diff --git a/appview/db/repos.go b/appview/db/repos.go
index 61e5029a..9c82b208 100644
--- a/appview/db/repos.go
+++ b/appview/db/repos.go
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ func GetRepo(e Execer, did, name string) (*Repo, error) {
 	var description, spindle sql.NullString
 
 	row := e.QueryRow(`
-		select did, name, knot, created, at_uri, description, spindle
+		select did, name, knot, created, at_uri, description, spindle, rkey
 		from repos
 		where did = ? and name = ?
 		`,
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ func GetRepo(e Execer, did, name string) (*Repo, error) {
 	)
 
 	var createdAt string
-	if err := row.Scan(&repo.Did, &repo.Name, &repo.Knot, &createdAt, &repo.AtUri, &description, &spindle); err != nil {
+	if err := row.Scan(&repo.Did, &repo.Name, &repo.Knot, &createdAt, &repo.AtUri, &description, &spindle, &repo.Rkey); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	createdAtTime, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, createdAt)
@@ -421,10 +421,10 @@ func GetRepoByAtUri(e Execer, atUri string) (*Repo, error) {
 	var repo Repo
 	var nullableDescription sql.NullString
 
-	row := e.QueryRow(`select did, name, knot, created, at_uri, description from repos where at_uri = ?`, atUri)
+	row := e.QueryRow(`select did, name, knot, created, at_uri, rkey, description from repos where at_uri = ?`, atUri)
 
 	var createdAt string
-	if err := row.Scan(&repo.Did, &repo.Name, &repo.Knot, &createdAt, &repo.AtUri, &nullableDescription); err != nil {
+	if err := row.Scan(&repo.Did, &repo.Name, &repo.Knot, &createdAt, &repo.AtUri, &repo.Rkey, &nullableDescription); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	createdAtTime, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, createdAt)
@@ -440,6 +440,9 @@ func GetRepoByAtUri(e Execer, atUri string) (*Repo, error) {
 }
 
 func AddRepo(e Execer, repo *Repo) error {
+	if repo.AtUri == "" {
+		repo.AtUri = repo.RepoAt().String()
+	}
 	_, err := e.Exec(
 		`insert into repos
 		(did, name, knot, rkey, at_uri, description, source)
diff --git a/appview/pulls/pulls.go b/appview/pulls/pulls.go
index f52bd570..2621bce4 100644
--- a/appview/pulls/pulls.go
+++ b/appview/pulls/pulls.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/bluekeyes/go-gitdiff/gitdiff"
 	comatproto "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/atproto"
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	lexutil "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/lex/util"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -918,12 +917,8 @@ func (s *Pulls) handleForkBasedPull(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, f *r
 		return
 	}
 
-	forkAtUri, err := syntax.ParseATURI(fork.AtUri)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("failed to parse fork AT URI", err)
-		s.pages.Notice(w, "pull", "Failed to create pull request. Try again later.")
-		return
-	}
+	forkAtUri := fork.RepoAt()
+	forkAtUriStr := forkAtUri.String()
 
 	pullSource := &db.PullSource{
 		Branch: sourceBranch,
@@ -931,7 +926,7 @@ func (s *Pulls) handleForkBasedPull(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, f *r
 	}
 	recordPullSource := &tangled.RepoPull_Source{
 		Branch: sourceBranch,
-		Repo:   &fork.AtUri,
+		Repo:   &forkAtUriStr,
 		Sha:    sourceRev,
 	}
 
diff --git a/appview/repo/repo.go b/appview/repo/repo.go
index 668c573d..dbb94440 100644
--- a/appview/repo/repo.go
+++ b/appview/repo/repo.go
@@ -1498,7 +1498,6 @@ func (rp *Repo) ForkRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 		log.Println("created repo record: ", atresp.Uri)
 
-		repo.AtUri = atresp.Uri
 		err = db.AddRepo(tx, repo)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println(err)
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 8e8e25f0..89a59aae 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -400,7 +400,6 @@ func (s *State) NewRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			// continue
 		}
 
-		repo.AtUri = atresp.Uri
 		err = db.AddRepo(tx, repo)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println(err)