diff --git a/lib/models/change.js b/lib/models/change.js
index bdb3c707..60a6042e 100644
--- a/lib/models/change.js
+++ b/lib/models/change.js
@@ -172,15 +172,19 @@ Change.prototype.rectify = function(cb) {
 
   async.parallel(tasks, function(err) {
     if(err) return cb(err);
-    change.save(cb);
+    if(change.prev === Change.UNKNOWN) {
+      // this occurs when a record of a change doesn't exist
+      // and its current revision is null (not found)
+      change.remove(cb);
+    } else {
+      change.save(cb);
+    }
   });
 
   function updateRevision(cb) {
     // get the current revision
     change.currentRevision(function(err, rev) {
       if(err) return Change.handleError(err, cb);
-      change.debug('updating revision ('+ rev +')');
-      // deleted
       if(rev) {
         // avoid setting rev and prev to the same value
         if(currentRev !== rev) {
@@ -196,10 +200,9 @@ Change.prototype.rectify = function(cb) {
         } else if(!change.prev) {
           change.debug('ERROR - could not determing prev');
           change.prev = Change.UNKNOWN;
-          return cb(new Error('could not determine the previous rev for '
-            + change.modelId));
         }
       }
+      change.debug('updated revision (was ' + currentRev + ')');
       cb();
     });
   }
@@ -493,8 +496,9 @@ Change.prototype.getModel = function(callback) {
  *
  * **Note: call `conflict.fetch()` to get the `target` and `source` models.
  * 
- * @param {*} sourceModelId
- * @param {*} targetModelId
+ * @param {*} modelId
+ * @param {DataModel} SourceModel
+ * @param {DataModel} TargetModel
  * @property {ModelClass} source The source model instance
  * @property {ModelClass} target The target model instance
  */
@@ -570,9 +574,9 @@ Conflict.prototype.changes = function(cb) {
   ], done);
 
   function getSourceChange(cb) {
-    conflict.SourceChange.findOne({
-      modelId: conflict.sourceModelId
-    }, function(err, change) {
+    conflict.SourceChange.findOne({where: {
+      modelId: conflict.modelId
+    }}, function(err, change) {
       if(err) return cb(err);
       sourceChange = change;
       cb();
@@ -580,9 +584,9 @@ Conflict.prototype.changes = function(cb) {
   }
 
   function getTargetChange(cb) {
-    conflict.TargetChange.findOne({
-      modelId: conflict.targetModelId
-    }, function(err, change) {
+    conflict.TargetChange.findOne({where: {
+      modelId: conflict.modelId
+    }}, function(err, change) {
       if(err) return cb(err);
       targetChange = change;
       cb();
diff --git a/lib/models/data-model.js b/lib/models/data-model.js
index 5661a790..6b5bf5fb 100644
--- a/lib/models/data-model.js
+++ b/lib/models/data-model.js
@@ -767,7 +767,8 @@ DataModel.createUpdates = function(deltas, cb) {
             if(err) return cb(err);
             if(!inst) {
               console.error('missing data for change:', change);
-              return callback();
+              return cb && cb(new Error('missing data for change: '
+                + change.modelId));
             }
             if(inst.toObject) {
               update.data = inst.toObject();