diff --git a/api/paidAction/zap.js b/api/paidAction/zap.js
index 8e5ad8b8e..11dca4f50 100644
--- a/api/paidAction/zap.js
+++ b/api/paidAction/zap.js
@@ -74,23 +74,22 @@ export async function onPaid ({ invoice, actIds }, { models, tx }) {
       SELECT "userId", ((${itemAct.msats}::BIGINT * pct) / 100)::BIGINT AS msats
       FROM "ItemForward"
       WHERE "itemId" = ${itemAct.itemId}::INTEGER
-      ORDER BY "userId" ASC -- order to prevent deadlocks
     ), total_forwarded AS (
       SELECT COALESCE(SUM(msats), 0) as msats
       FROM forwardees
-    ), forward AS (
-      UPDATE users
-      SET
-        msats = users.msats + forwardees.msats,
-        "stackedMsats" = users."stackedMsats" + forwardees.msats
-      FROM forwardees
-      WHERE users.id = forwardees."userId"
+    ), recipients AS (
+      SELECT "userId", msats FROM forwardees
+      UNION
+      SELECT ${itemAct.item.userId}::INTEGER as "userId",
+        ${itemAct.msats}::BIGINT - (SELECT msats FROM total_forwarded)::BIGINT as msats
+      ORDER BY "userId" ASC -- order to prevent deadlocks
     )
     UPDATE users
     SET
-      msats = msats + ${itemAct.msats}::BIGINT - (SELECT msats FROM total_forwarded)::BIGINT,
-      "stackedMsats" = "stackedMsats" + ${itemAct.msats}::BIGINT - (SELECT msats FROM total_forwarded)::BIGINT
-    WHERE id = ${itemAct.item.userId}::INTEGER`
+      msats = users.msats + recipients.msats,
+      "stackedMsats" = users."stackedMsats" + recipients.msats
+    FROM recipients
+    WHERE users.id = recipients."userId"`
 
   // perform denomormalized aggregates: weighted votes, upvotes, msats, lastZapAt
   // NOTE: for the rows that might be updated by a concurrent zap, we use UPDATE for implicit locking