diff --git a/pkg/cmd/reply.go b/pkg/cmd/reply.go
index 3063427..8483285 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/reply.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/reply.go
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ func ReplyCmd(ctx *lmcli.Context) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 
 			cmdutil.HandleConversationReply(ctx, conversation, true, model.Message{
-				ConversationID: conversation.ID,
-				Role:           model.MessageRoleUser,
-				Content:        reply,
+				Role:    model.MessageRoleUser,
+				Content: reply,
 			})
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/lmcli/model/conversation.go b/pkg/lmcli/model/conversation.go
index fb1d60d..c817706 100644
--- a/pkg/lmcli/model/conversation.go
+++ b/pkg/lmcli/model/conversation.go
@@ -16,17 +16,17 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Message struct {
-	ID             uint         `gorm:"primaryKey"`
-	ConversationID uint         `gorm:"index"`
-	Conversation   Conversation `gorm:"foreignKey:ConversationID"`
+	ID             uint          `gorm:"primaryKey"`
+	ConversationID *uint         `gorm:"index"`
+	Conversation   *Conversation `gorm:"foreignKey:ConversationID"`
 	Content        string
 	Role           MessageRole
 	CreatedAt      time.Time
 	ToolCalls      ToolCalls   // a json array of tool calls (from the model)
 	ToolResults    ToolResults // a json array of tool results
 	ParentID       *uint
-	Parent         *Message    `gorm:"foreignKey:ParentID"`
-	Replies        []Message   `gorm:"foreignKey:ParentID"`
+	Parent         *Message  `gorm:"foreignKey:ParentID"`
+	Replies        []Message `gorm:"foreignKey:ParentID"`
 
 	SelectedReplyID *uint
 	SelectedReply   *Message `gorm:"foreignKey:SelectedReplyID"`
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ type Conversation struct {
 	ShortName      sql.NullString
 	Title          string
 	SelectedRootID *uint
-	SelectedRoot   *Message  `gorm:"foreignKey:SelectedRootID"`
+	SelectedRoot   *Message `gorm:"foreignKey:SelectedRootID"`
 }
 
 type RequestParameters struct {
diff --git a/pkg/lmcli/store.go b/pkg/lmcli/store.go
index 450e9e9..3e10a64 100644
--- a/pkg/lmcli/store.go
+++ b/pkg/lmcli/store.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (s *SQLStore) StartConversation(messages ...model.Message) (*model.Conversa
 	}
 
 	// Create first message
-	messages[0].Conversation = *conversation
+	messages[0].Conversation = conversation
 	err = s.db.Create(&messages[0]).Error
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func (s *SQLStore) CloneConversation(toClone model.Conversation) (*model.Convers
 	for _, root := range rootMessages {
 		messageCnt++
 		newRoot := root
-		newRoot.ConversationID = clone.ID
+		newRoot.ConversationID = &clone.ID
 
 		cloned, count, err := s.CloneBranch(newRoot)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -232,9 +232,10 @@ func (s *SQLStore) Reply(to *model.Message, messages ...model.Message) ([]model.
 	err := s.db.Transaction(func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		currentParent := to
 		for i := range messages {
+			parent := currentParent
 			message := messages[i]
-			message.Parent = currentParent
-			message.Conversation = currentParent.Conversation
+			message.Parent = parent
+			message.Conversation = parent.Conversation
 			message.ID = 0
 			message.CreatedAt = time.Time{}
 
@@ -243,9 +244,9 @@ func (s *SQLStore) Reply(to *model.Message, messages ...model.Message) ([]model.
 			}
 
 			// update parent selected reply
-			currentParent.Replies = append(currentParent.Replies, message)
-			currentParent.SelectedReply = &message
-			if err := tx.Model(currentParent).Update("selected_reply_id", message.ID).Error; err != nil {
+			parent.Replies = append(parent.Replies, message)
+			parent.SelectedReply = &message
+			if err := tx.Model(parent).Update("selected_reply_id", message.ID).Error; err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/chat/conversation.go b/pkg/tui/views/chat/conversation.go
index deade01..59f5220 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/chat/conversation.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/chat/conversation.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (m *Model) cloneMessage(message models.Message, selected bool) tea.Cmd {
 		if selected {
 			if msg.Parent == nil {
 				msg.Conversation.SelectedRoot = msg
-				err = m.Shared.Ctx.Store.UpdateConversation(&msg.Conversation)
+				err = m.Shared.Ctx.Store.UpdateConversation(msg.Conversation)
 			} else {
 				msg.Parent.SelectedReply = msg
 				err = m.Shared.Ctx.Store.UpdateMessage(msg.Parent)
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/chat/update.go b/pkg/tui/views/chat/update.go
index 6d40ef6..369b65d 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/chat/update.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/chat/update.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		m.updateContent()
 	case msgMessageCloned:
 		if msg.Parent == nil {
-			m.conversation = &msg.Conversation
+			m.conversation = msg.Conversation
 			m.rootMessages = append(m.rootMessages, *msg)
 		}
 		cmds = append(cmds, m.loadConversationMessages())
diff --git a/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go b/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
index d27c36d..46cd09b 100644
--- a/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
+++ b/pkg/tui/views/conversations/conversations.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func (m *Model) loadConversations() tea.Cmd {
 		loaded := make([]loadedConversation, len(messages))
 		for i, m := range messages {
 			loaded[i].lastReply = m
-			loaded[i].conv = m.Conversation
+			loaded[i].conv = *m.Conversation
 		}
 
 		return msgConversationsLoaded(loaded)