diff --git a/src/service/pusher/append.rs b/src/service/pusher/append.rs
index d5fbf37b..64530d76 100644
--- a/src/service/pusher/append.rs
+++ b/src/service/pusher/append.rs
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ use tuwunel_core::{
 		event::Event,
 		pdu::{Count, Pdu, PduId, RawPduId},
 	},
-	utils::{self, BoolExt, ReadyExt, future::TryExtExt, time::now_millis},
+	utils::{BoolExt, ReadyExt, future::TryExtExt, time::now_millis},
 };
-use tuwunel_database::{Json, Map};
+use tuwunel_database::{Deserialized, Json, Map};
 
 use crate::rooms::short::ShortRoomId;
 
@@ -159,13 +159,14 @@ pub(crate) async fn append_pdu(&self, pdu_id: RawPduId, pdu: &Pdu) -> Result {
 		}
 	}
 
-	self.increment_notification_counts(pdu.room_id(), notifies, highlights);
+	self.increment_notification_counts(pdu.room_id(), notifies, highlights)
+		.await;
 
 	Ok(())
 }
 
 #[implement(super::Service)]
-fn increment_notification_counts(
+async fn increment_notification_counts(
 	&self,
 	room_id: &RoomId,
 	notifies: Vec<OwnedUserId>,
@@ -174,23 +175,17 @@ fn increment_notification_counts(
 	let _cork = self.db.db.cork();
 
 	for user in notifies {
-		let mut userroom_id = user.as_bytes().to_vec();
-		userroom_id.push(0xFF);
-		userroom_id.extend_from_slice(room_id.as_bytes());
-		increment(&self.db.userroomid_notificationcount, &userroom_id);
+		increment(&self.db.userroomid_notificationcount, (&user, room_id)).await;
 	}
 
 	for user in highlights {
-		let mut userroom_id = user.as_bytes().to_vec();
-		userroom_id.push(0xFF);
-		userroom_id.extend_from_slice(room_id.as_bytes());
-		increment(&self.db.userroomid_highlightcount, &userroom_id);
+		increment(&self.db.userroomid_highlightcount, (&user, room_id)).await;
 	}
 }
 
-//TODO: this is an ABA
-fn increment(db: &Arc<Map>, key: &[u8]) {
-	let old = db.get_blocking(key);
-	let new = utils::increment(old.ok().as_deref());
-	db.insert(key, new);
+// TODO: this is an ABA problem
+async fn increment(db: &Arc<Map>, key: (&UserId, &RoomId)) {
+	let old: u64 = db.qry(&key).await.deserialized().unwrap_or(0);
+	let new = old.saturating_add(1);
+	db.put(key, new);
 }
diff --git a/src/service/pusher/send.rs b/src/service/pusher/send.rs
index c715e330..86301257 100644
--- a/src/service/pusher/send.rs
+++ b/src/service/pusher/send.rs
@@ -125,20 +125,20 @@ async fn send_notice<Pdu: Event>(
 			}
 
 			let d = vec![device];
-			let mut notifi = Notification::new(d);
+			let mut notify = Notification::new(d);
 
-			notifi.event_id = Some(event.event_id().to_owned());
-			notifi.room_id = Some(event.room_id().to_owned());
+			notify.event_id = Some(event.event_id().to_owned());
+			notify.room_id = Some(event.room_id().to_owned());
 			if http
 				.data
 				.get("org.matrix.msc4076.disable_badge_count")
 				.is_none() && http.data.get("disable_badge_count").is_none()
 			{
-				notifi.counts = NotificationCounts::new(unread, uint!(0));
+				notify.counts = NotificationCounts::new(unread, uint!(0));
 			} else {
 				// counts will not be serialised if it's the default (0, 0)
 				// skip_serializing_if = "NotificationCounts::is_default"
-				notifi.counts = NotificationCounts::default();
+				notify.counts = NotificationCounts::default();
 			}
 
 			if !event_id_only {
@@ -147,33 +147,33 @@ async fn send_notice<Pdu: Event>(
 						.iter()
 						.any(|t| matches!(t, Tweak::Highlight(true) | Tweak::Sound(_)))
 				{
-					notifi.prio = NotificationPriority::High;
+					notify.prio = NotificationPriority::High;
 				} else {
-					notifi.prio = NotificationPriority::Low;
+					notify.prio = NotificationPriority::Low;
 				}
-				notifi.sender = Some(event.sender().to_owned());
-				notifi.event_type = Some(event.kind().to_owned());
-				notifi.content = serde_json::value::to_raw_value(event.content()).ok();
+				notify.sender = Some(event.sender().to_owned());
+				notify.event_type = Some(event.kind().to_owned());
+				notify.content = serde_json::value::to_raw_value(event.content()).ok();
 
 				if *event.kind() == TimelineEventType::RoomMember {
-					notifi.user_is_target = event.state_key() == Some(event.sender().as_str());
+					notify.user_is_target = event.state_key() == Some(event.sender().as_str());
 				}
 
-				notifi.sender_display_name = self
+				notify.sender_display_name = self
 					.services
 					.users
 					.displayname(event.sender())
 					.await
 					.ok();
 
-				notifi.room_name = self
+				notify.room_name = self
 					.services
 					.state_accessor
 					.get_name(event.room_id())
 					.await
 					.ok();
 
-				notifi.room_alias = self
+				notify.room_alias = self
 					.services
 					.state_accessor
 					.get_canonical_alias(event.room_id())
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ async fn send_notice<Pdu: Event>(
 					.ok();
 			}
 
-			self.send_request(&http.url, send_event_notification::v1::Request::new(notifi))
+			self.send_request(&http.url, send_event_notification::v1::Request::new(notify))
 				.await?;
 
 			Ok(())