diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/network/interfaces.py b/src/aleph/vm/network/interfaces.py
index f51e5a732..b3fc14029 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/network/interfaces.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/network/interfaces.py
@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ def add_ip_address(ipr: IPRoute, device_name: str, ip: Union[IPv4Interface, IPv6
         logger.error(f"Unknown exception while adding address {ip} to interface {device_name}: {e}")
 
 
+def delete_ip_address(ipr: IPRoute, device_name: str, ip: Union[IPv4Interface, IPv6Interface]):
+    """Delete an IP address to the given interface."""
+    interface_index: list[int] = ipr.link_lookup(ifname=device_name)
+    if not interface_index:
+        raise MissingInterfaceError(f"Interface {device_name} does not exist, can't delete address {ip} to it.")
+    try:
+        ipr.addr("del", index=interface_index[0], address=str(ip.ip), mask=ip.network.prefixlen)
+    except NetlinkError as e:
+        logger.error(f"Unknown exception while deleting address {ip} to interface {device_name}: {e}")
+    except OSError as e:
+        logger.error(f"Unknown exception while deleting address {ip} to interface {device_name}: {e}")
+
+
 def set_link_up(ipr: IPRoute, device_name: str):
     """Set the given interface up."""
     interface_index: list[int] = ipr.link_lookup(ifname=device_name)
@@ -154,4 +167,6 @@ async def delete(self) -> None:
         if self.ndp_proxy:
             await self.ndp_proxy.delete_range(self.device_name)
         with IPRoute() as ipr:
+            delete_ip_address(ipr, self.device_name, self.host_ip)
+            delete_ip_address(ipr, self.device_name, self.host_ipv6)
             delete_tap_interface(ipr, self.device_name)
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
index 8c5f9fd8b..48e9c6b8c 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ async def create_a_vm(
                 if self.network:
                     vm_type = VmType.from_message_content(message)
                     tap_interface = await self.network.prepare_tap(vm_id, vm_hash, vm_type)
+                    # If the network interface already exists, remove it and then re-create it.
+                    if self.network.interface_exists(vm_id):
+                        await tap_interface.delete()
                     await self.network.create_tap(vm_id, tap_interface)
                 else:
                     tap_interface = None
@@ -163,12 +166,6 @@ def get_unique_vm_id(self) -> int:
             # anymore.
             currently_used_vm_ids = {execution.vm_id for execution in self.executions.values()}
             for i in range(settings.START_ID_INDEX, 255**2):
-
-                if self.network:
-                    # Check the network interface don't already exists, otherwise it will cause a crash
-                    if self.network.interface_exists(i):
-                        continue
-
                 if i not in currently_used_vm_ids:
                     return i
             else:
@@ -229,8 +226,8 @@ async def load_persistent_executions(self):
         for saved_execution in saved_executions:
             vm_hash = ItemHash(saved_execution.vm_hash)
 
-            if vm_hash in self.executions:
-                # The execution is already loaded, skip it
+            if vm_hash in self.executions or not saved_execution.persistent:
+                # The execution is already loaded or isn't persistent, skip it
                 continue
 
             vm_id = saved_execution.vm_id
diff --git a/tests/supervisor/test_status.py b/tests/supervisor/test_status.py
index e3232f1bd..0e0449dbf 100644
--- a/tests/supervisor/test_status.py
+++ b/tests/supervisor/test_status.py
@@ -6,21 +6,6 @@
 from aleph.vm.orchestrator.status import check_internet
 
 
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_check_internet_no_server_header():
-    vm_id = ItemHash("cafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafe")
-
-    mock_session = Mock()
-    mock_session.get = MagicMock()
-    mock_session.get.__aenter__.return_value.json = AsyncMock(return_value={"result": 200})
-
-    # A "Server" header is always expected in the result from the VM.
-    # If it is not present, the diagnostic VM is not working correctly
-    # and an error must be raised.
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        await check_internet(mock_session, vm_id)
-
-
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_check_internet_wrong_result_code():
     vm_id = ItemHash("cafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafecafe")