diff --git a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
index 21187547..737fbe9b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariConfig.java
@@ -799,13 +799,6 @@ public class HikariConfig implements HikariConfigMXBean
 
    private void validateNumerics()
    {
-      if (minIdle < 0) {
-         minIdle = maxPoolSize;
-      }
-      else if (minIdle > maxPoolSize) {
-         maxPoolSize = minIdle;
-      }
-
       if (maxLifetime < 0) {
          LOGGER.error("maxLifetime cannot be negative.");
          throw new IllegalArgumentException("maxLifetime cannot be negative.");
@@ -846,6 +839,14 @@ public class HikariConfig implements HikariConfigMXBean
             maxLifetime = connectionTimeout;
          }
       }
+
+      if (minIdle < 0) {
+         minIdle = maxPoolSize;
+      }
+      else if (minIdle > maxPoolSize) {
+         LOGGER.warn("minIdle should be less than maxPoolSize, setting maxPoolSize to minIdle");
+         maxPoolSize = minIdle;
+      }
    }
 
    private void logConfiguration()
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/HikariPool.java b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/HikariPool.java
index 9e665dbf..ca630015 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/HikariPool.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/HikariPool.java
@@ -506,13 +506,7 @@ public class HikariPool extends PoolBase implements HikariPoolMXBean, IBagStateL
    {
       if (config.isInitializationFailFast()) {
          try {
-            Connection connection = getConnection();
-            if (config.getMinimumIdle() == 0) {
-               evictConnection(connection);
-            }
-            else {
-               connection.close();
-            }
+            newConnection().close();
          }
          catch (Throwable e) {
             try {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/PoolBase.java b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/PoolBase.java
index 645b779f..5a76de27 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/PoolBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/pool/PoolBase.java
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ abstract class PoolBase
       this.dataSource = dataSource;
    }
 
-   private Connection newConnection() throws Exception
+   Connection newConnection() throws Exception
    {
       Connection connection = null;
       try {