diff --git a/src/sdk/nb.d.ts b/src/sdk/nb.d.ts
index df7d37f4d2..d0a499e554 100644
--- a/src/sdk/nb.d.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/nb.d.ts
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ interface DBCollection {
 
     validate(doc: object, warn?: 'warn'): object;
 
-    executeSQL<T>(query: string, params: Array<any>, options?: { query_name?: string }): Promise<sqlResult<T>>;
+    executeSQL<T>(query: string, params: Array<any>, options?: { query_name?: string, preferred_pool?: string }): Promise<sqlResult<T>>;
     name: any;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server/object_services/md_store.js b/src/server/object_services/md_store.js
index 0c49cac1e7..1e5212b16d 100644
--- a/src/server/object_services/md_store.js
+++ b/src/server/object_services/md_store.js
@@ -776,6 +776,7 @@ class MDStore {
         }, {
             limit: Math.min(limit, 1000),
             hint: 'deleted_unreclaimed_index',
+            preferred_pool: 'read_only',
         });
         return results;
     }
@@ -1123,7 +1124,7 @@ class MDStore {
         FROM ${this._objects.name}
         WHERE (to_ts(data->>'deleted')<to_ts($1) and data ? 'deleted' and data ? 'reclaimed') 
         LIMIT ${query_limit};`;
-        const result = await this._objects.executeSQL(query, [new Date(max_delete_time).toISOString()]);
+        const result = await this._objects.executeSQL(query, [new Date(max_delete_time).toISOString()], {preferred_pool: 'read_only'});
         return db_client.instance().uniq_ids(result.rows, '_id');
     }
 
@@ -1599,6 +1600,7 @@ class MDStore {
                     _id: -1
                 },
                 limit: limit,
+                preferred_pool: 'read_only',
             })
 
             .then(chunks => ({
@@ -1773,7 +1775,8 @@ class MDStore {
                 projection: {
                     _id: 1,
                     deleted: 1
-                }
+                },
+                preferred_pool: 'read_only'
             })
             .then(objects => db_client.instance().uniq_ids(objects, '_id'));
     }
@@ -1781,6 +1784,8 @@ class MDStore {
     has_any_blocks_for_chunk(chunk_id) {
         return this._blocks.findOne({
                 chunk: { $eq: chunk_id, $exists: true },
+            }, {
+                preferred_pool: 'read_only'
             })
             .then(obj => Boolean(obj));
     }
@@ -1788,6 +1793,8 @@ class MDStore {
     has_any_parts_for_chunk(chunk_id) {
         return this._parts.findOne({
                 chunk: { $eq: chunk_id, $exists: true },
+            }, {
+                preferred_pool: 'read_only'
             })
             .then(obj => Boolean(obj));
     }
@@ -2029,7 +2036,8 @@ class MDStore {
                 projection: {
                     _id: 1,
                     deleted: 1
-                }
+                },
+                preferred_pool: 'read_only'
             })
             .then(objects => db_client.instance().uniq_ids(objects, '_id'));
     }
diff --git a/src/util/postgres_client.js b/src/util/postgres_client.js
index 993ec6970b..e4f053a820 100644
--- a/src/util/postgres_client.js
+++ b/src/util/postgres_client.js
@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@ function convert_timestamps(where_clause) {
 
 async function _do_query(pg_client, q, transaction_counter) {
     query_counter += 1;
+
+    dbg.log3("pg_client.options?.host =", pg_client.options?.host, ", q =", q);
+
     const tag = `T${_.padStart(transaction_counter, 8, '0')}|Q${_.padStart(query_counter.toString(), 8, '0')}`;
     try {
         // dbg.log0(`postgres_client: ${tag}: ${q.text}`, util.inspect(q.values, { depth: 6 }));
@@ -629,6 +632,10 @@ class PostgresTable {
     get_pool(key = this.pool_key) {
         const pool = this.client.get_pool(key);
         if (!pool) {
+            //if original get_pool was not for the default this.pool_key, try also this.pool_key
+            if (key && key !== this.pool_key) {
+                return this.get_pool();
+            }
             throw new Error(`The postgres clients pool ${key} disconnected`);
         }
         return pool;
@@ -716,13 +723,14 @@ class PostgresTable {
      * @param {Array<any>} params
      * @param {{
      *  query_name?: string,
+     *  preferred_pool?: string,
      * }} [options = {}]
      *
      * @returns {Promise<import('pg').QueryResult<T>>}
      */
     async executeSQL(query, params, options = {}) {
         /** @type {Pool} */
-        const pool = this.get_pool();
+        const pool = this.get_pool(options.preferred_pool);
         const client = await pool.connect();
 
         const q = {
@@ -926,7 +934,7 @@ class PostgresTable {
             query_string += ` OFFSET ${sql_query.offset}`;
         }
         try {
-            const res = await this.single_query(query_string);
+            const res = await this.single_query(query_string, undefined, this.get_pool(options.preferred_pool));
             return res.rows.map(row => decode_json(this.schema, row.data));
         } catch (err) {
             dbg.error('find failed', query, options, query_string, err);
@@ -943,7 +951,7 @@ class PostgresTable {
         }
         query_string += ' LIMIT 1';
         try {
-            const res = await this.single_query(query_string);
+            const res = await this.single_query(query_string, undefined, this.get_pool(options.preferred_pool));
             if (res.rowCount === 0) return null;
             return res.rows.map(row => decode_json(this.schema, row.data))[0];
         } catch (err) {