diff --git a/api/security.py b/api/security.py
index ba3b2d7b..9157a528 100644
--- a/api/security.py
+++ b/api/security.py
@@ -106,6 +106,15 @@ def get_conn() -> Optional[Connector]:
     return conn
 
 
+def get_configured_connector() -> Optional[Union[Connector, SSHConnector]]:
+    if connector == 'ispyb':
+        return get_conn()
+    elif connector == 'ssh_ispyb':
+        return get_remote_conn()
+    else:
+        return None
+
+
 class ISpyBSafeQuerySet(viewsets.ReadOnlyModelViewSet):
     def get_queryset(self):
         """
@@ -190,11 +199,7 @@ def get_proposals_for_user_from_ispyb(self, user):
         logger.info("user=%s needs_updating=%s", user.username, needs_updating)
 
         if needs_updating:
-            conn: Optional[Union[Connector, SSHConnector]] = None
-            if connector == 'ispyb':
-                conn = get_conn()
-            elif connector == 'ssh_ispyb':
-                conn = get_remote_conn()
+            conn: Optional[Union[Connector, SSHConnector]] = get_configured_connector()
 
             # If there is no connection (ISPyB credentials may be missing)
             # then there's nothing we can do except return an empty list.
diff --git a/viewer/services.py b/viewer/services.py
index 32794aa6..d0776cbf 100644
--- a/viewer/services.py
+++ b/viewer/services.py
@@ -4,14 +4,12 @@
 import os
 from concurrent import futures
 from enum import Enum
-from typing import Optional
 
 import requests
 from frag.utils.network_utils import get_driver
-from ispyb.connector.mysqlsp.main import ISPyBMySQLSPConnector as Connector
 from pydiscourse import DiscourseClient
 
-from api import security
+from api.security import get_configured_connector
 from viewer.squonk2_agent import get_squonk2_agent
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -150,16 +148,16 @@ async def wrapper_service_query(*args, **kwargs):
 
 
 @service_query
-def ispyb(func_id, name, ispyb_host=None) -> Optional[Connector]:
+def ispyb(func_id, name, ispyb_host=None) -> bool:
     # Unused arguments
     del func_id, name, ispyb_host
 
     logger.debug("+ ispyb")
-    return security.get_conn()
+    return get_configured_connector() != None
 
 
 @service_query
-def discourse(func_id, name, key=None, url=None, user=None) -> DiscourseClient:
+def discourse(func_id, name, key=None, url=None, user=None) -> bool:
     # Unused arguments
     del func_id, name
 
@@ -170,7 +168,7 @@ def discourse(func_id, name, key=None, url=None, user=None) -> DiscourseClient:
         api_key=os.environ.get(key, None),
     )
     # TODO: some action on client?
-    return client
+    return client != None
 
 
 @service_query