diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/views/operator.py b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/views/operator.py
index 876415d78..7e9482883 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/views/operator.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/views/operator.py
@@ -204,7 +204,9 @@ async def operate_erase(request: web.Request, authenticated_sender: str) -> web.
 
     # Stop the VM
     await pool.stop_vm(execution.vm_hash)
-    pool.forget_vm(execution.vm_hash)
+    if execution.vm_hash in pool.executions:
+        logger.warning(f"VM {execution.vm_hash} was not stopped properly, forgetting it anyway")
+        pool.forget_vm(execution.vm_hash)
 
     # Delete all data
     if execution.resources is not None:
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
index eb9d7ec48..0c1673cee 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import asyncio
 import json
 import logging
@@ -128,11 +130,7 @@ async def create_a_vm(
             self.forget_vm(vm_hash)
             raise
 
-        async def forget_on_stop(stop_event: asyncio.Event):
-            await stop_event.wait()
-            self.forget_vm(vm_hash)
-
-        asyncio.create_task(forget_on_stop(stop_event=execution.stop_event))
+        self._schedule_forget_on_stop(execution)
 
         return execution
 
@@ -184,7 +182,7 @@ async def stop_vm(self, vm_hash: ItemHash) -> Optional[VmExecution]:
         else:
             return None
 
-    async def stop_persistent_execution(self, execution):
+    async def stop_persistent_execution(self, execution: VmExecution):
         """Stop persistent VMs in the pool."""
         assert execution.persistent, "Execution isn't persistent"
         self.systemd_manager.stop_and_disable(execution.controller_service)
@@ -202,31 +200,45 @@ def forget_vm(self, vm_hash: ItemHash) -> None:
         except KeyError:
             pass
 
+    def _schedule_forget_on_stop(self, execution: VmExecution):
+        """Create a task that will remove the VM from the pool after it stops."""
+
+        async def forget_on_stop(stop_event: asyncio.Event):
+            await stop_event.wait()
+            self.forget_vm(execution.vm_hash)
+
+        _ = asyncio.create_task(forget_on_stop(stop_event=execution.stop_event))
+
     async def _load_persistent_executions(self):
         """Load persistent executions from the database."""
         saved_executions = await get_execution_records()
         for saved_execution in saved_executions:
-            # Prevent to load the same execution twice
-            if self.executions.get(saved_execution.vm_hash):
+            vm_hash = ItemHash(saved_execution.vm_hash)
+
+            if vm_hash in self.executions:
+                # The execution is already loaded, skip it
                 continue
 
             vm_id = saved_execution.vm_id
+
             message_dict = json.loads(saved_execution.message)
             original_dict = json.loads(saved_execution.original_message)
+
             execution = VmExecution(
-                vm_hash=saved_execution.vm_hash,
+                vm_hash=vm_hash,
                 message=get_message_executable_content(message_dict),
-                original=get_message_executable_content(message_dict),
+                original=get_message_executable_content(original_dict),
                 snapshot_manager=self.snapshot_manager,
                 systemd_manager=self.systemd_manager,
                 persistent=saved_execution.persistent,
             )
+
             if execution.is_running:
                 # TODO: Improve the way that we re-create running execution
                 await execution.prepare()
                 if self.network:
                     vm_type = VmType.from_message_content(execution.message)
-                    tap_interface = await self.network.prepare_tap(vm_id, execution.vm_hash, vm_type)
+                    tap_interface = await self.network.prepare_tap(vm_id, vm_hash, vm_type)
                 else:
                     tap_interface = None
 
@@ -235,7 +247,9 @@ async def _load_persistent_executions(self):
                 execution.ready_event.set()
                 execution.times.started_at = datetime.now(tz=timezone.utc)
 
-                self.executions[execution.vm_hash] = execution
+                self._schedule_forget_on_stop(execution)
+
+                self.executions[vm_hash] = execution
             else:
                 execution.uuid = saved_execution.uuid
                 await execution.record_usage()