diff --git a/apps/ssb.json b/apps/ssb.json
index fd058257..4c7b0b66 100644
--- a/apps/ssb.json
+++ b/apps/ssb.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
 	"type": "tildefriends-app",
 	"emoji": "🦀",
-	"previous": "&byK/qn2Q4IfVc7gE2ExwX6oyj6O1iXhQCAlR1ftYjtQ=.sha256"
+	"previous": "&Cz8miv45HPxRJGyj1dj2Z2us1rL6HTNxZyeR1pmYaWw=.sha256"
 }
diff --git a/apps/ssb/tf-tab-news-feed.js b/apps/ssb/tf-tab-news-feed.js
index 40314e16..e9e659b2 100644
--- a/apps/ssb/tf-tab-news-feed.js
+++ b/apps/ssb/tf-tab-news-feed.js
@@ -256,14 +256,15 @@ class TfTabNewsFeedElement extends LitElement {
 			let t0 = new Date();
 			let initial_messages = await tfrpc.rpc.query(
 				`
-					WITH news AS (SELECT TRUE AS is_primary, messages.rowid, messages.id, messages.previous, messages.author, messages.sequence, messages.timestamp, messages.hash, json(messages.content) AS content, messages.signature
-						FROM messages
-						JOIN json_each(?1) AS following ON messages.author = following.value
-						LEFT OUTER JOIN json_each(?5) AS channels ON messages.content ->> 'channel' = channels.value
-						WHERE messages.timestamp < ?3 AND (?2 IS NULL OR messages.timestamp >= ?2) AND
-							messages.content ->> 'type' != 'vote' AND channels.value IS NULL)
-					SELECT * FROM news
-					WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM messages_refs JOIN json_each(?5) AS channels ON messages_refs.message = news.id AND messages_refs.ref = '#' || channels.value WHERE messages_refs.ref LIKE '#%')
+					WITH
+						channels AS (SELECT '#' || value AS value FROM json_each(?5))
+					SELECT TRUE AS is_primary, messages.rowid, messages.id, messages.previous, messages.author, messages.sequence, messages.timestamp, messages.hash, json(messages.content) AS content, messages.signature
+							FROM messages
+							JOIN json_each(?1) AS following ON messages.author = following.value
+							WHERE messages.timestamp < ?3 AND (?2 IS NULL OR messages.timestamp >= ?2) AND
+								messages.content ->> 'type' != 'vote' AND
+								(messages.content ->> 'channel' IS NULL OR ('#' || (messages.content ->> 'channel')) NOT IN (SELECT * FROM channels)) AND
+								NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM messages_refs JOIN channels ON messages_refs.message = messages.id AND messages_refs.ref = channels.value)
 					ORDER BY timestamp DESC LIMIT ?4
 				`,
 				[