diff --git a/src/routes/api/notes.ts b/src/routes/api/notes.ts
index ec50c848a..c5e3e1c37 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/notes.ts
+++ b/src/routes/api/notes.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function createNote(req: Request) {
         throw new ValidationError("Invalid target type.");
     }
 
-    if (typeof targetBranchId !== "string") {
+    if (targetBranchId && typeof targetBranchId !== "string") {
         throw new ValidationError("Missing or incorrect type for target branch ID.");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/services/notes.ts b/src/services/notes.ts
index 6dd68dc73..a60799e80 100644
--- a/src/services/notes.ts
+++ b/src/services/notes.ts
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ function createNewNote(params: NoteParams): {
     });
 }
 
-function createNewNoteWithTarget(target: ("into" | "after"), targetBranchId: string, params: NoteParams) {
+function createNewNoteWithTarget(target: ("into" | "after"), targetBranchId: string | undefined, params: NoteParams) {
     if (!params.type) {
         const parentNote = becca.notes[params.parentNoteId];
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ function createNewNoteWithTarget(target: ("into" | "after"), targetBranchId: str
     if (target === 'into') {
         return createNewNote(params);
     }
-    else if (target === 'after') {
+    else if (target === 'after' && targetBranchId) {
         const afterBranch = becca.branches[targetBranchId];
 
         // not updating utcDateModified to avoid having to sync whole rows