diff --git a/components/dont-link-this.js b/components/dont-link-this.js
index 90464e32..ae3c11d8 100644
--- a/components/dont-link-this.js
+++ b/components/dont-link-this.js
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import { gql, useMutation } from '@apollo/client'
 import Dropdown from 'react-bootstrap/Dropdown'
 import { useShowModal } from './modal'
 import { useToast } from './toast'
-import { InvoiceModal, payOrLoginError } from './invoice'
-import { DONT_LIKE_THIS_COST } from '../lib/constants'
 import ItemAct from './item-act'
 
 export default function DontLikeThisDropdownItem ({ id }) {
@@ -40,22 +38,7 @@ export default function DontLikeThisDropdownItem ({ id }) {
               }} itemId={id} act={dontLikeThis} down
             />)
         } catch (error) {
-          console.error(error)
-          if (payOrLoginError(error)) {
-            showModal(onClose => {
-              return (
-                <InvoiceModal
-                  amount={DONT_LIKE_THIS_COST}
-                  onPayment={async ({ hash, hmac }) => {
-                    await dontLikeThis({ variables: { id, hash, hmac } })
-                    toaster.success('item flagged')
-                  }}
-                />
-              )
-            })
-          } else {
-            toaster.danger('failed to flag item')
-          }
+          toaster.danger('failed to flag item')
         }
       }}
     >
diff --git a/components/invoice.js b/components/invoice.js
index cb9e7218..04c2283e 100644
--- a/components/invoice.js
+++ b/components/invoice.js
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ const defaultOptions = {
   callback: null, // (formValues) => void
   replaceModal: false
 }
+// TODO: refactor this so it can be easily understood
+// there's lots of state cascading paired with logic
+// independent of the state, and it's hard to follow
 export const useInvoiceable = (onSubmit, options = defaultOptions) => {
   const me = useMe()
   const [createInvoice, { data }] = useMutation(gql`
@@ -247,17 +250,14 @@ export const useInvoiceable = (onSubmit, options = defaultOptions) => {
     // tell onSubmit handler that we want to keep local storage
     // even though the submit handler was "successful"
     return { keepLocalStorage: true }
-  }, [onSubmit, setFormValues, setSubmitArgs, createInvoice])
+  }, [onSubmit, setFormValues, setSubmitArgs, createInvoice, !!me])
 
   return onSubmitWrapper
 }
 
-export const InvoiceModal = ({ onPayment, amount }) => {
-  const createInvoice = useInvoiceable(onPayment, { replaceModal: true })
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    createInvoice({ amount })
-  }, [])
+export const useInvoiceModal = (onPayment, deps) => {
+  const onPaymentMemo = useCallback(onPayment, deps)
+  return useInvoiceable(onPaymentMemo, { replaceModal: true })
 }
 
 export const payOrLoginError = (error) => {
diff --git a/components/item-act.js b/components/item-act.js
index ef50241b..d249074d 100644
--- a/components/item-act.js
+++ b/components/item-act.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export default function ItemAct ({ onClose, itemId, act, down, strike }) {
   return (
     <Form
       initial={{
-        amount: me?.tipDefault,
+        amount: me?.tipDefault || defaultTips[0],
         default: false
       }}
       schema={amountSchema}
diff --git a/components/pay-bounty.js b/components/pay-bounty.js
index b73763b5..f286ba89 100644
--- a/components/pay-bounty.js
+++ b/components/pay-bounty.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { useMe } from './me'
 import { numWithUnits } from '../lib/format'
 import { useShowModal } from './modal'
 import { useRoot } from './root'
-import { InvoiceModal, payOrLoginError } from './invoice'
+import { payOrLoginError, useInvoiceModal } from './invoice'
 
 export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
   const me = useMe()
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
       }
     }
   )
+  const showInvoiceModal = useInvoiceModal(async ({ hash, hmac }, { variables }) => {
+    await act({ variables: { ...variables, hash, hmac } })
+  }, [act])
 
   const handlePayBounty = async onComplete => {
     try {
@@ -74,16 +77,7 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
       onComplete()
     } catch (error) {
       if (payOrLoginError(error)) {
-        showModal(onClose => {
-          return (
-            <InvoiceModal
-              amount={root.bounty}
-              onPayment={async ({ hash, hmac }) => {
-                await act({ variables: { id: item.id, sats: root.bounty, hash, hmac } })
-              }}
-            />
-          )
-        })
+        showInvoiceModal({ amount: root.bounty }, { variables: { id: item.id, sats: root.bounty } })
         return
       }
       throw new Error({ message: error.toString() })
diff --git a/components/poll.js b/components/poll.js
index 1a0b8fc6..987f96ee 100644
--- a/components/poll.js
+++ b/components/poll.js
@@ -7,13 +7,11 @@ import styles from './poll.module.css'
 import Check from '../svgs/checkbox-circle-fill.svg'
 import { signIn } from 'next-auth/react'
 import ActionTooltip from './action-tooltip'
-import { useShowModal } from './modal'
 import { POLL_COST } from '../lib/constants'
-import { InvoiceModal } from './invoice'
+import { payOrLoginError, useInvoiceModal } from './invoice'
 
 export default function Poll ({ item }) {
   const me = useMe()
-  const showModal = useShowModal()
   const [pollVote] = useMutation(
     gql`
       mutation pollVote($id: ID!, $hash: String, $hmac: String) {
@@ -47,6 +45,12 @@ export default function Poll ({ item }) {
   )
 
   const PollButton = ({ v }) => {
+    const showInvoiceModal = useInvoiceModal(async ({ hash, hmac }, { variables }) => {
+      await pollVote({ variables: { ...variables, hash, hmac } })
+    }, [pollVote])
+
+    const variables = { id: v.id }
+
     return (
       <ActionTooltip placement='left' notForm>
         <Button
@@ -55,22 +59,17 @@ export default function Poll ({ item }) {
             ? async () => {
               try {
                 await pollVote({
-                  variables: { id: v.id },
+                  variables,
                   optimisticResponse: {
                     pollVote: v.id
                   }
                 })
               } catch (error) {
-                showModal(onClose => {
-                  return (
-                    <InvoiceModal
-                      amount={item.pollCost || POLL_COST}
-                      onPayment={async ({ hash, hmac }) => {
-                        await pollVote({ variables: { id: v.id, hash, hmac } })
-                      }}
-                    />
-                  )
-                })
+                if (payOrLoginError(error)) {
+                  showInvoiceModal({ amount: item.pollCost || POLL_COST }, { variables })
+                  return
+                }
+                throw new Error({ message: error.toString() })
               }
             }
             : signIn}
diff --git a/components/upvote.js b/components/upvote.js
index 054bb83d..34ec25e5 100644
--- a/components/upvote.js
+++ b/components/upvote.js
@@ -5,14 +5,15 @@ import ActionTooltip from './action-tooltip'
 import ItemAct from './item-act'
 import { useMe } from './me'
 import Rainbow from '../lib/rainbow'
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import LongPressable from 'react-longpressable'
 import Overlay from 'react-bootstrap/Overlay'
 import Popover from 'react-bootstrap/Popover'
 import { useShowModal } from './modal'
 import { LightningConsumer, useLightning } from './lightning'
 import { numWithUnits } from '../lib/format'
-import { InvoiceModal, payOrLoginError } from './invoice'
+import { payOrLoginError, useInvoiceModal } from './invoice'
+import useDebounceCallback from './use-debounce-callback'
 
 const getColor = (meSats) => {
   if (!meSats || meSats <= 10) {
@@ -69,7 +70,6 @@ export default function UpVote ({ item, className, pendingSats, setPendingSats }
   const [voteShow, _setVoteShow] = useState(false)
   const [tipShow, _setTipShow] = useState(false)
   const ref = useRef()
-  const timerRef = useRef(null)
   const me = useMe()
   const strike = useLightning()
   const [setWalkthrough] = useMutation(
@@ -153,55 +153,33 @@ export default function UpVote ({ item, className, pendingSats, setPendingSats }
       }
     }
   )
+  const showInvoiceModal = useInvoiceModal(
+    async ({ hash, hmac }, { variables }) => {
+      await act({ variables: { ...variables, hash, hmac } })
+      strike()
+    }, [act, strike])
 
-  // if we want to use optimistic response, we need to buffer the votes
-  // because if someone votes in quick succession, responses come back out of order
-  // so we wait a bit to see if there are more votes coming in
-  // this effectively performs our own debounced optimistic response
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (timerRef.current) {
-      clearTimeout(timerRef.current)
-    }
-
-    if (pendingSats > 0) {
-      timerRef.current = setTimeout(async (sats) => {
-        const variables = { id: item.id, sats: pendingSats }
-        try {
-          timerRef.current && setPendingSats(0)
-          await act({
-            variables,
-            optimisticResponse: {
-              act: {
-                sats
-              }
-            }
-          })
-        } catch (error) {
-          if (payOrLoginError(error)) {
-            showModal(onClose => {
-              return (
-                <InvoiceModal
-                  amount={pendingSats}
-                  onPayment={async ({ hash, hmac }) => {
-                    await act({ variables: { ...variables, hash, hmac } })
-                    strike()
-                  }}
-                />
-              )
-            })
-            return
+  const zap = useDebounceCallback(async (sats) => {
+    if (!sats) return
+    const variables = { id: item.id, sats }
+    try {
+      setPendingSats(0)
+      await act({
+        variables,
+        optimisticResponse: {
+          act: {
+            sats
           }
-          if (!timerRef.current) return
-          throw new Error({ message: error.toString() })
         }
-      }, 500, pendingSats)
+      })
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (payOrLoginError(error)) {
+        showInvoiceModal({ amount: sats }, { variables })
+        return
+      }
+      throw new Error({ message: error.toString() })
     }
-
-    return async () => {
-      clearTimeout(timerRef.current)
-      timerRef.current = null
-    }
-  }, [pendingSats, act, item, showModal, setPendingSats])
+  }, 500, [act, item?.id, showInvoiceModal, setPendingSats])
 
   const disabled = useMemo(() => item?.mine || item?.meForward || item?.deletedAt,
     [item?.mine, item?.meForward, item?.deletedAt])
@@ -258,7 +236,11 @@ export default function UpVote ({ item, className, pendingSats, setPendingSats }
 
                 strike()
 
-                setPendingSats(pendingSats + sats)
+                setPendingSats(pendingSats => {
+                  const zapAmount = pendingSats + sats
+                  zap(zapAmount)
+                  return zapAmount
+                })
               }
               : () => showModal(onClose => <ItemAct onClose={onClose} itemId={item.id} act={act} strike={strike} />)
           }
diff --git a/components/use-debounce-callback.js b/components/use-debounce-callback.js
index 9eab0537..d36fcef6 100644
--- a/components/use-debounce-callback.js
+++ b/components/use-debounce-callback.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useState } from 'react'
+import useNoInitialEffect from './use-no-initial-effect'
 
 export function debounce (fn, time) {
   let timeoutId
@@ -19,6 +20,6 @@ export function debounce (fn, time) {
 export default function useDebounceCallback (fn, time, deps = []) {
   const [args, setArgs] = useState([])
   const memoFn = useCallback(fn, deps)
-  useEffect(debounce(() => memoFn(...args), time), [memoFn, time, args, ...deps])
+  useNoInitialEffect(debounce(() => memoFn(...args), time), [memoFn, time, args, ...deps])
   return useCallback((...args) => setArgs(args), [])
 }
diff --git a/components/use-no-initial-effect.js b/components/use-no-initial-effect.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..de2c064e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/use-no-initial-effect.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+
+export default function useNoInitialEffect (func, deps) {
+  const didMount = useRef(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (didMount.current) {
+      return func()
+    } else {
+      didMount.current = true
+    }
+  }, deps)
+}
diff --git a/pages/wallet.js b/pages/wallet.js
index fab71f40..7fec934d 100644
--- a/pages/wallet.js
+++ b/pages/wallet.js
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ export function LnAddrWithdrawal () {
 
     setAddrOptions(options)
     setFormSchema(lnAddrSchema(options))
-  }, 500, [])
+  }, 500, [setAddrOptions, setFormSchema])
 
   return (
     <>