diff --git a/appview/ingester.go b/appview/ingester.go
index 300c032b..e8d85ae4 100644
--- a/appview/ingester.go
+++ b/appview/ingester.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/avast/retry-go/v4"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	jmodels "github.com/bluesky-social/jetstream/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
@@ -41,13 +42,6 @@ type processFunc func(ctx context.Context, e *jmodels.Event) error
 func (i *Ingester) Ingest() processFunc {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, e *jmodels.Event) error {
 		var err error
-		defer func() {
-			eventTime := e.TimeUS
-			lastTimeUs := eventTime + 1
-			if err := i.Db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); err != nil {
-				err = fmt.Errorf("(deferred) failed to save last time us: %w", err)
-			}
-		}()
 
 		l := i.Logger.With("kind", e.Kind)
 		switch e.Kind {
@@ -92,7 +86,12 @@ func (i *Ingester) Ingest() processFunc {
 		}
 
 		if err != nil {
-			l.Warn("refused to ingest record", "err", err)
+			l.Warn("failed to ingest record, skipping", "err", err)
+		}
+
+		lastTimeUs := e.TimeUS + 1
+		if saveErr := i.Db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); saveErr != nil {
+			l.Error("failed to save cursor", "err", saveErr)
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -560,9 +559,13 @@ func (i *Ingester) ingestSpindle(ctx context.Context, e *jmodels.Event) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = serververify.RunVerification(ctx, instance, did, i.Config.Core.Dev)
+		err = retry.Do(
+			func() error { return serververify.RunVerification(ctx, instance, did, i.Config.Core.Dev) },
+			retry.Attempts(5), retry.Delay(5*time.Second), retry.MaxDelay(80*time.Second),
+			retry.DelayType(retry.BackOffDelay), retry.LastErrorOnly(true),
+		)
 		if err != nil {
-			l.Error("failed to add spindle to db", "err", err, "instance", instance)
+			l.Error("failed to verify spindle after retries", "err", err, "instance", instance)
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -778,9 +781,15 @@ func (i *Ingester) ingestKnot(e *jmodels.Event) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = serververify.RunVerification(context.Background(), domain, did, i.Config.Core.Dev)
+		err = retry.Do(
+			func() error {
+				return serververify.RunVerification(context.Background(), domain, did, i.Config.Core.Dev)
+			},
+			retry.Attempts(5), retry.Delay(5*time.Second), retry.MaxDelay(80*time.Second),
+			retry.DelayType(retry.BackOffDelay), retry.LastErrorOnly(true),
+		)
 		if err != nil {
-			l.Error("failed to verify knot", "err", err, "domain", domain)
+			l.Error("failed to verify knot after retries", "err", err, "domain", domain)
 			return err
 		}
 
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 0a236388..378f3fc6 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 			tangled.KnotMemberNSID,
 			tangled.SpindleMemberNSID,
 			tangled.SpindleNSID,
+			tangled.KnotNSID,
 			tangled.StringNSID,
 			tangled.RepoIssueNSID,
 			tangled.RepoIssueCommentNSID,
diff --git a/eventconsumer/consumer.go b/eventconsumer/consumer.go
index 328eeef8..25b22734 100644
--- a/eventconsumer/consumer.go
+++ b/eventconsumer/consumer.go
@@ -159,15 +159,15 @@ func (c *Consumer) worker(ctx context.Context) {
 				return
 			}
 
+			if err := c.cfg.ProcessFunc(ctx, j.source, msg); err != nil {
+				c.logger.Error("error processing message", "source", j.source, "err", err)
+			}
+
 			cursorVal := msg.Created
 			if cursorVal == 0 {
 				cursorVal = time.Now().UnixNano()
 			}
 			c.cfg.CursorStore.Set(j.source.Key(), cursorVal)
-
-			if err := c.cfg.ProcessFunc(ctx, j.source, msg); err != nil {
-				c.logger.Error("error processing message", "source", j.source, "err", err)
-			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/knotserver/ingester.go b/knotserver/ingester.go
index ec4cccab..ac450a6e 100644
--- a/knotserver/ingester.go
+++ b/knotserver/ingester.go
@@ -363,14 +363,6 @@ func (h *Knot) processMessages(ctx context.Context, event *models.Event) error {
 	}
 
 	var err error
-	defer func() {
-		eventTime := event.TimeUS
-		lastTimeUs := eventTime + 1
-		if err := h.db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("(deferred) failed to save last time us: %w", err)
-		}
-	}()
-
 	switch event.Commit.Collection {
 	case tangled.PublicKeyNSID:
 		err = h.processPublicKey(ctx, event)
@@ -383,7 +375,12 @@ func (h *Knot) processMessages(ctx context.Context, event *models.Event) error {
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
-		h.l.Debug("failed to process event", "nsid", event.Commit.Collection, "err", err)
+		h.l.Warn("failed to process event, skipping", "nsid", event.Commit.Collection, "err", err)
+	}
+
+	lastTimeUs := event.TimeUS + 1
+	if saveErr := h.db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); saveErr != nil {
+		h.l.Error("failed to save cursor", "err", saveErr)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/spindle/ingester.go b/spindle/ingester.go
index 00ff1df6..43324aab 100644
--- a/spindle/ingester.go
+++ b/spindle/ingester.go
@@ -24,19 +24,11 @@ type Ingester func(ctx context.Context, e *models.Event) error
 
 func (s *Spindle) ingest() Ingester {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, e *models.Event) error {
-		var err error
-		defer func() {
-			eventTime := e.TimeUS
-			lastTimeUs := eventTime + 1
-			if err := s.db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); err != nil {
-				err = fmt.Errorf("(deferred) failed to save last time us: %w", err)
-			}
-		}()
-
 		if e.Kind != models.EventKindCommit {
 			return nil
 		}
 
+		var err error
 		switch e.Commit.Collection {
 		case tangled.SpindleMemberNSID:
 			err = s.ingestMember(ctx, e)
@@ -47,7 +39,12 @@ func (s *Spindle) ingest() Ingester {
 		}
 
 		if err != nil {
-			s.l.Debug("failed to process message", "nsid", e.Commit.Collection, "err", err)
+			s.l.Warn("failed to process message, skipping", "nsid", e.Commit.Collection, "err", err)
+		}
+
+		lastTimeUs := e.TimeUS + 1
+		if saveErr := s.db.SaveLastTimeUs(lastTimeUs); saveErr != nil {
+			s.l.Error("failed to save cursor", "err", saveErr)
 		}
 
 		return nil