diff --git a/internal/webserver/handler_messages.go b/internal/webserver/handler_messages.go
index 7689386..efc0b65 100644
--- a/internal/webserver/handler_messages.go
+++ b/internal/webserver/handler_messages.go
@@ -98,7 +98,20 @@ func (app *Application) message_detail(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		panic_if(json.Unmarshal(data_, &data))
 		panic_if(app.API.SendDMReaction(room_id, data.MessageID, data.Reacc))
 
-		dm_message := global_data.Messages[data.MessageID]
+		dm_message, is_ok := global_data.Messages[data.MessageID]
+		if !is_ok {
+			// TODO: this seems kind of silly to use global data in the first place; it's unlikely
+			// to have the relevant tweet in it, since it just gets the one latest tweet from the
+			// convo.  This handler should be pulled out and just fetch the tweet directly--
+			// performance probably doesn't matter, but it's spaghetti code otherwise
+			trove_with_dm_message, err := app.Profile.GetChatMessage(data.MessageID)
+			panic_if(err)
+			global_data.MergeWith(trove_with_dm_message)
+			dm_message, is_ok = global_data.Messages[data.MessageID]
+			if !is_ok {
+				panic(global_data)
+			}
+		}
 		dm_message.Reactions[app.ActiveUser.ID] = scraper.DMReaction{
 			ID:          0, // Hopefully will be OK temporarily
 			DMMessageID: dm_message.ID,
diff --git a/pkg/persistence/dm_queries.go b/pkg/persistence/dm_queries.go
index f3e2c19..830500c 100644
--- a/pkg/persistence/dm_queries.go
+++ b/pkg/persistence/dm_queries.go
@@ -169,27 +169,27 @@ func (p Profile) SaveChatMessage(m DMMessage) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Get a single chat message, filling its attachment contents.
-//
-// This function is only used in tests.
-func (p Profile) GetChatMessage(id DMMessageID) (ret DMMessage, err error) {
-	err = p.DB.Get(&ret, `
+// Get a single chat message, filling its attachment contents.  Returns a TweetTrove because a
+// message can have a tweet attachment, etc.
+func (p Profile) GetChatMessage(id DMMessageID) (TweetTrove, error) {
+	trove := NewTweetTrove()
+	var msg DMMessage
+	err := p.DB.Get(&msg, `
 		select `+CHAT_MESSAGES_ALL_SQL_FIELDS+`
 		  from chat_messages
 		 where id = ?
 		`, id,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return ret, fmt.Errorf("Error getting chat message %d:\n  %w", id, err)
+		return trove, fmt.Errorf("Error getting chat message %d:\n  %w", id, err)
 	}
-	ret.Reactions = make(map[UserID]DMReaction)
+	msg.Reactions = make(map[UserID]DMReaction)
 
 	// This is a bit circuitous, but it doesn't matter because this function is only used in tests
-	trove := NewTweetTrove()
-	trove.Messages[ret.ID] = ret
+	trove.Messages[msg.ID] = msg
 	p.fill_dm_contents(&trove)
 
-	return trove.Messages[ret.ID], nil
+	return trove, nil
 }
 
 type DMChatView struct {
diff --git a/pkg/persistence/dm_queries_test.go b/pkg/persistence/dm_queries_test.go
index 6c16918..ca511d5 100644
--- a/pkg/persistence/dm_queries_test.go
+++ b/pkg/persistence/dm_queries_test.go
@@ -110,8 +110,10 @@ func TestSaveAndLoadChatMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(err)
 
 	// Reload it
-	new_message, err := profile.GetChatMessage(message.ID)
+	trove_with_new_message, err := profile.GetChatMessage(message.ID)
 	require.NoError(err)
+	new_message, is_ok := trove_with_new_message.Messages[message.ID]
+	require.True(is_ok)
 
 	if diff := deep.Equal(message, new_message); diff != nil {
 		t.Error(diff)
@@ -145,8 +147,10 @@ func TestAddReactionToChatMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(profile.SaveChatMessage(message))
 
 	// Reload it
-	new_message, err := profile.GetChatMessage(message.ID)
+	trove_with_new_message, err := profile.GetChatMessage(message.ID)
 	require.NoError(err)
+	new_message, is_ok := trove_with_new_message.Messages[message.ID]
+	require.True(is_ok)
 
 	if diff := deep.Equal(message, new_message); diff != nil {
 		t.Error(diff)