diff --git a/nixops/backends/ec2.py b/nixops/backends/ec2.py
index a6760c9b3..dff4d7ee8 100644
--- a/nixops/backends/ec2.py
+++ b/nixops/backends/ec2.py
@@ -266,13 +266,15 @@ def _get_spot_instance_request_by_id(self, request_id, allow_missing=False):
         """Get spot instance request object by id."""
         self.connect()
         result = self._conn.get_all_spot_instance_requests([request_id])
+
+        request_id_filter = {'Name': 'spot-instance-request-id', 'Values': [request_id]}
+        result = [req for req in self._conn.describe_spot_instance_requests(Filters=[request_id_filter])]
         if len(result) == 0:
             if allow_missing:
                 return None
             raise EC2InstanceDisappeared("Spot instance request ‘{0}’ disappeared!".format(request_id))
         return result[0]
 
-
     def _get_instance(self, instance_id=None, allow_missing=False, update=False):
         """Get instance object for this machine, with caching"""
         if not instance_id: instance_id = self.vm_id
diff --git a/nixops/ec2_utils.py b/nixops/ec2_utils.py
index fc1b05a2e..f4ecd7169 100644
--- a/nixops/ec2_utils.py
+++ b/nixops/ec2_utils.py
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ def handle_exception(e):
 def get_volume_by_id(conn, volume_id, allow_missing=False):
     """Get volume object by volume id."""
     try:
-        volumes = conn.get_all_volumes([volume_id])
+        volumes = [vol for vol in conn.volumes.filter(Filters=[{'Name': 'volume-id',
+                                                                'Values': [volume_id]}])]
         if len(volumes) != 1:
             raise Exception("unable to find volume ‘{0}’".format(volume_id))
         return volumes[0]