diff --git a/src/Vervis/Federation.hs b/src/Vervis/Federation.hs
index 09c882a..944444e 100644
--- a/src/Vervis/Federation.hs
+++ b/src/Vervis/Federation.hs
@@ -431,33 +431,21 @@ handleOutboxNote host (Note mluNote luAttrib aud muParent muContext mpublished c
                             return mid
                 return (did, Left <$> mmidParent, Just (sid, ticketFollowers t))
             Nothing -> do
-                (rd, rdnew) <- do
+                (rd, rdnew) <- lift $ do
                     let (hContext, luContext) = f2l uContext
-                    miid <- lift $ getKeyBy $ UniqueInstance hContext
-                    mrd <-
-                        case miid of
-                            Just iid -> lift $ getValBy $ UniqueRemoteDiscussionIdent iid luContext
-                            Nothing -> return Nothing
+                    iid <- either entityKey id <$> insertBy' (Instance hContext)
+                    mrd <- getValBy $ UniqueRemoteDiscussionIdent iid luContext
                     case mrd of
                         Just rd -> return (rd, False)
-                        Nothing -> lift $ withHostLock hContext $ do
-                            (iid, inew) <-
-                                case miid of
-                                    Just i -> return (i, False)
-                                    Nothing -> idAndNew <$> insertBy (Instance hContext)
-                            if inew
-                                then do
-                                    did <- insert Discussion
-                                    rd <- insertRecord $ RemoteDiscussion iid luContext did
-                                    return (rd, True)
-                                else do
-                                    mrd <- getValBy $ UniqueRemoteDiscussionIdent iid luContext
-                                    case mrd of
-                                        Just rd -> return (rd, False)
-                                        Nothing -> do
-                                            did <- insert Discussion
-                                            rd <- insertRecord $ RemoteDiscussion iid luContext did
-                                            return (rd, True)
+                        Nothing -> do
+                            did <- insert Discussion
+                            let rd = RemoteDiscussion iid luContext did
+                            erd <- insertBy' rd
+                            case erd of
+                                Left (Entity _ rd') -> do
+                                    delete did
+                                    return (rd', False)
+                                Right _ -> return (rd, True)
                 let did = remoteDiscussionDiscuss rd
                 meparent <- for mparent $ \ parent ->
                     case parent of
diff --git a/src/Vervis/RemoteActorStore.hs b/src/Vervis/RemoteActorStore.hs
index 60698b4..d4c1123 100644
--- a/src/Vervis/RemoteActorStore.hs
+++ b/src/Vervis/RemoteActorStore.hs
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ keyListedByActorShared iid vkid host luKey luActor = do
         RoomModeInstant -> do
             when reject $ throwE "Actor key storage limit is 0 and set to reject"
             luInbox <- actorInbox <$> ExceptT (keyListedByActor manager host luKey luActor)
-            lift $ runDB $ either entityKey id <$> insertBy (RemoteActor luActor iid luInbox Nothing)
+            lift $ runDB $ either entityKey id <$> insertBy' (RemoteActor luActor iid luInbox Nothing)
         RoomModeCached m -> do
             eresult <- do
                 ments <- lift $ runDB $ do
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ keyListedByActorShared iid vkid host luKey luActor = do
                         vkExists <- isJust <$> get vkid
                         case mrsid of
                             Nothing -> do
-                                rsid <- insert $ RemoteActor luActor iid luInbox Nothing
+                                rsid <- either entityKey id <$> insertBy' (RemoteActor luActor iid luInbox Nothing)
                                 when vkExists $ insert_ $ VerifKeySharedUsage vkid rsid
                                 return $ Right rsid
                             Just rsid -> runExceptT $ do