diff --git a/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_balancer.c b/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_balancer.c
index cebfd59199..a0711350ad 100644
--- a/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_balancer.c
+++ b/modules/proxy/mod_proxy_balancer.c
@@ -359,6 +359,11 @@ static proxy_worker *find_best_bytraffic(proxy_balancer *balancer,
     return mycandidate;
 }
 
+static proxy_balancer_method _default_lbmethod = {
+      "byrequests",
+      find_best_byrequests
+};
+    
 static proxy_worker *find_best_worker(proxy_balancer *balancer,
                                       request_rec *r)
 {
@@ -367,13 +372,6 @@ static proxy_worker *find_best_worker(proxy_balancer *balancer,
     if (PROXY_THREAD_LOCK(balancer) != APR_SUCCESS)
         return NULL;    
 
-    if (!(*balancer->lbmethod->finder)) {
-        /* XXX: UGLY HACK!!!
-         * Where is the finder function setup? 
-         */
-        balancer->lbmethod->finder = find_best_byrequests;
-    }
-
     candidate = (*balancer->lbmethod->finder)(balancer, r);
 
 /*    
@@ -879,6 +877,9 @@ static void child_init(apr_pool_t *p, server_rec *s)
         balancer = (proxy_balancer *)conf->balancers->elts;
         for (i = 0; i < conf->balancers->nelts; i++) {
             init_balancer_members(conf, s, balancer);
+            if (!balancer->lbmethod->finder) {
+                balancer->lbmethod->finder = _default_lbmethod;
+            }
             balancer++;
         }
         s = s->next;