms_string)
       if Vmpooler::API.settings.config[:auth] and has_token?
         backend.hset("vmpooler__odrequest__#{request_id}", 'token:token', request.env['HTTP_X_AUTH_TOKEN'])
diff --git a/lib/vmpooler/pool_manager.rb b/lib/vmpooler/pool_manager.rb
index 1f13a17..1b9b0fa 100644
--- a/lib/vmpooler/pool_manager.rb
+++ b/lib/vmpooler/pool_manager.rb
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ module Vmpooler
           $logger.log('s', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' #{timeout} #{provider} errored while checking a pending vm : #{e}")
           @redis.with_metrics do |redis|
             request_id = redis.hget("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'request_id')
-            fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, request_id=request_id)
+            fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis)
           end
           raise
         end
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ module Vmpooler
           if provider.vm_ready?(pool, vm)
             move_pending_vm_to_ready(vm, pool, redis, request_id)
           else
-            fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, request_id = request_id)
+            fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis)
           end
         end
       end
@@ -110,17 +110,18 @@ module Vmpooler
       $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' no longer exists. Removing from pending.")
     end
 
-    def fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, exists = true, request_id = nil)
+    def fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, exists = true)
       clone_stamp = redis.hget("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'clone')
       return true unless clone_stamp
 
       time_since_clone = (Time.now - Time.parse(clone_stamp)) / 60
       if time_since_clone > timeout
         if exists
+          request_id = redis.hget("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'request_id')
           pool_alias = redis.hget("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'pool_alias') if request_id
           redis.multi
           redis.smove('vmpooler__pending__' + pool, 'vmpooler__completed__' + pool, vm)
-          result = redis.zadd('vmpooler__odcreate__task', 1, "#{pool_alias}:#{pool}:1:#{request_id}") if request_id
+          redis.zadd('vmpooler__odcreate__task', 1, "#{pool_alias}:#{pool}:1:#{request_id}") if request_id
           redis.exec
           $metrics.increment("errors.markedasfailed.#{pool}")
           $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' marked as 'failed' after #{timeout} minutes")
@@ -1296,7 +1297,7 @@ module Vmpooler
 
       check_running_pool_vms(pool['name'], provider, pool_check_response, inventory)
 
-      check_ready_pool_vms(pool['name'], provider, pool_check_response, inventory, pool['ready_ttl'])
+      check_ready_pool_vms(pool['name'], provider, pool_check_response, inventory, pool['ready_ttl'] || $config[:config]['ready_ttl'])
 
       check_pending_pool_vms(pool['name'], provider, pool_check_response, inventory, pool['timeout'])
 
diff --git a/spec/unit/pool_manager_spec.rb b/spec/unit/pool_manager_spec.rb
index 34d663e..c555b17 100644
--- a/spec/unit/pool_manager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/pool_manager_spec.rb
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ EOT
       it 'calls fail_pending_vm if host is not ready' do
         expect(provider).to receive(:vm_ready?).with(pool,vm).and_return(false)
         redis_connection_pool.with do |redis|
-          expect(subject).to receive(:fail_pending_vm).with(vm, pool, timeout, redis, nil)
+          expect(subject).to receive(:fail_pending_vm).with(vm, pool, timeout, redis)
         end
 
         subject._check_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, provider)
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ EOT
         redis_connection_pool.with do |redis|
           redis.hset("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'clone',(Time.now - 900).to_s)
           redis.hset("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'pool_alias', pool)
-          subject.fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, true, request_id)
+          redis.hset("vmpooler__vm__#{vm}", 'request_id', request_id)
+          subject.fail_pending_vm(vm, pool, timeout, redis, true)
           expect(redis.zrange('vmpooler__odcreate__task', 0, -1)).to eq(["#{pool}:#{pool}:1:#{request_id}"])
         end
       end