diff --git a/cmd/incusd/daemon.go b/cmd/incusd/daemon.go
index d00017fc759..d43438e0aee 100644
--- a/cmd/incusd/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/incusd/daemon.go
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ func (d *Daemon) init() error {
 	}
 
 	// Setup the networks.
-	if !d.db.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
+	if !d.serverClustered || !d.db.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		logger.Infof("Initializing networks")
 
 		err = networkStartup(d.State())
diff --git a/cmd/incusd/events.go b/cmd/incusd/events.go
index f70230e2f7f..236dd0bba18 100644
--- a/cmd/incusd/events.go
+++ b/cmd/incusd/events.go
@@ -109,16 +109,13 @@ func eventsSocket(s *state.State, r *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter) error
 	l := logger.AddContext(logger.Ctx{"remote": r.RemoteAddr})
 
 	var excludeLocations []string
-	// Get the current local serverName and store it for the events.
-	// We do that now to avoid issues with changes to the name and to limit
-	// the number of DB access to just one per connection.
-	err := s.DB.Cluster.Transaction(context.TODO(), func(ctx context.Context, tx *db.ClusterTx) error {
-		if isClusterNotification(r) {
-			ctx := r.Context()
-
-			// Try and match cluster member certificate fingerprint to member name.
-			fingerprint, found := ctx.Value(request.CtxUsername).(string)
-			if found {
+	if isClusterNotification(r) {
+		ctx := r.Context()
+
+		// Try and match cluster member certificate fingerprint to member name.
+		fingerprint, found := ctx.Value(request.CtxUsername).(string)
+		if found {
+			err := s.DB.Cluster.Transaction(context.TODO(), func(ctx context.Context, tx *db.ClusterTx) error {
 				cert, err := cluster.GetCertificateByFingerprintPrefix(context.Background(), tx.Tx(), fingerprint)
 				if err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("Failed matching client certificate to cluster member: %w", err)
@@ -127,14 +124,14 @@ func eventsSocket(s *state.State, r *http.Request, w http.ResponseWriter) error
 				// Add the cluster member client's name to the excluded locations so that we can avoid
 				// looping the event back to them when they send us an event via recvFunc.
 				excludeLocations = append(excludeLocations, cert.Name)
+
+				return nil
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				l.Warn("Failed setting up event connection", logger.Ctx{"err": err})
+				return nil
 			}
 		}
-
-		return nil
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		l.Warn("Failed setting up event connection", logger.Ctx{"err": err})
-		return nil
 	}
 
 	var recvFunc events.EventHandler
diff --git a/cmd/incusd/instance_state.go b/cmd/incusd/instance_state.go
index 8a8e5370960..8e414d5836b 100644
--- a/cmd/incusd/instance_state.go
+++ b/cmd/incusd/instance_state.go
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func instanceStatePut(d *Daemon, r *http.Request) response.Response {
 	}
 
 	// Check if the cluster member is evacuated.
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() && req.Action != "stop" {
+	if s.ServerClustered && req.Action != "stop" && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return response.Forbidden(fmt.Errorf("Cluster member is evacuated"))
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/incusd/instances.go b/cmd/incusd/instances.go
index bed2763c792..d4fccb1e014 100644
--- a/cmd/incusd/instances.go
+++ b/cmd/incusd/instances.go
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func instanceShouldAutoStart(inst instance.Instance) bool {
 
 func instancesStart(s *state.State, instances []instance.Instance) {
 	// Check if the cluster is currently evacuated.
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
+	if s.ServerClustered && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/incusd/instances_post.go b/cmd/incusd/instances_post.go
index 54a97a23bfa..677258ab66d 100644
--- a/cmd/incusd/instances_post.go
+++ b/cmd/incusd/instances_post.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func ensureDownloadedImageFitWithinBudget(ctx context.Context, s *state.State, r
 }
 
 func createFromImage(s *state.State, r *http.Request, p api.Project, profiles []api.Profile, img *api.Image, imgAlias string, req *api.InstancesPost) response.Response {
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
+	if s.ServerClustered && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return response.Forbidden(fmt.Errorf("Cluster member is evacuated"))
 	}
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func createFromImage(s *state.State, r *http.Request, p api.Project, profiles []
 }
 
 func createFromNone(s *state.State, r *http.Request, projectName string, profiles []api.Profile, req *api.InstancesPost) response.Response {
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
+	if s.ServerClustered && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return response.Forbidden(fmt.Errorf("Cluster member is evacuated"))
 	}
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func createFromNone(s *state.State, r *http.Request, projectName string, profile
 }
 
 func createFromMigration(ctx context.Context, s *state.State, r *http.Request, projectName string, profiles []api.Profile, req *api.InstancesPost) response.Response {
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() && r != nil && r.Context().Value(request.CtxProtocol) != "cluster" {
+	if s.ServerClustered && r != nil && r.Context().Value(request.CtxProtocol) != "cluster" && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return response.Forbidden(fmt.Errorf("Cluster member is evacuated"))
 	}
 
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ func createFromMigration(ctx context.Context, s *state.State, r *http.Request, p
 }
 
 func createFromCopy(ctx context.Context, s *state.State, r *http.Request, projectName string, profiles []api.Profile, req *api.InstancesPost) response.Response {
-	if s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
+	if s.ServerClustered && s.DB.Cluster.LocalNodeIsEvacuated() {
 		return response.Forbidden(fmt.Errorf("Cluster member is evacuated"))
 	}
 
@@ -956,12 +956,12 @@ func instancesPost(d *Daemon, r *http.Request) response.Response {
 	var targetMemberInfo *db.NodeInfo
 	var targetGroupName string
 
-	err = s.DB.Cluster.Transaction(r.Context(), func(ctx context.Context, tx *db.ClusterTx) error {
-		target := request.QueryParam(r, "target")
-		if !s.ServerClustered && target != "" {
-			return api.StatusErrorf(http.StatusBadRequest, "Target only allowed when clustered")
-		}
+	target := request.QueryParam(r, "target")
+	if !s.ServerClustered && target != "" {
+		return response.BadRequest(fmt.Errorf("Target only allowed when clustered"))
+	}
 
+	err = s.DB.Cluster.Transaction(r.Context(), func(ctx context.Context, tx *db.ClusterTx) error {
 		dbProject, err := dbCluster.GetProject(ctx, tx.Tx(), targetProjectName)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed loading project: %w", err)