diff --git a/automod/engine/fetchaccountmeta.go b/automod/engine/fetchaccountmeta.go
index fe3d81f0..2a0bca90 100644
--- a/automod/engine/fetchaccountmeta.go
+++ b/automod/engine/fetchaccountmeta.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	appbsky "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/bsky"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/identity"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/automod/util"
 )
 
 func (e *Engine) GetAccountMeta(ctx context.Context, ident *identity.Identity) (*AccountMeta, error) {
@@ -69,8 +68,8 @@ func (e *Engine) GetAccountMeta(ctx context.Context, ident *identity.Identity) (
 			Description: pv.Description,
 			DisplayName: pv.DisplayName,
 		},
-		AccountLabels:        util.DedupeStrings(labels),
-		AccountNegatedLabels: util.DedupeStrings(negLabels),
+		AccountLabels:        dedupeStrings(labels),
+		AccountNegatedLabels: dedupeStrings(negLabels),
 		AccountFlags:         flags,
 	}
 	if pv.PostsCount != nil {
diff --git a/automod/engine/persist.go b/automod/engine/persist.go
index b48f570f..5a80c0ef 100644
--- a/automod/engine/persist.go
+++ b/automod/engine/persist.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	comatproto "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/atproto"
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/automod/util"
 )
 
 func (eng *Engine) persistCounters(ctx context.Context, eff *Effects) error {
@@ -152,8 +151,8 @@ func (eng *Engine) persistRecordModActions(c *RecordContext) error {
 	}
 
 	// NOTE: record-level actions are *not* currently de-duplicated (aka, the same record could be labeled multiple times, or re-reported, etc)
-	newLabels := util.DedupeStrings(c.effects.RecordLabels)
-	newFlags := util.DedupeStrings(c.effects.RecordFlags)
+	newLabels := dedupeStrings(c.effects.RecordLabels)
+	newFlags := dedupeStrings(c.effects.RecordFlags)
 	newReports, err := eng.circuitBreakReports(ctx, c.effects.RecordReports)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/automod/engine/persisthelpers.go b/automod/engine/persisthelpers.go
index 59c6d546..f6db1d3b 100644
--- a/automod/engine/persisthelpers.go
+++ b/automod/engine/persisthelpers.go
@@ -9,13 +9,12 @@ import (
 	comatproto "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/atproto"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/automod/countstore"
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/automod/util"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 )
 
 func dedupeLabelActions(labels, existing, existingNegated []string) []string {
 	newLabels := []string{}
-	for _, val := range util.DedupeStrings(labels) {
+	for _, val := range dedupeStrings(labels) {
 		exists := false
 		for _, e := range existingNegated {
 			if val == e {
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ func dedupeLabelActions(labels, existing, existingNegated []string) []string {
 
 func dedupeFlagActions(flags, existing []string) []string {
 	newFlags := []string{}
-	for _, val := range util.DedupeStrings(flags) {
+	for _, val := range dedupeStrings(flags) {
 		exists := false
 		for _, e := range existing {
 			if val == e {
diff --git a/automod/util/strings.go b/automod/engine/util.go
similarity index 72%
rename from automod/util/strings.go
rename to automod/engine/util.go
index 8fac9e52..195454c1 100644
--- a/automod/util/strings.go
+++ b/automod/engine/util.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-package util
+package engine
 
-func DedupeStrings(in []string) []string {
+func dedupeStrings(in []string) []string {
 	var out []string
 	seen := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, v := range in {
diff --git a/automod/flagstore/flagstore_mem.go b/automod/flagstore/flagstore_mem.go
index 933363af..4f128075 100644
--- a/automod/flagstore/flagstore_mem.go
+++ b/automod/flagstore/flagstore_mem.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package flagstore
 
 import (
 	"context"
-
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/automod/util"
 )
 
 type MemFlagStore struct {
@@ -32,7 +30,7 @@ func (s MemFlagStore) Add(ctx context.Context, key string, flags []string) error
 	for _, f := range flags {
 		v = append(v, f)
 	}
-	v = util.DedupeStrings(v)
+	v = dedupeStrings(v)
 	s.Data[key] = v
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/automod/flagstore/util.go b/automod/flagstore/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..923a55c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/automod/flagstore/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package flagstore
+
+func dedupeStrings(in []string) []string {
+	var out []string
+	seen := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, v := range in {
+		if !seen[v] {
+			out = append(out, v)
+			seen[v] = true
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/automod/util/must.go b/automod/util/must.go
deleted file mode 100644
index af63b443..00000000
--- a/automod/util/must.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-package util
-
-func Must(err error) {
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-}
-
-func MustResult[T any](v T, err error) T {
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return v
-}