diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/DnsServiceDriver.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/DnsServiceDriver.java
index f329c0ae..cabc0ca2 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/DnsServiceDriver.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/DnsServiceDriver.java
@@ -208,5 +208,5 @@ public interface DnsServiceDriver extends CloudServiceDriver {
         return true;
     }
 
-    default boolean requireSubnetNS() { return true; }
+    default boolean requireSubnetNS() { return false; }
 }
diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/godaddy/GoDaddyDnsDriver.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/godaddy/GoDaddyDnsDriver.java
index 7c661b8b..70cfbd0a 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/godaddy/GoDaddyDnsDriver.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/cloud/dns/godaddy/GoDaddyDnsDriver.java
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ public class GoDaddyDnsDriver extends DnsDriverBase<GoDaddyDnsConfig> {
 
     public static final int MAX_GODADDY_RETRIES = 5;
 
-    @Override public boolean requireSubnetNS() { return false; }
-
     @Override public Collection<DnsRecord> create(BubbleDomain domain) {
         // lookup SOA and NS records for domain, they must already exist
         final Collection<DnsRecord> soaRecords = readRecords(domain, urlForType(domain, SOA), domain.matchSOA());
diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/boot/ActivationService.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/boot/ActivationService.java
index 6017f156..d89e21d8 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/boot/ActivationService.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/boot/ActivationService.java
@@ -109,10 +109,11 @@ public class ActivationService {
                 }
             }
         }
+        final boolean testMode = configuration.testMode();
         if (publicDns == null) errors.addViolation("err.publicDns.noneSpecified");
-        if (networkStorage == null) errors.addViolation("err.storage.noneSpecified");
-        if (compute == null && !configuration.testMode()) errors.addViolation("err.compute.noneSpecified");
-        if (email == null && !configuration.testMode()) errors.addViolation("err.email.noneSpecified");
+        if (networkStorage == null && !testMode) errors.addViolation("err.storage.noneSpecified");
+        if (compute == null && !testMode) errors.addViolation("err.compute.noneSpecified");
+        if (email == null && !testMode) errors.addViolation("err.email.noneSpecified");
         if (errors.isInvalid()) throw invalidEx(errors);
 
         // create local storage if it was not provided
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ public class ActivationService {
                 .setName(request.getNetworkName())
                 .setTag(TAG_ALLOW_REGISTRATION, true)
                 .setTag(TAG_PARENT_ACCOUNT, account.getUuid())
-                .setStorage(networkStorage.getUuid())
+                .setStorage(networkStorage != null ? networkStorage.getUuid() : localStorage.getUuid())
                 .setState(BubbleNetworkState.running));
 
         // copy data outside the network to inside the network
diff --git a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/cloud/GeoService.java b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/cloud/GeoService.java
index 2b4b65fc..8f05574d 100644
--- a/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/cloud/GeoService.java
+++ b/bubble-server/src/main/java/bubble/service/cloud/GeoService.java
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ public class GeoService {
                 throw new SimpleViolationException("err.geoTimeService.notFound");
             }
 
-            final GeoLocation location = locate(account.getUuid(), ip);
+            final GeoLocation location = locate(acct.get().getUuid(), ip);
             if (!location.hasLatLon()) {
-                final List<CloudService> geocodes = cloudDAO.findByAccountAndType(account.getUuid(), CloudServiceType.geoCode);
+                final List<CloudService> geocodes = cloudDAO.findByAccountAndType(acct.get().getUuid(), CloudServiceType.geoCode);
                 if (geocodes.isEmpty()) throw new SimpleViolationException("err.geoCodeService.notFound");
                 final GeoCodeResult code = geocodes.get(0).getGeoCodeDriver(configuration).lookup(location);
                 location.setLat(code.getLat());