diff --git a/src/cli/update.rs b/src/cli/update.rs
index f43c9b2..9f3ec1c 100644
--- a/src/cli/update.rs
+++ b/src/cli/update.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use futures::TryStreamExt;
-use sea_orm::{ColumnTrait, EntityTrait, QueryFilter};
+use sea_orm::{ActiveValue::{Set, NotSet}, ColumnTrait, EntityTrait, QueryFilter};
 
 use crate::server::fetcher::Fetcher;
 
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ pub async fn update_users(ctx: crate::server::Context, days: i64) -> crate::Resu
 			match ctx.pull_user(&user.id).await {
 				Err(e) => tracing::warn!("could not update user {}: {e}", user.id),
 				Ok(doc) => match crate::model::actor::ActiveModel::new(&doc) {
-					Ok(u) => {
-						insertions.push((user.id, u));
+					Ok(mut u) => {
+						u.internal = NotSet;
+						u.updated = Set(chrono::Utc::now());
+						let uid = u.id.take().unwrap_or(user.id.clone());
+						insertions.push((uid, u));
 						count += 1;
 					},
 					Err(e) => tracing::warn!("failed deserializing user '{}': {e}", user.id),
@@ -31,8 +34,10 @@ pub async fn update_users(ctx: crate::server::Context, days: i64) -> crate::Resu
 
 	for (uid, user_model) in insertions {
 		tracing::info!("updating user {}", uid);
-		crate::model::actor::Entity::delete_by_ap_id(&uid).exec(ctx.db()).await?;
-		crate::model::actor::Entity::insert(user_model).exec(ctx.db()).await?;
+		crate::model::actor::Entity::update(user_model)
+			.filter(crate::model::actor::Column::Id.eq(uid))
+			.exec(ctx.db())
+			.await?;
 	}
 
 	tracing::info!("updated {count} users");