diff --git a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
index d05875edb..8a8ec60b1 100644
--- a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
+++ b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
@@ -251,7 +251,11 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 ) (*gtsmodel.Status, ap.Statusable, bool, error) {
 	uriStr := status.URI
 
-	if status.ID != "" {
+	var isNew bool
+
+	// Check if this is a new status (to us).
+	if isNew = (status.ID == ""); !isNew {
+
 		// This is an existing status, first try to populate it. This
 		// is required by the checks below for existing tags, media etc.
 		if err := d.state.DB.PopulateStatus(ctx, status); err != nil {
@@ -266,9 +270,6 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 	unlock = doOnce(unlock)
 	defer unlock()
 
-	// This is a NEW status (to us).
-	isNew := (status.ID == "")
-
 	// Perform status enrichment with passed vars.
 	latest, apubStatus, err := d.enrichStatus(ctx,
 		requestUser,
@@ -292,7 +293,15 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 		// otherwise this indicates WE
 		// enriched the status.
 		apubStatus = nil
-		isNew = false
+
+		// We leave 'isNew' set so that caller
+		// still dereferences parents, otherwise
+		// the version we pass back may not have
+		// these attached as inReplyTos yet (since
+		// those happen OUTSIDE federator lock).
+		//
+		// TODO: performance-wise, this won't be
+		// great. should improve this if we can!
 
 		// DATA RACE! We likely lost out to another goroutine
 		// in a call to db.Put(Status). Look again in DB by URI.
diff --git a/internal/processing/workers/fromfediapi.go b/internal/processing/workers/fromfediapi.go
index 9558bf8b7..a8da50819 100644
--- a/internal/processing/workers/fromfediapi.go
+++ b/internal/processing/workers/fromfediapi.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package workers
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"net/url"
 
 	"codeberg.org/gruf/go-kv"
 	"codeberg.org/gruf/go-logger/v2/level"
@@ -169,25 +168,6 @@ func (p *fediAPI) CreateStatus(ctx context.Context, fMsg messages.FromFediAPI) e
 		return gtserror.Newf("error extracting status from federatorMsg: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if status.Account == nil || status.Account.IsRemote() {
-		// Either no account attached yet, or a remote account.
-		// Both situations we need to parse account URI to fetch it.
-		accountURI, err := url.Parse(status.AccountURI)
-		if err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("error parsing account uri: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		// Ensure that account for this status has been deref'd.
-		status.Account, _, err = p.federate.GetAccountByURI(
-			ctx,
-			fMsg.ReceivingAccount.Username,
-			accountURI,
-		)
-		if err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("error getting account by uri: %w", err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	if status.InReplyToID != "" {
 		// Interaction counts changed on the replied status; uncache the
 		// prepared version from all timelines. The status dereferencer