diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 13d3e3c..eef3c6e 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const makeDebug = require('debug')
 const MsgV4 = require('pzp-db/msg-v4')
 
 /**
+ * @typedef {import('pzp-db').RecPresent} Rec
  * @typedef {ReturnType<import('pzp-db').init>} PZPDB
  * @typedef {ReturnType<import('pzp-goals').init>} PZPGoal
  * @typedef {import('pzp-goals').GoalDSL} GoalDSL
@@ -276,6 +277,10 @@ function initConductor(peer, config) {
       peer.gc.start(maxBytes)
       peer.sync.start()
 
+      peer.db.onRecordAdded((/** @type {Rec} */ { id: msgID, msg }) => {
+        peer.sync.start()
+      })
+
       cb()
     })
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3e1fcdd..69dd79e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -31,17 +31,17 @@
     "bs58": "^5.0.0",
     "c8": "7",
     "pzp-caps": "^1.0.0",
-    "pzp-db": "^1.0.1",
-    "pzp-dict": "^1.0.0",
+    "pzp-db": "^1.0.4",
+    "pzp-dict": "^1.0.1",
     "pzp-gc": "^1.0.0",
-    "pzp-goals": "^1.0.0",
+    "pzp-goals": "^1.0.1",
     "pzp-keypair": "^1.0.0",
-    "pzp-set": "^1.0.0",
-    "pzp-sync": "^1.0.0",
+    "pzp-set": "^1.0.1",
+    "pzp-sync": "^1.0.4",
     "prettier": "^2.6.2",
     "pretty-quick": "^3.1.3",
     "rimraf": "^4.4.0",
-    "secret-handshake-ext": "~0.0.11",
+    "secret-handshake-ext": "~0.0.12",
     "secret-stack": "~8.1.0",
     "ssb-box": "^1.0.1",
     "typescript": "^5.4.5"
diff --git a/test/realtime.test.js b/test/realtime.test.js
index 95e963d..31bfcc5 100644
--- a/test/realtime.test.js
+++ b/test/realtime.test.js
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ test('create 200 messages that manage to replicate with low "newest" goals', asy
     assert.deepEqual(arr, [], 'alice has no posts from bob')
   }
 
+  // TODO: make things work with this first, then add another test without this?
+  await p(bob.db.feed.publish)({
+    account: bobID,
+    domain: 'post',
+    data: { text: `${n}` },
+  })
+
   const confirmed = []
   // for keeping track of which msgs have arrived
   for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
@@ -47,6 +54,7 @@ test('create 200 messages that manage to replicate with low "newest" goals', asy
 
   alice.db.onRecordAdded(rec => {
     if (rec.msg.data?.text) {
+      //console.log('alice received rec', rec)
       const num = Number.parseInt(rec.msg.data.text)
       confirmed[num] = true
     }
@@ -55,20 +63,17 @@ test('create 200 messages that manage to replicate with low "newest" goals', asy
   await p(alice.set.load)(aliceID)
   await p(bob.set.load)(bobID)
 
-  // TODO: do we need to follow each other?
+  // TODO: do we need to follow? probably
   assert(await p(alice.set.add)('follows', bobID), 'alice follows bob')
+  // TODO: remove this one
+  assert(await p(bob.set.add)('follows', aliceID), 'alice follows bob')
 
-  //bob.goals.set(bobPostsID, 'newest-50')
-  //alice.goals.set(bobPostsID, 'newest-50')
-  // TODO: lower to newest-50, alice then bob
-  // supposedly [myrules, theirrules], do they need to match?
-  await p(alice.conductor.start)(aliceID, [['post@all'], ['post@all']], 64_000_000)
-  await p(bob.conductor.start)(bobID, [['post@all'], ['post@all']], 64_000_000)
+  await p(alice.conductor.start)(aliceID, [['post@newest-50'], ['post@newest-50']], 64_000_000)
+  await p(bob.conductor.start)(bobID, [['post@newest-50'], ['post@newest-50']], 64_000_000)
 
   const remoteAlice = await p(bob.connect)(alice.getAddress())
   assert('alice and bob connected')
 
-  bob.sync.start()
   await p(setTimeout)(1000)
   assert('sync!')
 
@@ -83,14 +88,13 @@ test('create 200 messages that manage to replicate with low "newest" goals', asy
   })))
   assert(`bob published ${n} posts in parallel`)
 
-  //let tries = 30
-  let tries = 100
+  let tries = 30
   // just waiting for them to arrive
   do {
     await p(setTimeout)(100)
   } while (!confirmed.every(v => v === true) && tries-- > 0)
 
-  assert.equal(confirmed.filter(v => v === true).length, n, `alice has all of bob's posts`)
+  assert.equal(confirmed.filter(v => v === true).length, n + 1, `alice has all of bob's posts including the initial one`)
 
   await p(remoteAlice.close)(true)
   await p(alice.close)(true)