diff --git a/gns3server/api/routes/controller/__init__.py b/gns3server/api/routes/controller/__init__.py
index 8d9009be1..9a2dc5263 100644
--- a/gns3server/api/routes/controller/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/api/routes/controller/__init__.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ router.include_router(
 
 router.include_router(
     gns3vm.router,
+    deprecated=True,
     dependencies=[Depends(get_current_active_user)],
     prefix="/gns3vm",
     tags=["GNS3 VM"]
diff --git a/gns3server/api/routes/controller/appliances.py b/gns3server/api/routes/controller/appliances.py
index 0a2dfc7e9..89dbe281b 100644
--- a/gns3server/api/routes/controller/appliances.py
+++ b/gns3server/api/routes/controller/appliances.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ router = APIRouter()
 
 
 @router.get("")
-async def get_appliances(update: Optional[bool] = None, symbol_theme: Optional[str] = "Classic") -> List[dict]:
+async def get_appliances(update: Optional[bool] = False, symbol_theme: Optional[str] = "Classic") -> List[dict]:
     """
     Return all appliances known by the controller.
     """
diff --git a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
index c52dbcfa4..22be7f8d5 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class Controller:
             if iou_config.iourc_path:
                 iourc_path = iou_config.iourc_path
             else:
-                os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(server_config.secrets_dir), exist_ok=True)
+                os.makedirs(server_config.secrets_dir, exist_ok=True)
                 iourc_path = os.path.join(server_config.secrets_dir, "gns3_iourc_license")
 
             try:
@@ -213,9 +213,17 @@ class Controller:
             except OSError as e:
                 log.error(f"Cannot write IOU license file '{iourc_path}': {e}")
 
-        # if self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag:
-        #     config._config.set("Controller", "appliances_etag", self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag)
-        # config.write_config()
+        if self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag:
+            etag_directory = os.path.dirname(Config.instance().server_config)
+            os.makedirs(etag_directory, exist_ok=True)
+            etag_appliances_path = os.path.join(etag_directory, "gns3_appliances_etag")
+
+            try:
+                with open(etag_appliances_path, "w+") as f:
+                    f.write(self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag)
+                log.info(f"etag appliances file '{etag_appliances_path}' saved")
+            except OSError as e:
+                log.error(f"Cannot write Etag appliance file '{etag_appliances_path}': {e}")
 
     def _load_controller_settings(self):
         """
@@ -261,8 +269,19 @@ class Controller:
                 log.error(f"Cannot read IOU license file '{iourc_path}': {e}")
 
         self._iou_license_settings["license_check"] = iou_config.license_check
-        # self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag = controller_config.get("appliances_etag", None)
-        # self._appliance_manager.load_appliances()
+
+        etag_directory = os.path.dirname(Config.instance().server_config)
+        etag_appliances_path = os.path.join(etag_directory, "gns3_appliances_etag")
+        self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag = None
+        if os.path.exists(etag_appliances_path):
+            try:
+                with open(etag_appliances_path) as f:
+                    self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag = f.read()
+                log.info(f"etag appliances file '{etag_appliances_path}' loaded")
+            except OSError as e:
+                log.error(f"Cannot read Etag appliance file '{etag_appliances_path}': {e}")
+
+        self._appliance_manager.load_appliances()
         self._config_loaded = True
 
     async def load_projects(self):