diff --git a/src/routes/_actions/pinnedStatuses.js b/src/routes/_actions/pinnedStatuses.js
index 2022faa..0292385 100644
--- a/src/routes/_actions/pinnedStatuses.js
+++ b/src/routes/_actions/pinnedStatuses.js
@@ -10,7 +10,13 @@ export async function updatePinnedStatusesForAccount (accountId) {
 
   await cacheFirstUpdateAfter(
     () => getPinnedStatuses(currentInstance, accessToken, accountId),
-    () => database.getPinnedStatuses(currentInstance, accountId),
+    async () => {
+      let pinnedStatuses = await database.getPinnedStatuses(currentInstance, accountId)
+      if (!pinnedStatuses || !pinnedStatuses.every(Boolean)) {
+        throw new Error('missing pinned statuses in idb')
+      }
+      return pinnedStatuses
+    },
     statuses => database.insertPinnedStatuses(currentInstance, accountId, statuses),
     statuses => {
       let { pinnedStatuses } = store.get()
diff --git a/src/routes/_database/timelines/fetchStatus.js b/src/routes/_database/timelines/fetchStatus.js
index 8e6b760..e5bf027 100644
--- a/src/routes/_database/timelines/fetchStatus.js
+++ b/src/routes/_database/timelines/fetchStatus.js
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ export function fetchStatus (statusesStore, accountsStore, id, callback) {
   statusesStore.get(id).onsuccess = e => {
     let status = e.target.result
     callback(status)
+    if (!status) {
+      return
+    }
     fetchAccount(accountsStore, status[ACCOUNT_ID], account => {
       status.account = account
     })
diff --git a/src/routes/_utils/sync.js b/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
index 51344c3..8cc3b19 100644
--- a/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
+++ b/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@ export async function cacheFirstUpdateAfter (networkFetcher, dbFetcher, dbUpdate
   let dbResponse
   try {
     dbResponse = await dbFetcher()
-    stateSetter(dbResponse)
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('ignored DB error', err)
   } finally {
+    if (dbResponse) {
+      stateSetter(dbResponse)
+    }
     let fetchAndUpdatePromise = networkPromise.then(networkResponse => {
       /* no await */ dbUpdater(networkResponse)
       stateSetter(networkResponse)
@@ -16,18 +20,3 @@ export async function cacheFirstUpdateAfter (networkFetcher, dbFetcher, dbUpdate
     }
   }
 }
-
-// Make a change that we optimistically show to the user as successful, but which
-// actually depends on a network operation. In the unlikely event that the network
-// operation fails, revert the changes
-export async function optimisticUpdate (doImmediately, networkUpdater, onSuccess, onFailure) {
-  let networkPromise = networkUpdater()
-  doImmediately()
-  try {
-    let response = await networkPromise
-    onSuccess(response)
-  } catch (e) {
-    console.error(e)
-    onFailure(e)
-  }
-}