diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a801e3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* @get-bridge/arcanine
diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01928f1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#### JIRA
+
+#### Changes
+
+-
+
+#### Checklist
+- [ ] Feature Flag Required
+- [ ] Bug
+
+#### Test plan
+
+- [ ] Walk-through
+- [ ] Peer review
+- [ ] Inspection
+  - Detailed steps and prerequisites for validating the change:
+    - <!-- Replace this with the bullet points about the steps how to execute the test -->
+
+#### Risk Analysis - the risk of change is evaluated
+
+- [ ] Low - Majority of the changes are low risk which doesn’t require extra testing, only code review by 1 reviewer
+    - [ ] 1 reviewer
+- [ ] Medium - Some portion of changes are medium risk which need peer testing and review by 2 reviewers
+    - [ ] 2 reviewers
+    - [ ] peer testing
+- [ ] High - A very few breaking changes are high risk and need very throughout testing and review and also coordinated release process.
+    - [ ] 2 reviewers
+    - [ ] peer testing
+    - [ ] coordinated release
diff --git a/lib/closure_tree/has_closure_tree.rb b/lib/closure_tree/has_closure_tree.rb
index b0bc5b1a..6fb47d7a 100644
--- a/lib/closure_tree/has_closure_tree.rb
+++ b/lib/closure_tree/has_closure_tree.rb
@@ -14,25 +14,25 @@ def has_closure_tree(options = {})
         :with_advisory_lock
       )
 
-      class_attribute :_ct
-      self._ct = ClosureTree::Support.new(self, options)
+      connection_pool.with_connection {
+        class_attribute :_ct
+        self._ct = ClosureTree::Support.new(self, options)
 
-      # Auto-inject the hierarchy table
-      # See https://github.com/patshaughnessy/class_factory/blob/master/lib/class_factory/class_factory.rb
-      class_attribute :hierarchy_class
-      self.hierarchy_class = _ct.hierarchy_class_for_model
+        # Auto-inject the hierarchy table
+        # See https://github.com/patshaughnessy/class_factory/blob/master/lib/class_factory/class_factory.rb
+        class_attribute :hierarchy_class
+        self.hierarchy_class = _ct.hierarchy_class_for_model
 
-      # tests fail if you include Model before HierarchyMaintenance wtf
-      include ClosureTree::HierarchyMaintenance
-      include ClosureTree::Model
-      include ClosureTree::Finders
-      include ClosureTree::HashTree
-      include ClosureTree::Digraphs
+        # tests fail if you include Model before HierarchyMaintenance wtf
+        include ClosureTree::HierarchyMaintenance
+        include ClosureTree::Model
+        include ClosureTree::Finders
+        include ClosureTree::HashTree
+        include ClosureTree::Digraphs
 
-      include ClosureTree::DeterministicOrdering if _ct.order_option?
-      include ClosureTree::NumericDeterministicOrdering if _ct.order_is_numeric?
-
-      connection_pool.release_connection
+        include ClosureTree::DeterministicOrdering if _ct.order_option?
+        include ClosureTree::NumericDeterministicOrdering if _ct.order_is_numeric?
+      }
     rescue StandardError => e
       raise e unless ClosureTree.configuration.database_less
     end
diff --git a/lib/closure_tree/hierarchy_maintenance.rb b/lib/closure_tree/hierarchy_maintenance.rb
index e3f4ee46..fce9e3e6 100644
--- a/lib/closure_tree/hierarchy_maintenance.rb
+++ b/lib/closure_tree/hierarchy_maintenance.rb
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def cleanup!
 
         [:descendant_id, :ancestor_id].each do |foreign_key|
           alias_name = foreign_key.to_s.split('_').first + "s"
-          alias_table = Arel::Table.new(table_name).alias(alias_name)
+          alias_table = Arel::Table.new(table_name, type_caster: type_caster).alias(alias_name)
           arel_join = hierarchy_table.join(alias_table, Arel::Nodes::OuterJoin)
                                      .on(alias_table[primary_key].eq(hierarchy_table[foreign_key]))
                                      .join_sources
diff --git a/spec/pool_spec.rb b/spec/pool_spec.rb
index de25c4fb..89d4e066 100644
--- a/spec/pool_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/pool_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe 'Configuration' do
+  before(:each) do
+    # Make sure we start up with no active connection
+    ActiveRecord::Base.connection_pool.release_connection
+  end
+
   it 'returns connection to the pool after has_closure_tree setup' do
     class TypeDuplicate < ActiveRecord::Base
       self.table_name = "namespace_type#{table_name_suffix}"