diff --git a/src/server/inbox.rs b/src/server/inbox.rs
index 9c5a9580..1689323f 100644
--- a/src/server/inbox.rs
+++ b/src/server/inbox.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ impl apb::server::Inbox for Context {
 			tracing::error!("refusing to process activity without embedded object: {}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&activity).unwrap());
 			return Err(UpubError::unprocessable());
 		};
+		if let Some(reply) = object_node.in_reply_to().id() {
+			if let Err(e) = self.fetch_object(&reply).await {
+				tracing::warn!("failed fetching replies for received object: {e}");
+			}
+		}
 		let activity_model = self.insert_activity(activity, Some(server.clone())).await?;
 		let object_model = self.insert_object(object_node, Some(server)).await?;
 		let expanded_addressing = self.expand_addressing(activity_model.addressed()).await?;
diff --git a/src/server/normalizer.rs b/src/server/normalizer.rs
index d7253a9e..8aeef667 100644
--- a/src/server/normalizer.rs
+++ b/src/server/normalizer.rs
@@ -53,13 +53,11 @@ impl Normalizer for super::Context {
 
 		// update replies counter
 		if let Set(Some(ref in_reply_to)) = object_model.in_reply_to {
-			if self.fetch_object(in_reply_to).await.is_ok() {
-				model::object::Entity::update_many()
-					.filter(model::object::Column::Id.eq(in_reply_to))
-					.col_expr(model::object::Column::Replies, Expr::col(model::object::Column::Replies).add(1))
-					.exec(self.db())
-					.await?;
-			}
+			model::object::Entity::update_many()
+				.filter(model::object::Column::Id.eq(in_reply_to))
+				.col_expr(model::object::Column::Replies, Expr::col(model::object::Column::Replies).add(1))
+				.exec(self.db())
+				.await?;
 		}
 		// update statuses counter
 		if let Some(object_author) = uid {
diff --git a/src/server/outbox.rs b/src/server/outbox.rs
index eae93b01..e36993a4 100644
--- a/src/server/outbox.rs
+++ b/src/server/outbox.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ impl apb::server::Outbox for Context {
 		let aid = self.aid(&uuid::Uuid::new_v4().to_string());
 		let activity_targets = activity.addressed();
 
+		if let Some(reply) = object.in_reply_to().id() {
+			self.fetch_object(&reply).await?;
+		}
 
 		// TODO regex hell here i come...
 		let re = regex::Regex::new(r"@(.+)@([^ ]+)").expect("failed compiling regex pattern");