diff --git a/phoebe-main/src/main.rs b/phoebe-main/src/main.rs
index 6583b97..7e15bef 100644
--- a/phoebe-main/src/main.rs
+++ b/phoebe-main/src/main.rs
@@ -37,9 +37,12 @@ async fn handle_events(
                     )
                 }
 
-                if let Err(e) = link_messages(&mut conn, &message.origin, &resulting_messages).await
-                {
-                    tracing::error!("Failed to link messages: {e}");
+                if !resulting_messages.is_empty() {
+                    if let Err(e) =
+                        link_messages(&mut conn, &message.origin, &resulting_messages).await
+                    {
+                        tracing::error!("Failed to link messages: {e}");
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/phoebe/src/lib.rs b/phoebe/src/lib.rs
index 700d687..cbfc4a4 100644
--- a/phoebe/src/lib.rs
+++ b/phoebe/src/lib.rs
@@ -74,24 +74,29 @@ pub async fn link_messages(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub async fn get_message_link_id(
+    conn: &mut SqliteConnection,
+    message: &ChatMessageReference,
+) -> sqlx::Result<i64> {
+    let service = &message.channel.service;
+    let channel = &message.channel.id;
+    let message_id = &message.message_id;
+    let query = sqlx::query!(
+        "SELECT link_id FROM messages WHERE service = ? AND channel = ? AND message = ?",
+        service,
+        channel,
+        message_id
+    );
+    let r = query.fetch_one(&mut *conn).await?;
+    Ok(r.link_id)
+}
+
 pub async fn get_linked_messages<'a>(
     conn: &'a mut SqliteConnection,
     dyn_service: DynServiceLookup,
     message: &ChatMessageReference,
 ) -> sqlx::Result<BoxStream<'a, ChatMessageReference>> {
-    let link_id = {
-        let service = &message.channel.service;
-        let channel = &message.channel.id;
-        let message_id = &message.message_id;
-        let query = sqlx::query!(
-            "SELECT link_id FROM messages WHERE service = ? AND channel = ? AND message = ?",
-            service,
-            channel,
-            message_id
-        );
-        query.fetch_one(&mut *conn).await
-    }?
-    .link_id;
+    let link_id = get_message_link_id(&mut *conn, message).await?;
 
     let stream = sqlx::query("SELECT * FROM messages WHERE link_id = ?")
         .bind(link_id)
diff --git a/services/phoebe-discord/src/handler.rs b/services/phoebe-discord/src/handler.rs
index 3b2dccf..a352927 100644
--- a/services/phoebe-discord/src/handler.rs
+++ b/services/phoebe-discord/src/handler.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use phoebe::{mid_chat::*, prelude::*};
+use phoebe::{get_message_link_id, mid_chat::*, prelude::*};
 use serenity::{
     client::{Context, EventHandler},
     model::prelude::*,
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ impl EventHandler for DiscordHandler {
     async fn message(&self, ctx: Context, message: Message) {
         let origin = ChatMessageReference::new(discord_reference(message.channel_id), message.id);
 
+        // skip messages linked to ones we have already seen
+        if let Ok(mut conn) = self.core_db.acquire().await {
+            if get_message_link_id(&mut conn, &origin).await.is_ok() {
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
         let author = self.get_author(&ctx, &message).await;
 
         let content = discord_message_format::parse(&message.content);