diff --git a/migrations/0003_runs.up.sql b/migrations/0003_runs.up.sql
index 1a48cec..394b171 100644
--- a/migrations/0003_runs.up.sql
+++ b/migrations/0003_runs.up.sql
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS runs (
  id INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
  feed INTEGER NOT NULL,
- run DATETIME NOT NULL DEFAULT current_timestamp,
  fetched DATETIME NOT NULL DEFAULT current_timestamp,
  posted DATETIME, -- once this becomes non-null, the program will ensure it will never be null again
  FOREIGN KEY (feed) REFERENCES feeds(id)
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 69909b9..1be5968 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@ const LAST_FETCHED: DateTime<Utc> = DateTime::from_timestamp_nanos(0);
 
 const STALE_FETCH_THRESHOLD: Duration = Duration::from_hours(24);
 
-const ACTIVE_FEEDS_QUERY: &str = r#"SELECT id, url, owner, created, fetched, posted, run, feed FROM feeds
+const ACTIVE_FEEDS_QUERY: &str = r#"SELECT id, url, owner, created, updated, fetched, posted, s.feed feed FROM feeds
  INNER JOIN
-  (SELECT feed, MAX(id) _, run, fetched, posted FROM runs WHERE feed IN
-   (SELECT feed FROM (SELECT feed, MAX(id), active FROM status GROUP BY feed) WHERE active = TRUE)
-  GROUP BY feed) r
- ON feeds.id = r.feed"#;
+   (SELECT feed, updated FROM (SELECT feed, MAX(id), updated, active FROM status GROUP BY feed) WHERE active = TRUE) s
+ ON feeds.id = s.feed
+ LEFT JOIN
+   (SELECT posted, MAX(fetched) fetched, feed FROM runs GROUP BY feed) r
+ ON r.feed = feeds.id"#;
 
 pub struct BlogdorTheAggregator {
     db: SqlitePool,
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ pub struct ActiveFeed {
     id: i64,
     owner: i64,
     created: DateTime<Utc>,
+    updated: DateTime<Utc>,
     #[sqlx(flatten)]
     last_run: FeedRun,
 }
@@ -120,8 +122,7 @@ pub struct ActiveFeed {
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, FromRow)]
 pub struct FeedRun {
     feed: i64,
-    run: DateTime<Utc>,
-    fetched: DateTime<Utc>,
+    fetched: Option<DateTime<Utc>>,
     posted: Option<DateTime<Utc>>,
 }
 
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ impl BlogdorTheAggregator {
             let url = &feed.url;
             let user = feed.owner;
             let run = feed.last_run;
-            let last = run.fetched;
+            let last = run.fetched.unwrap_or(feed.updated);
             let dur = now - last;
 
             if dur.num_seconds() > STALE_FETCH_THRESHOLD.as_secs() as i64 {
@@ -319,18 +320,6 @@ impl BlogdorTheAggregator {
                     "could not add feed".to_string()
                 })?;
 
-            // need one row in the runs table to allow the inner join in the active feeds
-            // query to work
-            //
-            // TODO: fix the active feed query so we don't need to do this.
-            sqlx::query!("insert into runs (feed) values (?)", id)
-                .execute(&self.db)
-                .await
-                .map_err(|e| {
-                    tracing::error!("error inserting into runs: {e}");
-                    "could not add feed".to_string()
-                })?;
-
             // woo!
             txn.commit().await.map_err(|e| {
                 tracing::error!("error committing add-feed transaction: {e}");
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index 2ee1c6b..329d0fb 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ struct ZulipMessage {
     _rest: Payload,
 }
 
-fn parse_command<'i>(input: &mut &'i str) -> winnow::Result<Option<FeedCommand>> {
+fn parse_command(input: &mut &str) -> winnow::Result<Option<FeedCommand>> {
     let s = take_until::<_, _, ()>(0.., "@**blogdor's manager**").parse_next(input);
     match s {
         Err(_) => {}