diff --git a/automod/capture/fetch.go b/automod/capture/fetch.go
index 17fff408..9fef6046 100644
--- a/automod/capture/fetch.go
+++ b/automod/capture/fetch.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func FetchAndProcessRecord(ctx context.Context, eng *automod.Engine, aturi synta
 		Collection: aturi.Collection(),
 		RecordKey:  aturi.RecordKey(),
 		CID:        &recCID,
-		RecordCBOR: &recBytes,
+		RecordCBOR: recBytes,
 	}
 	return eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op)
 }
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func FetchAndProcessRecent(ctx context.Context, eng *automod.Engine, atid syntax
 			Collection: aturi.Collection(),
 			RecordKey:  aturi.RecordKey(),
 			CID:        &recCID,
-			RecordCBOR: &recBytes,
+			RecordCBOR: recBytes,
 		}
 		err = eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/automod/capture/testing.go b/automod/capture/testing.go
index b8a4e32c..998aaef4 100644
--- a/automod/capture/testing.go
+++ b/automod/capture/testing.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func ProcessCaptureRules(eng *automod.Engine, capture AccountCapture) error {
 			Collection: aturi.Collection(),
 			RecordKey:  aturi.RecordKey(),
 			CID:        &recCID,
-			RecordCBOR: &recBytes,
+			RecordCBOR: recBytes,
 		}
 		eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op)
 	}
diff --git a/automod/engine/action_dedupe_test.go b/automod/engine/action_dedupe_test.go
index 313f0fe0..b07a2a43 100644
--- a/automod/engine/action_dedupe_test.go
+++ b/automod/engine/action_dedupe_test.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func TestAccountReportDedupe(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: "app.bsky.feed.post",
 		RecordKey:  "abc123",
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
 		assert.NoError(eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op))
diff --git a/automod/engine/blobs.go b/automod/engine/blobs.go
index 7b5ae797..fe6f4940 100644
--- a/automod/engine/blobs.go
+++ b/automod/engine/blobs.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func (c *RecordContext) Blobs() ([]lexutil.LexBlob, error) {
 		return []lexutil.LexBlob{}, nil
 	}
 
-	rec, err := data.UnmarshalCBOR(*c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)
+	rec, err := data.UnmarshalCBOR(c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing generic record CBOR: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/automod/engine/circuit_breaker_test.go b/automod/engine/circuit_breaker_test.go
index 77ab488d..43c38393 100644
--- a/automod/engine/circuit_breaker_test.go
+++ b/automod/engine/circuit_breaker_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func TestTakedownCircuitBreaker(t *testing.T) {
 			Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 			RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 			CID:        &cid1,
-			RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+			RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 		}
 		assert.NoError(eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op))
 	}
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func TestReportCircuitBreaker(t *testing.T) {
 			Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 			RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 			CID:        &cid1,
-			RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+			RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 		}
 		assert.NoError(eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op))
 	}
diff --git a/automod/engine/context.go b/automod/engine/context.go
index 8f9f1dea..56b5586a 100644
--- a/automod/engine/context.go
+++ b/automod/engine/context.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type RecordOp struct {
 	Collection syntax.NSID
 	RecordKey  syntax.RecordKey
 	CID        *syntax.CID
-	RecordCBOR *[]byte
+	RecordCBOR []byte
 }
 
 // Originally intended for push notifications, but can also work for any inter-account notification.
diff --git a/automod/engine/engine_test.go b/automod/engine/engine_test.go
index fc792812..0cbf3035 100644
--- a/automod/engine/engine_test.go
+++ b/automod/engine/engine_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestEngineBasics(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	assert.NoError(eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op))
 
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ func TestEngineBasics(t *testing.T) {
 	p2buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	assert.NoError(p2.MarshalCBOR(p2buf))
 	p2cbor := p2buf.Bytes()
-	op.RecordCBOR = &p2cbor
+	op.RecordCBOR = p2cbor
 	assert.NoError(eng.ProcessRecordOp(ctx, op))
 }
diff --git a/automod/engine/ruleset.go b/automod/engine/ruleset.go
index c49014e5..0c691f4c 100644
--- a/automod/engine/ruleset.go
+++ b/automod/engine/ruleset.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (r *RuleSet) CallRecordRules(c *RecordContext) error {
 	switch c.RecordOp.Collection.String() {
 	case "app.bsky.feed.post":
 		var post appbsky.FeedPost
-		if err := post.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(*c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
+		if err := post.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse app.bsky.feed.post record: %v", err)
 		}
 		for _, f := range r.PostRules {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (r *RuleSet) CallRecordRules(c *RecordContext) error {
 		}
 	case "app.bsky.actor.profile":
 		var profile appbsky.ActorProfile
-		if err := profile.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(*c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
+		if err := profile.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse app.bsky.actor.profile record: %v", err)
 		}
 		for _, f := range r.ProfileRules {
diff --git a/automod/rules/hashtags_test.go b/automod/rules/hashtags_test.go
index 92c9bcd8..e7c261d4 100644
--- a/automod/rules/hashtags_test.go
+++ b/automod/rules/hashtags_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func TestBadHashtagPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	c1 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op)
 	assert.NoError(BadHashtagsPostRule(&c1, &p1))
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func TestBadHashtagPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 	p2buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	assert.NoError(p2.MarshalCBOR(p2buf))
 	p2cbor := p2buf.Bytes()
-	op.RecordCBOR = &p2cbor
+	op.RecordCBOR = p2cbor
 	c2 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op)
 	assert.NoError(BadHashtagsPostRule(&c2, &p2))
 	eff2 := engine.ExtractEffects(&c2.BaseContext)
diff --git a/automod/rules/keyword.go b/automod/rules/keyword.go
index c013a1af..b604e42b 100644
--- a/automod/rules/keyword.go
+++ b/automod/rules/keyword.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func BadWordOtherRecordRule(c *automod.RecordContext) error {
 	switch c.RecordOp.Collection.String() {
 	case "app.bsky.graph.list":
 		var list appbsky.GraphList
-		if err := list.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(*c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
+		if err := list.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse app.bsky.graph.list record: %v", err)
 		}
 		name += " " + list.Name
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func BadWordOtherRecordRule(c *automod.RecordContext) error {
 		}
 	case "app.bsky.feed.generator":
 		var generator appbsky.FeedGenerator
-		if err := generator.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(*c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
+		if err := generator.UnmarshalCBOR(bytes.NewReader(c.RecordOp.RecordCBOR)); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse app.bsky.feed.generator record: %v", err)
 		}
 		name += " " + generator.DisplayName
diff --git a/automod/rules/keyword_test.go b/automod/rules/keyword_test.go
index 6daf26a2..465bdbb4 100644
--- a/automod/rules/keyword_test.go
+++ b/automod/rules/keyword_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestBadWordPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("fagg0t"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	c1 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op)
 	assert.NoError(BadWordRecordKeyRule(&c1))
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func TestBadWordPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p2cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p2cbor,
 	}
 	c2 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op2)
 	assert.NoError(BadWordPostRule(&c2, &p2))
diff --git a/automod/rules/misleading_test.go b/automod/rules/misleading_test.go
index 174abb8d..cf8e814a 100644
--- a/automod/rules/misleading_test.go
+++ b/automod/rules/misleading_test.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestMisleadingURLPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	c1 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op)
 	assert.NoError(MisleadingURLPostRule(&c1, &p1))
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func TestMisleadingMentionPostRule(t *testing.T) {
 		Collection: syntax.NSID("app.bsky.feed.post"),
 		RecordKey:  syntax.RecordKey("abc123"),
 		CID:        &cid1,
-		RecordCBOR: &p1cbor,
+		RecordCBOR: p1cbor,
 	}
 	c1 := engine.NewRecordContext(ctx, &eng, am1, op)
 	assert.NoError(MisleadingMentionPostRule(&c1, &p1))
diff --git a/cmd/hepa/consumer.go b/cmd/hepa/consumer.go
index c786becb..0fc1c951 100644
--- a/cmd/hepa/consumer.go
+++ b/cmd/hepa/consumer.go
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func (s *Server) HandleRepoCommit(ctx context.Context, evt *comatproto.SyncSubsc
 				Collection: collection,
 				RecordKey:  rkey,
 				CID:        &recCID,
-				RecordCBOR: recCBOR,
+				RecordCBOR: *recCBOR,
 			})
 			if err != nil {
 				logger.Error("engine failed to process record", "err", err)