diff --git a/js/deletes.js b/js/deletes.js
index 471270fbfe..355ba8b3ff 100644
--- a/js/deletes.js
+++ b/js/deletes.js
@@ -25,14 +25,18 @@
 
       return [];
     },
-    onDelete(del) {
+    async onDelete(del) {
       try {
-        // The contact the delete message came from
-        const fromContact = ConversationController.get(del.get('fromId'));
+        // The conversation the deleted message was in; we have to find it in the database
+        //   to to figure that out.
+        const targetConversation = await ConversationController.getConversationForTargetMessage(
+          del.get('fromId'),
+          del.get('targetSentTimestamp')
+        );
 
-        if (!fromContact) {
+        if (!targetConversation) {
           window.log.info(
-            'No contact for DOE',
+            'No target conversation for DOE',
             del.get('fromId'),
             del.get('targetSentTimestamp')
           );
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@
         }
 
         // Do not await, since this can deadlock the queue
-        fromContact.queueJob(async () => {
+        targetConversation.queueJob(async () => {
           window.log.info('Handling DOE for', del.get('targetSentTimestamp'));
 
           const messages = await window.Signal.Data.getMessagesBySentAt(
@@ -51,16 +55,9 @@
             }
           );
 
-          const targetMessage = messages.find(m => {
-            const messageContact = m.getContact();
-
-            if (!messageContact) {
-              return false;
-            }
-
-            // Find messages which are from the same contact who sent the DOE
-            return messageContact.get('id') === fromContact.get('id');
-          });
+          const targetMessage = messages.find(
+            m => del.get('fromId') === m.getContactId()
+          );
 
           if (!targetMessage) {
             window.log.info(
diff --git a/js/reactions.js b/js/reactions.js
index 5afb115545..8054574fd2 100644
--- a/js/reactions.js
+++ b/js/reactions.js
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@
     },
     async onReaction(reaction) {
       try {
+        // The conversation the target message was in; we have to find it in the database
+        //   to to figure that out.
         const targetConversation = await ConversationController.getConversationForTargetMessage(
           ConversationController.ensureContactIds({
             e164: reaction.get('targetAuthorE164'),
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@
         );
         if (!targetConversation) {
           window.log.info(
-            'No contact for reaction',
+            'No target conversation for reaction',
             reaction.get('targetAuthorE164'),
             reaction.get('targetAuthorUuid'),
             reaction.get('targetTimestamp')
diff --git a/ts/ConversationController.ts b/ts/ConversationController.ts
index 1a3a104e1b..9df6f5195a 100644
--- a/ts/ConversationController.ts
+++ b/ts/ConversationController.ts
@@ -610,16 +610,7 @@ export class ConversationController {
     const messages = await getMessagesBySentAt(targetTimestamp, {
       MessageCollection: window.Whisper.MessageCollection,
     });
-    const targetMessage = messages.find(m => {
-      const contact = m.getContact();
-
-      if (!contact) {
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      const mcid = contact.get('id');
-      return mcid === targetFromId;
-    });
+    const targetMessage = messages.find(m => m.getContactId() === targetFromId);
 
     if (targetMessage) {
       return targetMessage.getConversation();
diff --git a/ts/background.ts b/ts/background.ts
index fb106c3847..31d11d7dce 100644
--- a/ts/background.ts
+++ b/ts/background.ts
@@ -2607,6 +2607,12 @@ type WhatIsThis = typeof window.WhatIsThis;
     const message = initIncomingMessage(data, messageDescriptor);
 
     if (data.message.reaction) {
+      window.normalizeUuids(
+        data.message.reaction,
+        ['targetAuthorUuid'],
+        'background::onMessageReceived'
+      );
+
       const { reaction } = data.message;
       window.log.info(
         'Queuing incoming reaction for',
@@ -2814,6 +2820,12 @@ type WhatIsThis = typeof window.WhatIsThis;
     const message = createSentMessage(data, messageDescriptor);
 
     if (data.message.reaction) {
+      window.normalizeUuids(
+        data.message.reaction,
+        ['targetAuthorUuid'],
+        'background::onSentMessage'
+      );
+
       const { reaction } = data.message;
       window.log.info('Queuing sent reaction for', reaction.targetTimestamp);
       const reactionModel = window.Whisper.Reactions.add({