diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/update.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/update.py
index a6f63d36..de879191 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/update.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/update.py
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ class MapUpdate(models.Model):
             if settings.HAS_REDIS:
                 import redis
                 lock_aquired = None
-                lock = redis.Redis().lock('mapupdate:process_updates:lock')
+                client = redis.Redis(connection_pool=settings.REDIS_CONNECTION_POOL)
+                lock = client.lock('mapupdate:process_updates:lock')
                 try:
                     lock_aquired = lock.acquire(blocking=False, blocking_timeout=1800)
                     if not lock_aquired:
diff --git a/src/c3nav/settings.py b/src/c3nav/settings.py
index e44cb6ab..88569de2 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/settings.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/settings.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # c3nav settings, mostly taken from the pretix project
 import os
+import re
 import string
 import sys
 from contextlib import suppress
@@ -248,11 +249,14 @@ if HAS_MEMCACHED:
     SESSION_ENGINE = "django.contrib.sessions.backends.cached_db"
 
 HAS_REDIS = bool(config.get('redis', 'location', fallback=None, env='C3NAV_REDIS'))
+REDIS_CONNECTION_POOL = None
 if HAS_REDIS:
+    import redis
     HAS_REAL_CACHE = True
+    REDIS_SERVERS = re.split("[;,]", config.get('redis', 'location', env='C3NAV_REDIS'))
     CACHES['redis'] = {
         "BACKEND": "django.core.cache.backends.redis.RedisCache",
-        "LOCATION": config.get('redis', 'location', env='C3NAV_REDIS'),
+        "LOCATION": REDIS_SERVERS,
     }
     if not HAS_MEMCACHED:
         CACHES['default'] = CACHES['redis']
@@ -260,6 +264,8 @@ if HAS_REDIS:
     else:
         SESSION_CACHE_ALIAS = "redis"
 
+    REDIS_CONNECTION_POOL = redis.ConnectionPool.from_url(REDIS_SERVERS[0])
+
 HAS_CELERY = bool(config.get('celery', 'broker', fallback=None))
 if HAS_CELERY:
     BROKER_URL = config.get('celery', 'broker')