diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
index 2dd9003d..b22545c4 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/overlay.go
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+var (
+	ErrDoesNotExist = errors.New("overlay does not exist")
+)
+
 /*
 Build all overlays (runtime and generic) for a node
 */
@@ -187,11 +191,7 @@ func BuildOverlayIndir(nodeInfo node.NodeInfo, overlayNames []string, outputDir
 		wwlog.Debug("Starting to build overlay %s\nChanging directory to OverlayDir: %s", overlayName, overlaySourceDir)
 		err := os.Chdir(overlaySourceDir)
 		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "could not change directory to overlay dir")
-		}
-		wwlog.Debug("Checking to see if overlay directory exists: %s", overlaySourceDir)
-		if !util.IsDir(overlaySourceDir) {
-			return errors.New("overlay does not exist: " + overlayName)
+			return errors.Wrapf(ErrDoesNotExist, " name: %s", overlayName)
 		}
 
 		wwlog.Verbose("Walking the overlay structure: %s", overlaySourceDir)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/provision.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/provision.go
index 03b2798c..f2851a26 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/provision.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/provision.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package warewulfd
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"net/http"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	warewulfconf "github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/container"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/kernel"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/overlay"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
 )
@@ -135,13 +137,19 @@ func ProvisionSend(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		} else {
 			context = rinfo.stage
 		}
+
 		stage_file, err = getOverlayFile(
-			node.Id.Get(),
+			node,
 			context,
 			request_overlays,
 			conf.Warewulf.AutobuildOverlays)
 
 		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, overlay.ErrDoesNotExist) {
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+				wwlog.ErrorExc(err, "")
+				return
+			}
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
 			wwlog.ErrorExc(err, "")
 			return
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util.go
index 9f2cd4a4..3290a678 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package warewulfd
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 
@@ -44,16 +43,15 @@ func sendFile(
 }
 
 func getOverlayFile(
-	nodeId string,
+	n node.NodeInfo,
 	context string,
 	stage_overlays []string,
 	autobuild bool) (stage_file string, err error) {
 
-	stage_file = overlay.OverlayImage(nodeId, context, stage_overlays)
+	stage_file = overlay.OverlayImage(n.Id.Get(), context, stage_overlays)
 	err = nil
-
 	build := !util.IsFile(stage_file)
-
+	wwlog.Verbose("stage file: %s", stage_file)
 	if !build && autobuild {
 		build = util.PathIsNewer(stage_file, nodepkg.ConfigFile)
 
@@ -63,22 +61,10 @@ func getOverlayFile(
 	}
 
 	if build {
-		nodeDB, errNested := node.New()
-		if err != nil {
-			return stage_file, errNested
-		}
-		myNode, errNested := nodeDB.FindAllNodes()
-		if err != nil {
-			return stage_file, errNested
-		}
-		myNode = node.FilterByName(myNode, []string{nodeId})
-		if len(myNode) != 1 {
-			return stage_file, fmt.Errorf("couldn't find node %s", nodeId)
-		}
-		err = overlay.BuildOverlay(myNode[0], context, stage_overlays)
+		err = overlay.BuildOverlay(n, context, stage_overlays)
 		if err != nil {
 			wwlog.Error("Failed to build overlay: %s, %s, %s\n%s",
-				nodeId, stage_overlays, stage_file, err)
+				n.Id.Get(), stage_overlays, stage_file, err)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util_test.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util_test.go
index 036a938e..c2853982 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfd/util_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package warewulfd
 
 import (
 	warewulfconf "github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/node"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -12,24 +14,27 @@ var getOverlayFileTests = []struct {
 	context     string
 	overlays    []string
 	result      string
-	succeed     bool
+	succeed     bool // getOverlayFile will always fail if no overlay dir is defined!
 }{
-	{"empty", "", "", nil, "", true},
-	{"empty node", "node1", "", nil, "", true},
-	{"specific overlays without node", "", "", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/o1-o2.img", true},
-	{"system overlay", "node1", "system", nil, "p/overlays/node1/__SYSTEM__.img", true},
-	{"runtime overlay", "node1", "runtime", nil, "p/overlays/node1/__RUNTIME__.img", true},
-	{"specific overlay", "node1", "", []string{"o1"}, "p/overlays/node1/o1.img", true},
-	{"multiple specific overlays", "node1", "", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/node1/o1-o2.img", true},
-	{"multiple specific overlays with context", "node1", "system", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/node1/__SYSTEM__.img", true},
+	{"empty", "", "", nil, "", false},
+	{"empty node", "node1", "", nil, "", false},
+	{"specific overlays without node", "", "", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/node1/o1-o2.img", false},
+	{"system overlay", "node1", "system", nil, "p/overlays/node1/__SYSTEM__.img", false},
+	{"runtime overlay", "node1", "runtime", nil, "p/overlays/node1/__RUNTIME__.img", false},
+	{"specific overlay", "node1", "", []string{"o1"}, "p/overlays/node1/o1.img", false},
+	{"multiple specific overlays", "node1", "", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/node1/o1-o2.img", false},
+	{"multiple specific overlays with context", "node1", "system", []string{"o1", "o2"}, "p/overlays/node1/__SYSTEM__.img", false},
 }
 
 func Test_getOverlayFile(t *testing.T) {
+	wwlog.SetLogLevel(wwlog.VERBOSE)
 	conf := warewulfconf.Get()
 	conf.Paths.WWProvisiondir = "p"
+	var n node.NodeInfo
 	for _, tt := range getOverlayFileTests {
+		n.Id.Set(tt.node)
 		t.Run(tt.description, func(t *testing.T) {
-			result, err := getOverlayFile(tt.node, tt.context, tt.overlays, false)
+			result, err := getOverlayFile(n, tt.context, tt.overlays, false)
 			if !tt.succeed {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
 			} else {