diff --git a/lib/clacks/timeline.ex b/lib/clacks/timeline.ex
index 8d8f518..96f2310 100644
--- a/lib/clacks/timeline.ex
+++ b/lib/clacks/timeline.ex
@@ -123,13 +123,24 @@ defmodule Clacks.Timeline do
         referenced_object: referenced_object,
         activity_actor: activity_actor
       ],
+      {n, activity, object, activity_actor, referenced_activity, referenced_object}
+    )
+    |> Repo.all()
+    |> Enum.map(fn {n, activity, object, activity_actor, referenced_activity, referenced_object} ->
+      # unfortunately we can't use the select to set the associations because we need to handle the possibility of referenced_activity being nil
+      referenced_activity =
+        case referenced_activity do
+          nil -> nil
+          a -> %Activity{a | object: referenced_object}
+        end
+
       %Notification{
         n
         | activity: %Activity{activity | object: object, actor: activity_actor},
-          referenced_activity: %Activity{referenced_activity | object: referenced_object}
+          referenced_activity: referenced_activity
       }
-    )
-    |> Repo.all()
+    end)
+    |> IO.inspect()
   end
 
   defp restrict_to_actor(query, actor_id) do