diff --git a/qubes/app.py b/qubes/app.py
index a714e34a..71e8b6c1 100644
--- a/qubes/app.py
+++ b/qubes/app.py
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ def _default_pool(app):
         for pool in app.pools.values():
             if pool.config.get('driver', None) != 'file':
                 continue
-            if pool.config['dir_path'] == '/var/lib/qubes':
+            if pool.config['dir_path'] == qubes.config.qubes_base_dir:
                 return pool
         raise AttributeError('Cannot determine default storage pool')
 
@@ -966,11 +966,8 @@ class Qubes(qubes.PropertyHolder):
         # check if the default LVM Thin pool qubes_dom0/pool00 exists
         if os.path.exists('/dev/mapper/qubes_dom0-pool00-tpool'):
             self.add_pool(volume_group='qubes_dom0', thin_pool='pool00',
-                          name='default', driver='lvm_thin')
-        else:
-            self.pools['default'] = self._get_pool(
-                dir_path=qubes.config.qubes_base_dir,
-                name='default', driver='file')
+                          name='lvm', driver='lvm_thin')
+        # pool based on /var/lib/qubes will be created here:
         for name, config in qubes.config.defaults['pool_configs'].items():
             self.pools[name] = self._get_pool(**config)
 
diff --git a/qubes/storage/__init__.py b/qubes/storage/__init__.py
index 8bde3b36..fdfebea0 100644
--- a/qubes/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/storage/__init__.py
@@ -373,15 +373,15 @@ class Storage(object):
 
     def init_volume(self, name, volume_config):
         ''' Initialize Volume instance attached to this domain '''
-        assert 'pool' in volume_config, "Pool missing in volume_config " + str(
-            volume_config)
 
         if 'name' not in volume_config:
             volume_config['name'] = name
+
+        # if pool still unknown, load default
         if 'pool' not in volume_config:
-            pool = getattr(self.vm.app, 'default_pool_' + name)
-        else:
-            pool = self.vm.app.get_pool(volume_config['pool'])
+            volume_config['pool'] = \
+                getattr(self.vm.app, 'default_pool_' + name)
+        pool = self.vm.app.get_pool(volume_config['pool'])
         if 'internal' in volume_config:
             # migrate old config
             del volume_config['internal']
diff --git a/qubes/tests/api_admin.py b/qubes/tests/api_admin.py
index 41acc3eb..9723e549 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/api_admin.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/api_admin.py
@@ -49,8 +49,12 @@ class AdminAPITestCase(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
             {'qubes_base_dir': self.test_base_dir})
         self.base_dir_patch2 = unittest.mock.patch(
             'qubes.config.qubes_base_dir', self.test_base_dir)
+        self.base_dir_patch3 = unittest.mock.patch.dict(
+            qubes.config.defaults['pool_configs']['varlibqubes'],
+            {'dir_path': self.test_base_dir})
         self.base_dir_patch.start()
         self.base_dir_patch2.start()
+        self.base_dir_patch3.start()
         app = qubes.Qubes('/tmp/qubes-test.xml', load=False)
         app.vmm = unittest.mock.Mock(spec=qubes.app.VMMConnection)
         app.load_initial_values()
@@ -62,6 +66,7 @@ class AdminAPITestCase(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
         with qubes.tests.substitute_entry_points('qubes.storage',
                 'qubes.tests.storage'):
             app.add_pool('test', driver='test')
+        app.default_pool = 'varlibqubes'
         app.save = unittest.mock.Mock()
         self.vm = app.add_new_vm('AppVM', label='red', name='test-vm1',
             template='test-template')
@@ -78,6 +83,7 @@ class AdminAPITestCase(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.domains[0].fire_event = self.emitter.fire_event
 
     def tearDown(self):
+        self.base_dir_patch3.stop()
         self.base_dir_patch2.stop()
         self.base_dir_patch.stop()
         if os.path.exists(self.test_base_dir):
@@ -1155,7 +1161,8 @@ class TC_00_VMs(AdminAPITestCase):
         self.assertEqual(vm.template, self.app.domains['test-template'])
         # setting pool= affect only volumes actually created for this VM,
         # not used from a template or so
-        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['root']['pool'], 'default')
+        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['root']['pool'],
+            self.template.volumes['root'].pool)
         self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['private']['pool'], 'test')
         self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['volatile']['pool'], 'test')
         self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['kernel']['pool'], 'linux-kernel')
@@ -1177,9 +1184,11 @@ class TC_00_VMs(AdminAPITestCase):
         vm = self.app.domains['test-vm2']
         self.assertEqual(vm.label, self.app.get_label('red'))
         self.assertEqual(vm.template, self.app.domains['test-template'])
-        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['root']['pool'], 'default')
+        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['root']['pool'],
+            self.template.volumes['root'].pool)
         self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['private']['pool'], 'test')
-        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['volatile']['pool'], 'default')
+        self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['volatile']['pool'],
+            self.app.default_pool_volatile)
         self.assertEqual(vm.volume_config['kernel']['pool'], 'linux-kernel')
         self.assertEqual(storage_mock.mock_calls,
             [unittest.mock.call(self.app.domains['test-vm2']).create()])
diff --git a/qubes/tests/storage.py b/qubes/tests/storage.py
index be1f7394..2243d407 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/storage.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/storage.py
@@ -95,12 +95,12 @@ class TC_00_Pool(SystemTestCase):
     def test_002_get_pool_klass(self):
         """ Expect the default pool to be `FilePool` """
         # :pylint: disable=protected-access
-        result = self.app.get_pool('default')
+        result = self.app.get_pool('varlibqubes')
         self.assertIsInstance(result, FilePool)
 
     def test_003_pool_exists_default(self):
         """ Expect the default pool to exists """
-        self.assertPoolExists('default')
+        self.assertPoolExists('varlibqubes')
 
     def test_004_add_remove_pool(self):
         """ Tries to adding and removing a pool. """
diff --git a/qubes/tests/storage_file.py b/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
index f2b80835..4987c7a9 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/storage_file.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class TC_00_FilePool(qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
             .. sealso::
                Data :data:``qubes.qubes.defaults['pool_config']``.
         """
-        result = self.app.get_pool("default").dir_path
+        result = self.app.get_pool("varlibqubes").dir_path
         expected = '/var/lib/qubes'
         self.assertEqual(result, expected)
 
diff --git a/qubes/tests/vm/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/vm/__init__.py
index 16b82870..78c5675a 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/vm/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/vm/__init__.py
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ class TestApp(qubes.tests.TestEmitter):
         self.vmm = TestVMM()
         self.host = TestHost()
         self.pools = {}
+        self.default_pool_volatile = 'default'
+        self.default_pool_root = 'default'
+        self.default_pool_private = 'default'
+        self.default_pool_kernel = 'linux-kernel'
         self.domains = {}
         #: jinja2 environment for libvirt XML templates
         self.env = jinja2.Environment(
diff --git a/qubes/vm/appvm.py b/qubes/vm/appvm.py
index e8d63e40..ff2db7bb 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/appvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/appvm.py
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ class AppVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
     default_volume_config = {
             'root': {
                 'name': 'root',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': True,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False,
@@ -52,7 +51,6 @@ class AppVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'private': {
                 'name': 'private',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': True,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -60,7 +58,6 @@ class AppVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'volatile': {
                 'name': 'volatile',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'size': defaults['root_img_size'],
@@ -68,7 +65,6 @@ class AppVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'kernel': {
                 'name': 'kernel',
-                'pool': 'linux-kernel',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False,
diff --git a/qubes/vm/dispvm.py b/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
index 8cb58cca..183a3f32 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/dispvm.py
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ class DispVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
         self.volume_config = {
             'root': {
                 'name': 'root',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': True,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False,
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ class DispVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'private': {
                 'name': 'private',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': True,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@ class DispVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'volatile': {
                 'name': 'volatile',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -68,7 +65,6 @@ class DispVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'kernel': {
                 'name': 'kernel',
-                'pool': 'linux-kernel',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False,
diff --git a/qubes/vm/standalonevm.py b/qubes/vm/standalonevm.py
index 582ad65e..80e734f4 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/standalonevm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/standalonevm.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ class StandaloneVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
         self.volume_config = {
             'root': {
                 'name': 'root',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': True,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ class StandaloneVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'private': {
                 'name': 'private',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': True,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -48,7 +46,6 @@ class StandaloneVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'volatile': {
                 'name': 'volatile',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -56,7 +53,6 @@ class StandaloneVM(qubes.vm.qubesvm.QubesVM):
             },
             'kernel': {
                 'name': 'kernel',
-                'pool': 'linux-kernel',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False,
diff --git a/qubes/vm/templatevm.py b/qubes/vm/templatevm.py
index 7c4d62bb..78b55994 100644
--- a/qubes/vm/templatevm.py
+++ b/qubes/vm/templatevm.py
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ class TemplateVM(QubesVM):
         self.volume_config = {
             'root': {
                 'name': 'root',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': True,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -74,7 +73,6 @@ class TemplateVM(QubesVM):
             },
             'private': {
                 'name': 'private',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': True,
                 'rw': True,
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ class TemplateVM(QubesVM):
             },
             'volatile': {
                 'name': 'volatile',
-                'pool': 'default',
                 'size': defaults['root_img_size'],
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
@@ -92,7 +89,6 @@ class TemplateVM(QubesVM):
             },
             'kernel': {
                 'name': 'kernel',
-                'pool': 'linux-kernel',
                 'snap_on_start': False,
                 'save_on_stop': False,
                 'rw': False