diff --git a/internal/timeline/get.go b/internal/timeline/get.go
index 867e0940b..f07d81d55 100644
--- a/internal/timeline/get.go
+++ b/internal/timeline/get.go
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ func (t *timeline) Get(amount int, maxID string, sinceID string, minID string) (
 	l := t.log.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
 		"func":      "Get",
 		"accountID": t.accountID,
+		"amount":    amount,
+		"maxID":     maxID,
+		"sinceID":   sinceID,
+		"minID":     minID,
 	})
+	l.Debug("entering get")
 
 	var statuses []*apimodel.Status
 	var err error
diff --git a/internal/timeline/index.go b/internal/timeline/index.go
index 8d0506a9e..261722b74 100644
--- a/internal/timeline/index.go
+++ b/internal/timeline/index.go
@@ -10,6 +10,45 @@
 )
 
 func (t *timeline) IndexBefore(statusID string, include bool, amount int) error {
+	filtered := []*gtsmodel.Status{}
+	offsetStatus := statusID
+
+	if include {
+		s := &gtsmodel.Status{}
+		if err := t.db.GetByID(statusID, s); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("IndexBefore: error getting initial status with id %s: %s", statusID, err)
+		}
+		filtered = append(filtered, s)
+	}
+
+grabloop:
+	for len(filtered) < amount {
+		statuses, err := t.db.GetStatusesWhereFollowing(t.accountID, "", offsetStatus, "", amount, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			if _, ok := err.(db.ErrNoEntries); ok {
+				break grabloop // we just don't have enough statuses left in the db so index what we've got and then bail
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("IndexBefore: error getting statuses from db: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		for _, s := range statuses {
+			timelineable, err := t.filter.StatusHometimelineable(s, t.account)
+			if err != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			if timelineable {
+				filtered = append(filtered, s)
+			}
+			offsetStatus = s.ID
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, s := range filtered {
+		if _, err := t.IndexOne(s.CreatedAt, s.ID, s.BoostOfID); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("IndexBefore: error indexing status with id %s: %s", s.ID, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +80,7 @@ func (t *timeline) IndexBehind(statusID string, amount int) error {
 
 	for _, s := range filtered {
 		if _, err := t.IndexOne(s.CreatedAt, s.ID, s.BoostOfID); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("IndexBehindAndIncluding: error indexing status with id %s: %s", s.ID, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("IndexBehind: error indexing status with id %s: %s", s.ID, err)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/timeline/manager.go b/internal/timeline/manager.go
index 923fd010b..d50c9f783 100644
--- a/internal/timeline/manager.go
+++ b/internal/timeline/manager.go
@@ -106,7 +106,10 @@ func (m *manager) Ingest(status *gtsmodel.Status, timelineAccountID string) (boo
 		"statusID":          status.ID,
 	})
 
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 
 	l.Trace("ingesting status")
 	return t.IndexOne(status.CreatedAt, status.ID, status.BoostOfID)
@@ -119,7 +122,10 @@ func (m *manager) IngestAndPrepare(status *gtsmodel.Status, timelineAccountID st
 		"statusID":          status.ID,
 	})
 
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 
 	l.Trace("ingesting status")
 	return t.IndexAndPrepareOne(status.CreatedAt, status.ID)
@@ -132,7 +138,10 @@ func (m *manager) Remove(statusID string, timelineAccountID string) (int, error)
 		"statusID":          statusID,
 	})
 
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
 
 	l.Trace("removing status")
 	return t.Remove(statusID)
@@ -144,7 +153,10 @@ func (m *manager) HomeTimeline(timelineAccountID string, maxID string, sinceID s
 		"timelineAccountID": timelineAccountID,
 	})
 
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	statuses, err := t.Get(limit, maxID, sinceID, minID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -154,7 +166,10 @@ func (m *manager) HomeTimeline(timelineAccountID string, maxID string, sinceID s
 }
 
 func (m *manager) GetIndexedLength(timelineAccountID string) int {
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0
+	}
 
 	return t.PostIndexLength()
 }
@@ -164,13 +179,19 @@ func (m *manager) GetDesiredIndexLength() int {
 }
 
 func (m *manager) GetOldestIndexedID(timelineAccountID string) (string, error) {
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
 
 	return t.OldestIndexedPostID()
 }
 
 func (m *manager) PrepareXFromTop(timelineAccountID string, limit int) error {
-	t := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	t, err := m.getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	return t.PrepareFromTop(limit)
 }
@@ -198,11 +219,15 @@ func (m *manager) WipeStatusFromAllTimelines(statusID string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func (m *manager) getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID string) Timeline {
+func (m *manager) getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID string) (Timeline, error) {
 	var t Timeline
 	i, ok := m.accountTimelines.Load(timelineAccountID)
 	if !ok {
-		t = NewTimeline(timelineAccountID, m.db, m.tc, m.log)
+		var err error
+		t, err = NewTimeline(timelineAccountID, m.db, m.tc, m.log)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		m.accountTimelines.Store(timelineAccountID, t)
 	} else {
 		t, ok = i.(Timeline)
@@ -211,5 +236,5 @@ func (m *manager) getOrCreateTimeline(timelineAccountID string) Timeline {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return t
+	return t, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/timeline/timeline.go b/internal/timeline/timeline.go
index 5e274b572..d0fadb19e 100644
--- a/internal/timeline/timeline.go
+++ b/internal/timeline/timeline.go
@@ -125,16 +125,22 @@ type timeline struct {
 }
 
 // NewTimeline returns a new Timeline for the given account ID
-func NewTimeline(accountID string, db db.DB, typeConverter typeutils.TypeConverter, log *logrus.Logger) Timeline {
+func NewTimeline(accountID string, db db.DB, typeConverter typeutils.TypeConverter, log *logrus.Logger) (Timeline, error) {
+	timelineOwnerAccount := &gtsmodel.Account{}
+	if err := db.GetByID(accountID, timelineOwnerAccount); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	return &timeline{
 		postIndex:     &postIndex{},
 		preparedPosts: &preparedPosts{},
 		accountID:     accountID,
+		account:       timelineOwnerAccount,
 		db:            db,
 		filter:        visibility.NewFilter(db, log),
 		tc:            typeConverter,
 		log:           log,
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (t *timeline) Reset() error {
diff --git a/internal/visibility/statusvisible.go b/internal/visibility/statusvisible.go
index caf5cfcfd..c022be359 100644
--- a/internal/visibility/statusvisible.go
+++ b/internal/visibility/statusvisible.go
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@
 
 func (f *filter) StatusVisible(targetStatus *gtsmodel.Status, requestingAccount *gtsmodel.Account) (bool, error) {
 	l := f.log.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
-		"func":                "StatusVisible",
-		"statusID":            targetStatus.ID,
-		"requestingAccountID": requestingAccount.ID,
+		"func":     "StatusVisible",
+		"statusID": targetStatus.ID,
 	})
 
 	relevantAccounts, err := f.pullRelevantAccountsFromStatus(targetStatus)
@@ -49,6 +48,16 @@ func (f *filter) StatusVisible(targetStatus *gtsmodel.Status, requestingAccount
 		}
 	}
 
+	// If requesting account is nil, that means whoever requested the status didn't auth, or their auth failed.
+	// In this case, we can still serve the status if it's public, otherwise we definitely shouldn't.
+	if requestingAccount == nil {
+		if targetStatus.Visibility == gtsmodel.VisibilityPublic {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+		l.Trace("requesting account is nil but the target status isn't public")
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
 	// if the requesting user doesn't exist (anymore) then the status also shouldn't be visible
 	// note: we only do this for local users
 	if requestingAccount.Domain == "" {
@@ -68,16 +77,6 @@ func (f *filter) StatusVisible(targetStatus *gtsmodel.Status, requestingAccount
 		}
 	}
 
-	// If requesting account is nil, that means whoever requested the status didn't auth, or their auth failed.
-	// In this case, we can still serve the status if it's public, otherwise we definitely shouldn't.
-	if requestingAccount == nil {
-		if targetStatus.Visibility == gtsmodel.VisibilityPublic {
-			return true, nil
-		}
-		l.Trace("requesting account is nil but the target status isn't public")
-		return false, nil
-	}
-
 	// if requesting account is suspended then don't show the status -- although they probably shouldn't have gotten
 	// this far (ie., been authed) in the first place: this is just for safety.
 	if !requestingAccount.SuspendedAt.IsZero() {