diff --git a/crates/app/src/public/html/journals/app.lisp b/crates/app/src/public/html/journals/app.lisp
index 255b2ec..c6ed985 100644
--- a/crates/app/src/public/html/journals/app.lisp
+++ b/crates/app/src/public/html/journals/app.lisp
@@ -379,7 +379,6 @@
                         ("name" "tags")
                         ("id" "tags")
                         ("placeholder" "tags")
-                        ("required" "")
                         ("minlength" "2")
                         ("maxlength" "128")
                         (text "{% for tag in note.tags -%} {{ tag }}, {% endfor %}"))
diff --git a/crates/core/src/database/userfollows.rs b/crates/core/src/database/userfollows.rs
index 63fcfbe..4b22835 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/database/userfollows.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/database/userfollows.rs
@@ -400,9 +400,13 @@ impl DataManager {
 
         // decr counts (if we aren't deleting the user OR the user id isn't the deleted user id)
         if !is_deleting_user | (follow.initiator != user.id) {
-            self.decr_user_following_count(follow.initiator)
+            if self
+                .decr_user_following_count(follow.initiator)
                 .await
-                .unwrap();
+                .is_err()
+            {
+                println!("ERR_TETRATTO_DECR_FOLLOWS: could not decr initiator follow count")
+            }
         }
 
         if !is_deleting_user | (follow.receiver != user.id) {