diff --git a/src/aragorn_app.py b/src/aragorn_app.py
index 92ea0d9..dd564f8 100644
--- a/src/aragorn_app.py
+++ b/src/aragorn_app.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 from src.openapi_constructor import construct_open_api_schema
 from src.common import async_query, sync_query, status_query
 from src.default_queries import default_input_sync, default_input_async
-from src.util import get_channel_pool
 from src.otel_config import configure_otel
 
 # declare the FastAPI details
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@
 config["handlers"]["console"]["level"] = log_level
 config["handlers"]["file"]["level"] = log_level
 config["loggers"]["src"]["level"] = log_level
-#config["loggers"]["aio_pika"]["level"] = log_level
+config["loggers"]["aio_pika"]["level"] = log_level
 
 # load the log config
 logging.config.dictConfig(config)
@@ -51,8 +50,10 @@
 # create a logger
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-# Get rabbitmq channel pool
-channel_pool = get_channel_pool()
+# Get rabbitmq connection
+q_username = os.environ.get("QUEUE_USER", "guest")
+q_password = os.environ.get("QUEUE_PW", "guest")
+q_host = os.environ.get("QUEUE_HOST", "127.0.0.1")
 
 # declare the directory where the async data files will exist
 queue_file_dir = "./queue-files"
@@ -111,13 +112,16 @@ async def subservice_callback(response: PDResponse, guid: str) -> int:
     """
     # init the return html status code
     ret_val: int = 200
+    # init the rbtmq connection
+    connection = None
 
     logger.debug(f"{guid}: Receiving sub-service callback")
 
     try:
-        async with channel_pool.acquire() as channel:
+        connection = await aio_pika.connect_robust(f"amqp://{q_username}:{q_password}@{q_host}/")
+        async with connection:
+            channel = await connection.channel()
             await channel.get_queue(guid, ensure=True)
-
             # create a file path/name
             fname = "".join(random.choices(string.ascii_lowercase, k=12))
             file_name = f"{queue_file_dir}/{guid}-{fname}-async-data.json"
@@ -133,17 +137,15 @@ async def subservice_callback(response: PDResponse, guid: str) -> int:
                 logger.debug(f"{guid}: Callback message published to queue.")
             else:
                 logger.error(f"{guid}: Callback message publishing to queue failed, type: {type(publish_val)}")
-            # if isinstance(publish_val, spec.Basic.Ack):
-            #    logger.info(f'{guid}: Callback message published to queue.')
-            # else:
-            #    # set the html error code
-            #    ret_val = 422
-            #    logger.error(f'{guid}: Callback message publishing to queue failed, type: {type(publish_val)}')
 
     except Exception as e:
         logger.exception(f"Exception detected while handling sub-service callback using guid {guid}", e)
         # set the html status code
         ret_val = 500
+    finally:
+        # close rbtmq connection if it exists
+        if connection:
+            await connection.close()
 
     # return the response code
     return ret_val
diff --git a/src/service_aggregator.py b/src/service_aggregator.py
index beabfe4..7473ca7 100644
--- a/src/service_aggregator.py
+++ b/src/service_aggregator.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 """Literature co-occurrence support."""
+import aio_pika
 import json
 import logging
 import asyncio
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@
 from string import Template
 
 from functools import partial
-from src.util import create_log_entry, get_channel_pool
+from src.util import create_log_entry
 from src.operations import sort_results_score, filter_results_top_n, filter_kgraph_orphans, filter_message_top_n
 from src.process_db import add_item
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -27,9 +28,6 @@
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-# Get rabbitmq channel pool
-channel_pool = get_channel_pool()
-
 # declare the directory where the async data files will exist
 queue_file_dir = "./queue-files"
 
@@ -280,25 +278,45 @@ async def collect_callback_responses(guid, num_queries):
 
     return responses
 
+async def get_pika_connection():
+    q_username = os.environ.get("QUEUE_USER", "guest")
+    q_password = os.environ.get("QUEUE_PW", "guest")
+    q_host = os.environ.get("QUEUE_HOST", "127.0.0.1")
+    connection = await aio_pika.connect_robust(host=q_host, login=q_username, password=q_password)
+    return connection
+
 
 async def create_queue(guid):
+    connection = None
     try:
-        async with channel_pool.acquire() as channel:
+        connection = await get_pika_connection()
+        async with connection:
+            channel = await connection.channel()
             # declare the queue using the guid as the key
             queue = await channel.declare_queue(guid)
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"{guid}: Failed to create queue.")
         raise e
+    finally:
+        if connection:
+            await connection.close()
 
 
 async def delete_queue(guid):
+    connection = None
     try:
-        async with channel_pool.acquire() as channel:
-            # declare the queue using the guid as the key
+        connection = await get_pika_connection()
+        async with connection:
+            channel = await connection.channel()
+            # delete the queue using the guid as the key
             queue = await channel.queue_delete(guid)
     except Exception:
         logger.error(f"{guid}: Failed to delete queue.")
         # Deleting queue isn't essential, so we will continue
+    finally:
+        if connection:
+            await connection.close()
+
 
 def has_unique_nodes(result):
     """Given a result, return True if all nodes are unique, False otherwise"""
@@ -332,8 +350,11 @@ async def check_for_messages(guid, num_queries, num_previously_received=0):
     responses = []
     CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = 1 * 60  # 1 minutes
     num_responses = num_previously_received
+    connection = None
     try:
-        async with channel_pool.acquire() as channel:
+        connection = await get_pika_connection()
+        async with connection:
+            channel = await connection.channel()
             queue = await channel.get_queue(guid, ensure=True)
             # wait for the response.  Timeout after
             async with queue.iterator(timeout=CONNECTION_TIMEOUT) as queue_iter:
@@ -370,6 +391,9 @@ async def check_for_messages(guid, num_queries, num_previously_received=0):
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"{guid}: Exception {e}. Returning {num_responses} results we have so far.")
         return responses, True
+    finally:
+        if connection:
+            await connection.close()
 
     return responses, complete
 
diff --git a/src/util.py b/src/util.py
index bcb9f6d..42fa766 100644
--- a/src/util.py
+++ b/src/util.py
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 """Common Aragorn Utilities."""
-import aio_pika
-from aio_pika.abc import AbstractRobustConnection
-from aio_pika.pool import Pool
-import asyncio
 import datetime
-import os
 
 
 def create_log_entry(msg: str, err_level, timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat(), code=None) -> dict:
@@ -13,29 +8,3 @@ def create_log_entry(msg: str, err_level, timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().is
 
     # return to the caller
     return ret_val
-
-
-def get_channel_pool():
-    # get the queue connection params
-    q_username = os.environ.get("QUEUE_USER", "guest")
-    q_password = os.environ.get("QUEUE_PW", "guest")
-    q_host = os.environ.get("QUEUE_HOST", "127.0.0.1")
-
-    loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
-    asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
-
-    async def get_connection() -> AbstractRobustConnection:
-        return await aio_pika.connect_robust(f"amqp://{q_username}:{q_password}@{q_host}/")
-
-
-    connection_pool: Pool = Pool(get_connection, max_size=4, loop=loop)
-
-
-    async def get_channel() -> aio_pika.Channel:
-        async with connection_pool.acquire() as connection:
-            return await connection.channel()
-
-
-    channel_pool: Pool = Pool(get_channel, max_size=10, loop=loop)
-
-    return channel_pool