diff --git a/src/classes/batch-relation-loader.ts b/src/classes/batch-relation-loader.ts
index 80ab2a346..30f541cd3 100644
--- a/src/classes/batch-relation-loader.ts
+++ b/src/classes/batch-relation-loader.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export default class BatchRelationLoader {
     { leading: false, trailing: true },
   );
 
-  private handleEvent(event: NostrEvent) {
+  handleEvent(event: NostrEvent) {
     // add event to cache
     const updateIds = new Set<string>();
     for (const tag of event.tags) {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export default class BatchRelationLoader {
 
     for (const id of updateIds) this.onEventUpdate.next(id);
   }
-  private handleEOSE() {
+  handleEOSE() {
     // resolve all pending from the last request
     for (const [uid, defer] of this.pending) {
       defer.resolve(this.references.get(uid));
diff --git a/src/services/event-reactions.ts b/src/services/event-reactions.ts
index c4d2bad5c..cc5cf50d2 100644
--- a/src/services/event-reactions.ts
+++ b/src/services/event-reactions.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class EventReactionsService {
 
   requestReactions(eventUID: string, urls: Iterable<string | URL | AbstractRelay>, alwaysRequest = true) {
     const subject = this.subjects.get(eventUID);
-    if (subject.value && !alwaysRequest) return;
+    if (subject.value && !alwaysRequest) return subject;
 
     if (localRelay) {
       this.loaders.get(localRelay as AbstractRelay).requestEvents(eventUID);
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ class EventReactionsService {
 
     return subject;
   }
+
+  handleEvent(event: NostrEvent) {
+    // pretend it came from the local relay
+    if (localRelay) this.loaders.get(localRelay as AbstractRelay).handleEvent(event);
+  }
 }
 
 const eventReactionsService = new EventReactionsService();
diff --git a/src/services/event-zaps.ts b/src/services/event-zaps.ts
index 98f463981..5c3b52fc4 100644
--- a/src/services/event-zaps.ts
+++ b/src/services/event-zaps.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class EventZapsService {
 
   requestZaps(eventUID: string, urls: Iterable<string | URL | AbstractRelay>, alwaysRequest = true) {
     const subject = this.subjects.get(eventUID);
-    if (subject.value && !alwaysRequest) return;
+    if (subject.value && !alwaysRequest) return subject;
 
     if (localRelay) {
       this.loaders.get(localRelay as AbstractRelay).requestEvents(eventUID);