diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c2493d34f..9165cc5d2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
     "start-server-no-dir": "cross-env TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_ENV=dev TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 nodemon src/www.ts",
     "qstart-server": "npm run qswitch-server && TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=./data TRILIUM_ENV=dev TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 nodemon src/www.ts",
     "start-electron": "rimraf ./dist && tsc && ts-node ./bin/copy-dist.ts && cross-env TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=./data TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 TRILIUM_ENV=dev electron ./dist/electron.js --inspect=5858 .",
-    "start-electron-no-dir": "cross-env TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_ENV=dev TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 electron --inspect=5858 .",
+    "start-electron-no-dir": "rimraf ./dist && tsc && ts-node ./bin/copy-dist.ts && cross-env TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_ENV=dev electron ./dist/electron.js --inspect=5858 .",
     "qstart-electron": "npm run qswitch-electron && TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=./data TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 TRILIUM_ENV=dev electron --inspect=5858 .",
     "start-test-server": "npm run qswitch-server; rm -rf ./data-test; cross-env TRILIUM_SAFE_MODE=1 TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=./data-test TRILIUM_SYNC_SERVER_HOST=http://tsyncserver:4000 TRILIUM_ENV=dev TRILIUM_PORT=9999 ts-node src/www.ts",
     "switch-server": "rm -rf ./node_modules/better-sqlite3 && npm install",
-    "switch-electron": "./node_modules/.bin/electron-rebuild",
+    "switch-electron": "electron-rebuild",
     "qswitch-server": "rm -rf ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/bin ; mkdir -p ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/build ; cp ./bin/better-sqlite3/linux-server-better_sqlite3.node ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/better_sqlite3.node",
     "qswitch-electron": "rm -rf ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/bin ; mkdir -p ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/build ; cp ./bin/better-sqlite3/linux-desktop-better_sqlite3.node ./node_modules/better-sqlite3/build/better_sqlite3.node",
     "build-backend-docs": "rm -rf ./docs/backend_api && ./node_modules/.bin/jsdoc -c jsdoc-conf.json -d ./docs/backend_api src/becca/entities/*.js src/services/backend_script_api.js src/services/sql.js",
diff --git a/src/services/sync_update.ts b/src/services/sync_update.ts
index 888947b8b..78a6f3f27 100644
--- a/src/services/sync_update.ts
+++ b/src/services/sync_update.ts
@@ -75,13 +75,12 @@ function updateEntity(remoteEC: EntityChange, remoteEntityRow: EntityRow, instan
 }
 
 function updateNormalEntity(remoteEC: EntityChange, remoteEntityRow: EntityRow, instanceId: string, updateContext: UpdateContext) {
-    const localEC = sql.getRow<EntityChange>(`SELECT * FROM entity_changes WHERE entityName = ? AND entityId = ?`, [remoteEC.entityName, remoteEC.entityId]);
+    const localEC = sql.getRow<EntityChange | undefined>(`SELECT * FROM entity_changes WHERE entityName = ? AND entityId = ?`, [remoteEC.entityName, remoteEC.entityId]);
+    const localECIsOlderOrSameAsRemote = (
+            localEC && localEC.utcDateChanged && remoteEC.utcDateChanged &&
+            localEC.utcDateChanged <= remoteEC.utcDateChanged);
 
-    if (!localEC.utcDateChanged || !remoteEC.utcDateChanged) {
-        throw new Error("Missing date changed.");
-    }
-
-    if (!localEC || localEC.utcDateChanged <= remoteEC.utcDateChanged) {
+    if (!localEC || localECIsOlderOrSameAsRemote) {
         if (remoteEC.isErased) {
             if (localEC?.isErased) {
                 eraseEntity(remoteEC); // make sure it's erased anyway
@@ -104,7 +103,7 @@ function updateNormalEntity(remoteEC: EntityChange, remoteEntityRow: EntityRow,
         }
 
         if (!localEC
-            || localEC.utcDateChanged < remoteEC.utcDateChanged
+            || localECIsOlderOrSameAsRemote
             || localEC.hash !== remoteEC.hash
             || localEC.isErased !== remoteEC.isErased
         ) {
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ function updateNormalEntity(remoteEC: EntityChange, remoteEntityRow: EntityRow,
 
         return true;
     } else if ((localEC.hash !== remoteEC.hash || localEC.isErased !== remoteEC.isErased)
-                && localEC.utcDateChanged > remoteEC.utcDateChanged) {
+                && !localECIsOlderOrSameAsRemote) {
         // the change on our side is newer than on the other side, so the other side should update
         entityChangesService.putEntityChangeForOtherInstances(localEC);