diff --git a/mapchete/config/base.py b/mapchete/config/base.py
index 491ac87c..9e3b0cdd 100644
--- a/mapchete/config/base.py
+++ b/mapchete/config/base.py
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def __repr__(self):  # pragma: no cover
     def input_at_zoom(self, key=None, zoom=None):
         if zoom is None:  # pragma: no cover
             raise ValueError("zoom not provided")
-        return self.input[get_hash(self._params_at_zoom[zoom]["input"][key])]
+        return self.input[get_input_key(self._params_at_zoom[zoom]["input"][key])]
 
     def preprocessing_tasks_per_input(self):
         """Get all preprocessing tasks defined by the input drivers."""
@@ -450,18 +450,21 @@ def input(self):
         explicitly provided in process configuration.
         """
         # get input items only of initialized zoom levels
-        raw_inputs = OrderedDict(
-            [
-                # convert input definition to hash
-                (get_hash(v), v)
-                for zoom in self.init_zoom_levels
-                if "input" in self._params_at_zoom[zoom]
-                # to preserve file groups, "flatten" the input tree and use
-                # the tree paths as keys
-                for key, v in _flatten_tree(self._params_at_zoom[zoom]["input"])
-                if v is not None
-            ]
-        )
+        try:
+            raw_inputs = OrderedDict(
+                [
+                    # convert input definition to hash
+                    (get_input_key(v), v)
+                    for zoom in self.init_zoom_levels
+                    if "input" in self._params_at_zoom[zoom]
+                    # to preserve file groups, "flatten" the input tree and use
+                    # the tree paths as keys
+                    for key, v in _flatten_tree(self._params_at_zoom[zoom]["input"])
+                    if v is not None
+                ]
+            )
+        except TypeError as exc:
+            raise MapcheteConfigError(exc)
         if self._init_inputs:
             return initialize_inputs(
                 raw_inputs,
@@ -575,7 +578,7 @@ def params_at_zoom(self, zoom):
                 if v is None:
                     flat_inputs[k] = None
                 else:
-                    flat_inputs[k] = self.input[get_hash(v)]
+                    flat_inputs[k] = self.input[get_input_key(v)]
             out["input"] = _unflatten_tree(flat_inputs)
         else:
             out["input"] = OrderedDict()
@@ -620,7 +623,7 @@ def _area_at_zoom(self, zoom):
             if "input" in self._params_at_zoom[zoom]:
                 input_union = unary_union(
                     [
-                        self.input[get_hash(v)].bbox(self.process_pyramid.crs)
+                        self.input[get_input_key(v)].bbox(self.process_pyramid.crs)
                         for k, v in _flatten_tree(self._params_at_zoom[zoom]["input"])
                         if v is not None
                     ]
@@ -762,6 +765,20 @@ def at_zoom(self, zoom):
         return self.params_at_zoom(zoom)
 
 
+def get_input_key(
+    input_definition: Union[MPathLike, dict], hash_length: int = 6
+) -> str:
+    try:
+        path = MPath.from_inp(input_definition)
+        return f"{path}-{get_hash(input_definition, length=hash_length)}"
+    except ValueError:
+        pass
+    if isinstance(input_definition, dict):
+        return f"{input_definition['format']}-{get_hash(input_definition, length=hash_length)}"
+    else:  # pragma: no cover
+        raise ValueError(f"cannot generate input_key from {input_definition}")
+
+
 def get_hash(some_object: Any, length: int = 16) -> str:
     """Return hash of some_object."""
     if isinstance(some_object, MPath):
diff --git a/test/test_executor.py b/test/test_executor.py
index 2bf86aec..62a5c76b 100644
--- a/test/test_executor.py
+++ b/test/test_executor.py
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ def test_profile_wrapper(request, path_fixture):
     assert result.profiling["memory"].total_allocated > 0
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(
+    reason="this test is flaky and the feature is also tested in "
+    "test_processing_profilers.py::test_requests_return_result"
+)
 @pytest.mark.integration
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "path_fixture",