diff --git a/src/db/models/authGrant.ts b/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
index f932618a..92ed093b 100644
--- a/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/authGrant.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const authGrantModel = (conn: Knex) => {
   // expose wrappers that require that a user is specified,
   // and transactionally create logs
 
-  const create = async (
+  const create = (
     data: UserData,
     actor: ParticipantId,
     date = new Date()
@@ -61,10 +61,7 @@ const authGrantModel = (conn: Knex) => {
     });
   };
 
-  const update = async (
-    data: UserData,
-    actor: ParticipantId
-  ): Promise<void> => {
+  const update = (data: UserData, actor: ParticipantId): Promise<void> => {
     return conn.transaction(async (trx) => {
       await authGrantLog.create(
         {
diff --git a/src/db/models/form.ts b/src/db/models/form.ts
index 04f14eb8..f2499cb1 100644
--- a/src/db/models/form.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/form.ts
@@ -47,12 +47,13 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
-      belongsToId:
-        data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
-          ? data.belongsTo.operation
-          : undefined,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
+        belongsToId:
+          data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
+            ? data.belongsTo.operation
+            : undefined,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/operation.ts b/src/db/models/operation.ts
index 5f22f76a..3e68eb85 100644
--- a/src/db/models/operation.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/operation.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
   data: OPERATION_DATA,
   lookupColumns: {
     columns: {},
-    prepare: async () => ({}),
+    prepare: () => Promise.resolve({}),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts b/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
index 78804670..b5233bab 100644
--- a/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/operationCluster.ts
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      operationId: data.operation,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        operationId: data.operation,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts b/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
index c4a5562e..36dbba9a 100644
--- a/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
+++ b/src/db/models/reportingWindow.ts
@@ -59,12 +59,13 @@ export default defineVersionedModel({
         },
       },
     },
-    prepare: async (data) => ({
-      belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
-      belongsToId:
-        data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
-          ? data.belongsTo.operation
-          : undefined,
-    }),
+    prepare: (data) =>
+      Promise.resolve({
+        belongsToType: data.belongsTo.type,
+        belongsToId:
+          data.belongsTo.type === 'operation'
+            ? data.belongsTo.operation
+            : undefined,
+      }),
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/db/util/id-model.ts b/src/db/util/id-model.ts
index 867e90b0..4a783c69 100644
--- a/src/db/util/id-model.ts
+++ b/src/db/util/id-model.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export const defineIDModel =
 
     const model = defineSequelizeModel(opts)(conn);
 
-    const get = async (id: ID): Promise<Instance | null> =>
+    const get = (id: ID): Promise<Instance | null> =>
       model.findOne({
         where: {
           [idField]: id,
diff --git a/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts b/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
index ed598519..57c651a0 100644
--- a/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
+++ b/src/db/util/sequelize-model.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export const defineSequelizeModel =
       fields,
     })(conn);
 
-    const create: CreateFn<Fields> = async (data, opts) => {
+    const create: CreateFn<Fields> = (data, opts) => {
       return model.create(
         {
           ...data,
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export const defineSequelizeModel =
       );
     };
 
-    const update: UpdateFn<Fields> = async (args) => {
+    const update: UpdateFn<Fields> = (args) => {
       return model.update({
         ...args,
         values: {