diff --git a/api/resolvers/user.js b/api/resolvers/user.js
index ae443658..81c15353 100644
--- a/api/resolvers/user.js
+++ b/api/resolvers/user.js
@@ -301,24 +301,6 @@ export default {
         }
       }
 
-      // check if they have any replies since checkedNotesAt
-      const [newReply] = await models.$queryRawUnsafe(`
-        SELECT EXISTS(
-          SELECT *
-          FROM "Item"
-          JOIN "Item" p ON
-            ${user.noteAllDescendants ? '"Item".path <@ p.path' : '"Item"."parentId" = p.id'}
-          ${whereClause(
-            'p."userId" = $1',
-            '"Item"."userId" <> $1',
-            '"Item".created_at > $2::timestamp(3) without time zone',
-            await filterClause(me, models),
-            muteClause(me)
-          )})`, me.id, lastChecked)
-      if (newReply.exists) {
-        return true
-      }
-
       // break out thread subscription to decrease the search space of the already expensive reply query
       const [newThreadSubReply] = await models.$queryRawUnsafe(`
         SELECT EXISTS(
diff --git a/prisma/migrations/20231710162230_self_subscription/migration.sql b/prisma/migrations/20231710162230_self_subscription/migration.sql
index 85729cfa..3b926afa 100644
--- a/prisma/migrations/20231710162230_self_subscription/migration.sql
+++ b/prisma/migrations/20231710162230_self_subscription/migration.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- migrate old items to ThreadSubscription model
-INSERT INTO "ThreadSubscription" ("itemId", "userId")
-    SELECT "Item".id, "Item"."userId" FROM "Item" ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING;
+INSERT INTO "ThreadSubscription" ("itemId", "userId", created_at)
+    SELECT "Item".id, "Item"."userId", "Item".created_at FROM "Item" ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING;
 
 -- auto self-subscribe
 CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION create_item(
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ BEGIN
         cost_msats := 1000 * POWER(10, item_spam(item."parentId", item."userId", spam_within));
     END IF;
     -- it's only a freebie if it's a 1 sat cost, they have < 1 sat, and boost = 0
-    freebie := (cost_msats <= 1000) AND (user_msats < 1000) AND (item.boost = 0);
+    freebie := (cost_msats <= 1000) AND (user_msats < 1000) AND (item.boost IS NULL OR item.boost = 0);
 
     IF NOT freebie AND cost_msats > user_msats THEN
         RAISE EXCEPTION 'SN_INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS';
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ BEGIN
     FROM jsonb_object_keys(jsonb_strip_nulls(jitem)) k(key);
     -- insert the item
     EXECUTE format($fmt$
-        INSERT INTO "Item" (%s, "weightedDownVotes")
-        SELECT %1$s, %L
+        INSERT INTO "Item" (%s, "weightedDownVotes", freebie)
+        SELECT %1$s, %L, %L
         FROM jsonb_populate_record(NULL::"Item", %L) RETURNING *
-    $fmt$, select_clause, med_votes, jitem) INTO item;
+    $fmt$, select_clause, med_votes, freebie, jitem) INTO item;
 
     INSERT INTO "ItemForward" ("itemId", "userId", "pct")
         SELECT item.id, "userId", "pct" FROM jsonb_populate_recordset(NULL::"ItemForward", forward);