diff --git a/cmd/zed/use/command.go b/cmd/zed/use/command.go
index 2547556451..2bbb5c80c9 100644
--- a/cmd/zed/use/command.go
+++ b/cmd/zed/use/command.go
@@ -107,12 +107,9 @@ func (c *Command) Run(args []string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	poolID, err := lakeparse.ParseID(commitish.Pool)
+	poolID, err := lake.PoolID(ctx, commitish.Pool)
 	if err != nil {
-		poolID, err = lake.PoolID(ctx, commitish.Pool)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		return err
 	}
 	if _, err = lake.CommitObject(ctx, poolID, commitish.Branch); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/lake/api/local.go b/lake/api/local.go
index ed0cf39c24..bffb699208 100644
--- a/lake/api/local.go
+++ b/lake/api/local.go
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ func (l *local) PoolID(ctx context.Context, poolName string) (ksuid.KSUID, error
 	if poolName == "" {
 		return ksuid.Nil, errors.New("no pool name provided")
 	}
+	if id, err := lakeparse.ParseID(poolName); err == nil {
+		if _, err := l.root.OpenPool(ctx, id); err == nil {
+			return id, nil
+		}
+	}
 	return l.root.PoolID(ctx, poolName)
 }
 
diff --git a/lake/api/remote.go b/lake/api/remote.go
index d764320963..57fd1be941 100644
--- a/lake/api/remote.go
+++ b/lake/api/remote.go
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ func (l *remote) Root() *lake.Root {
 }
 
 func (r *remote) PoolID(ctx context.Context, poolName string) (ksuid.KSUID, error) {
+	if id, err := lakeparse.ParseID(poolName); err == nil {
+		if _, err := LookupPoolByID(ctx, r, id); err == nil {
+			return id, nil
+		}
+	}
 	config, err := LookupPoolByName(ctx, r, poolName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return ksuid.Nil, err
diff --git a/lake/root.go b/lake/root.go
index 95a2096f8e..3133935242 100644
--- a/lake/root.go
+++ b/lake/root.go
@@ -238,16 +238,10 @@ func (r *Root) PoolID(ctx context.Context, poolName string) (ksuid.KSUID, error)
 	if poolName == "" {
 		return ksuid.Nil, errors.New("no pool name given")
 	}
-	poolID, err := ksuid.Parse(poolName)
-	var poolRef *pools.Config
-	if err != nil {
-		poolRef = r.pools.LookupByName(ctx, poolName)
-		if poolRef == nil {
-			return ksuid.Nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", poolName, pools.ErrNotFound)
-		}
-		poolID = poolRef.ID
+	if poolRef := r.pools.LookupByName(ctx, poolName); poolRef != nil {
+		return poolRef.ID, nil
 	}
-	return poolID, nil
+	return ksuid.Nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", poolName, pools.ErrNotFound)
 }
 
 func (r *Root) CommitObject(ctx context.Context, poolID ksuid.KSUID, branchName string) (ksuid.KSUID, error) {
diff --git a/lake/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml b/lake/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9198c41068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lake/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Test that a pool can be given a ksuid name and everything still works.
+script: |
+  export ZED_LAKE=test
+  zed init -q
+  zed create 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU
+  zed use 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU
+outputs:
+  - name: stdout
+    regexp: |
+      pool created: 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU \w{27}
+      Switched to branch "main" on pool "2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU"
diff --git a/service/request.go b/service/request.go
index d79801449c..ec83afa0bf 100644
--- a/service/request.go
+++ b/service/request.go
@@ -84,18 +84,20 @@ func (r *Request) PoolID(w *ResponseWriter, root *lake.Root) (ksuid.KSUID, bool)
 	if !ok {
 		return ksuid.Nil, false
 	}
-	id, err := lakeparse.ParseID(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		id, err = root.PoolID(r.Context(), s)
-		if errors.Is(err, pools.ErrNotFound) {
-			w.Error(err)
-			return ksuid.Nil, false
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			w.Error(srverr.ErrInvalid("invalid path param %q: %w", s, err))
-			return ksuid.Nil, false
+	if id, err := lakeparse.ParseID(s); err == nil {
+		if _, err = root.OpenPool(r.Context(), id); err == nil {
+			return id, true
 		}
 	}
+	id, err := root.PoolID(r.Context(), s)
+	if errors.Is(err, pools.ErrNotFound) {
+		w.Error(err)
+		return ksuid.Nil, false
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		w.Error(srverr.ErrInvalid("invalid path param %q: %w", s, err))
+		return ksuid.Nil, false
+	}
 	return id, true
 }
 
diff --git a/service/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml b/service/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b01594c2f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/ztests/create-ksuid-name.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Test that a pool can be given a ksuid name and everything still works.
+script: |
+  source service.sh
+  zed create 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU
+  zed use 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU
+inputs:
+  - name: service.sh
+outputs:
+  - name: stdout
+    regexp: |
+      pool created: 2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU \w{27}
+      Switched to branch "main" on pool "2WwyVrZdEITo5WkKu1YsJC4dMjU"