diff --git a/app/models/apikey_auth.js b/app/models/apikey_auth.js
index 3d41dd97..e43b259a 100644
--- a/app/models/apikey_auth.js
+++ b/app/models/apikey_auth.js
@@ -37,15 +37,15 @@ module.exports = (function() {
         Step(
             function() {
                 var step = this;
-                RedisPool.acquire(db, function(_redisClient) {
+                RedisPool.acquire(db, function(err, _redisClient) {
+                    if ( err ) { step(err); return };
                     redisClient = _redisClient;
                     redisArgs.push(step);
                     redisClient[redisFunc.toUpperCase()].apply(redisClient, redisArgs);
                 });
             },
             function releaseRedisClient(err, data) {
-                if (err) throw err;
-                RedisPool.release(db, redisClient);
+                if ( redisClient ) RedisPool.release(db, redisClient);
                 callback(err, data);
             }
         );
diff --git a/app/models/metadata.js b/app/models/metadata.js
index 518d3a5f..cd2ed8c3 100644
--- a/app/models/metadata.js
+++ b/app/models/metadata.js
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ module.exports = function() {
             function getRedisClient() {
                 RedisPool.acquire(that.metadata_database, this);
             },
-            function lookupMetadata(data) {
+            function lookupMetadata(err, data) {
+                if (err) throw err;
                 redisClient = data;
                 redisClient.HGET(redisKey, hashKey, this);
             },
             function releaseRedisClient(err, data) {
-                if (err) throw err;
-                RedisPool.release(that.metadata_database, redisClient);
+                if ( redisClient ) RedisPool.release(that.metadata_database, redisClient);
                 callback(err, data);
             }
         );
diff --git a/app/models/oauth.js b/app/models/oauth.js
index fc36e8c8..2210fae4 100644
--- a/app/models/oauth.js
+++ b/app/models/oauth.js
@@ -130,11 +130,12 @@ var oAuth = function(){
 
   me.getOAuthHash = function(access_key, callback){
     var that = this;
-    RedisPool.acquire(this.oauth_database, function(client){
+    RedisPool.acquire(this.oauth_database, function(err, client){
+      if ( err ) { callback(err); return; }
       var redisClient = client;
       redisClient.HGETALL(_.template(that.oauth_user_key, {oauth_access_key: access_key}), function(err, data){
         RedisPool.release(that.oauth_database, redisClient);
-        return callback(err, data)
+        callback(err, data);
       });
     });
   };
diff --git a/app/models/redis_pool.js b/app/models/redis_pool.js
index b5b05a28..51bc5bff 100644
--- a/app/models/redis_pool.js
+++ b/app/models/redis_pool.js
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ var RedisPool = {
     //
     // - `database` {String} redis database name
     // - `callback` {Function} callback to call once acquired. Takes the form
-    //   `callback(err, resource)`
+    //                         `callback(err, resource)`
     acquire: function(database, callback) {
         if (!this.pools[database]) {
           this.pools[database] = this.makePool(database);            
         }
-        this.pools[database].acquire(function(resource) {
-          callback(resource);
+        this.pools[database].acquire(function(err, resource) {
+          callback(err, resource);
         });
     },
     
@@ -52,4 +52,4 @@ var RedisPool = {
 }
 
 
-module.exports = RedisPool;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports = RedisPool;
diff --git a/npm-shrinkwrap.json b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
index 2b2c6d61..0b2e4cad 100644
--- a/npm-shrinkwrap.json
+++ b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
@@ -186,15 +186,10 @@
     },
     "pg": {
       "version": "0.12.3-cdb1",
-      "from": "git://github.com/CartoDB/node-postgres.git#cdb_production",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "generic-pool": {
-          "version": "2.0.2"
-        }
-      }
+      "from": "git://github.com/CartoDB/node-postgres.git#cdb_production"
     },
     "generic-pool": {
-      "version": "1.0.12"
+      "version": "2.0.3"
     },
     "redis": {
       "version": "0.7.1"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 323f4e03..a756395f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
         "underscore.string": "1.1.5",
         "pg": "git://github.com/CartoDB/node-postgres.git#cdb_production",
         "express": "~2.5.11",
-        "generic-pool": "1.0.x",
+        "generic-pool": "~2.0.2",
         "redis": "0.7.1",
         "hiredis": "*",
         "step": "0.0.x",
diff --git a/test/unit/redis_pool.test.js b/test/unit/redis_pool.test.js
index aafb416e..1294f5d2 100644
--- a/test/unit/redis_pool.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/redis_pool.test.js
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ test('test pool object has an aquire function', function(){
 });
 
 test('test calling aquire returns a redis client object that can get/set', function(done){
-  redis_pool.acquire(0, function(client){
+  redis_pool.acquire(0, function(err, client){
+    assert.ok(!err);
     client.set("key","value");
     client.get("key", function(err,data){      
       assert.equal(data, "value");      
@@ -29,12 +30,14 @@ test('test calling aquire returns a redis client object that can get/set', funct
 });
 
 test('test calling aquire on another DB returns a redis client object that can get/set', function(done){
-  redis_pool.acquire("MYDATABASE", function(client){
+  redis_pool.acquire("MYDATABASE", function(err, client){
+    assert.ok(!err);
     client.set("key","value");
     client.get("key", function(err,data){      
       assert.equal(data, "value");      
       redis_pool.release("MYDATABASE", client);
-      redis_pool.acquire("MYDATABASE", function(client){
+      redis_pool.acquire("MYDATABASE", function(err, client){
+        assert.ok(!err);
         client.get("key", function(err,data){      
           assert.equal(data, "value");      
           redis_pool.release("MYDATABASE", client);