diff --git a/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py b/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
index 57563ad3..61f008c2 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/backend/rethinkdb/query.py
@@ -253,5 +253,5 @@ def get_old_transactions(connection, node_pubkey):
          .between([node_pubkey, r.minval],
                   [node_pubkey, r.maxval],
                   index='assignee__transaction_timestamp')
-         .order_by(index=r.asc('assignee_transaction_timestamp'))
+         .order_by(index=r.asc('assignee__transaction_timestamp'))
     )
diff --git a/bigchaindb/pipelines/block.py b/bigchaindb/pipelines/block.py
index d7cc2735..0f490ae4 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/pipelines/block.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/pipelines/block.py
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ def start():
     """Create, start, and return the block pipeline."""
     connection = connect(**bigchaindb.config['database'])
     changefeed = get_changefeed(connection, 'backlog',
-                                ChangeFeed.INSER | ChangeFeed.UPDATE,
-                                preefed=initial())
+                                ChangeFeed.INSERT | ChangeFeed.UPDATE,
+                                prefeed=initial())
     pipeline = create_pipeline()
     pipeline.setup(indata=changefeed)
     pipeline.start()
diff --git a/tests/pipelines/test_block_creation.py b/tests/pipelines/test_block_creation.py
index 0616365d..a48749fc 100644
--- a/tests/pipelines/test_block_creation.py
+++ b/tests/pipelines/test_block_creation.py
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ def test_duplicate_transaction(b, user_pk):
     # verify tx is in the backlog
     assert b.get_transaction(txs[0].id) is not None
 
-    # try to validate a transaction that's already in the chain; should not work
+    # try to validate a transaction that's already in the chain; should not
+    # work
     assert block_maker.validate_tx(txs[0].to_dict()) is None
 
     # duplicate tx should be removed from backlog
@@ -159,9 +160,10 @@ def test_start(create_pipeline):
 
 def test_full_pipeline(b, user_pk):
     import random
-    from bigchaindb.backend import query
+    from bigchaindb.backend import query, get_changefeed
+    from bigchaindb.backend.changefeed import ChangeFeed
     from bigchaindb.models import Block, Transaction
-    from bigchaindb.pipelines.block import create_pipeline, get_changefeed
+    from bigchaindb.pipelines.block import create_pipeline, initial
 
     outpipe = Pipe()
     # include myself here, so that some tx are actually assigned to me
@@ -175,8 +177,11 @@ def test_full_pipeline(b, user_pk):
 
     assert query.count_backlog(b.connection) == 100
 
+    changefeed = get_changefeed(b.connection, 'backlog',
+                                ChangeFeed.INSERT | ChangeFeed.UPDATE,
+                                prefeed=initial())
     pipeline = create_pipeline()
-    pipeline.setup(indata=get_changefeed(), outdata=outpipe)
+    pipeline.setup(indata=changefeed, outdata=outpipe)
     pipeline.start()
 
     time.sleep(2)