diff --git a/fedn/network/combiner/combiner.py b/fedn/network/combiner/combiner.py
index a8abd78ab..48e62466c 100644
--- a/fedn/network/combiner/combiner.py
+++ b/fedn/network/combiner/combiner.py
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@ def request_model_update(self, session_id, model_id, config, clients=[]):
         :type clients: list
 
         """
-        request, clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.MODEL_UPDATE, session_id, model_id, config, clients)
+        clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.MODEL_UPDATE, session_id, model_id, config, clients)
 
         if len(clients) < 20:
-            logger.info("Sent model update request for model {} to clients {}".format(request.model_id, clients))
+            logger.info("Sent model update request for model {} to clients {}".format(model_id, clients))
         else:
-            logger.info("Sent model update request for model {} to {} clients".format(request.model_id, len(clients)))
+            logger.info("Sent model update request for model {} to {} clients".format(model_id, len(clients)))
 
     def request_model_validation(self, session_id, model_id, clients=[]):
         """Ask clients to validate the current global model.
@@ -187,12 +187,12 @@ def request_model_validation(self, session_id, model_id, clients=[]):
         :type clients: list
 
         """
-        request, clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.MODEL_VALIDATION, session_id, model_id, clients)
+        clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.MODEL_VALIDATION, session_id, model_id, clients)
 
         if len(clients) < 20:
-            logger.info("Sent model validation request for model {} to clients {}".format(request.model_id, clients))
+            logger.info("Sent model validation request for model {} to clients {}".format(model_id, clients))
         else:
-            logger.info("Sent model validation request for model {} to {} clients".format(request.model_id, len(clients)))
+            logger.info("Sent model validation request for model {} to {} clients".format(model_id, len(clients)))
 
     def request_model_inference(self, session_id: str, model_id: str, clients: list = []) -> None:
         """Ask clients to perform inference on the model.
@@ -205,12 +205,12 @@ def request_model_inference(self, session_id: str, model_id: str, clients: list
         :type clients: list
 
         """
-        request, clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.INFERENCE, session_id, model_id, clients)
+        clients = self._send_request_type(fedn.StatusType.INFERENCE, session_id, model_id, clients)
 
         if len(clients) < 20:
-            logger.info("Sent model inference request for model {} to clients {}".format(request.model_id, clients))
+            logger.info("Sent model inference request for model {} to clients {}".format(model_id, clients))
         else:
-            logger.info("Sent model inference request for model {} to {} clients".format(request.model_id, len(clients)))
+            logger.info("Sent model inference request for model {} to {} clients".format(model_id, len(clients)))
 
     def _send_request_type(self, request_type, session_id, model_id, config=None, clients=[]):
         """Send a request of a specific type to clients.
@@ -223,41 +223,38 @@ def _send_request_type(self, request_type, session_id, model_id, config=None, cl
         :type config: dict
         :param clients: the clients to send the request to
         :type clients: list
-        :return: the request and the clients
-        :rtype: tuple
+        :return: the clients
+        :rtype: list
         """
-        request = fedn.TaskRequest()
-        request.model_id = model_id
-        request.correlation_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
-        request.timestamp = str(datetime.now())
-        request.type = request_type
-        request.session_id = session_id
-
-        request.sender.name = self.id
-        request.sender.role = fedn.COMBINER
-
-        if request_type == fedn.StatusType.MODEL_UPDATE:
-            request.data = json.dumps(config)
-            if len(clients) == 0:
+        if len(clients) == 0:
+            if request_type == fedn.StatusType.MODEL_UPDATE:
                 clients = self.get_active_trainers()
-        elif request_type == fedn.StatusType.MODEL_VALIDATION:
-            if len(clients) == 0:
+            elif request_type == fedn.StatusType.MODEL_VALIDATION:
                 clients = self.get_active_validators()
-        elif request_type == fedn.StatusType.INFERENCE:
-            if len(clients) == 0:
+            elif request_type == fedn.StatusType.INFERENCE:
                 # TODO: add inference clients type
                 clients = self.get_active_validators()
-
         for client in clients:
+            request = fedn.TaskRequest()
+            request.model_id = model_id
+            request.correlation_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
+            request.timestamp = str(datetime.now())
+            request.type = request_type
+            request.session_id = session_id
+
+            request.sender.name = self.id
+            request.sender.role = fedn.COMBINER
             request.receiver.name = client
             request.receiver.role = fedn.WORKER
+            # Set the request data, not used in validation
             if request_type == fedn.StatusType.INFERENCE:
                 presigned_url = self.repository.presigned_put_url(self.repository.inference_bucket, f"{client}/{session_id}")
                 # TODO: in inference, request.data should also contain user-defined data/parameters
                 request.data = json.dumps({"presigned_url": presigned_url})
+            elif request_type == fedn.StatusType.MODEL_UPDATE:
+                request.data = json.dumps(config)
             self._put_request_to_client_queue(request, fedn.Queue.TASK_QUEUE)
-
-        return request, clients
+        return clients
 
     def get_active_trainers(self):
         """Get a list of active trainers.