diff --git a/src/people.rs b/src/people.rs
index ff136984..321dbf51 100644
--- a/src/people.rs
+++ b/src/people.rs
@@ -42,21 +42,43 @@ impl People {
         output
     }
 
-    pub async fn create_if_missing(&mut self, pubkeyhex: &PublicKeyHex) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        if self.people.contains_key(pubkeyhex) {
+    pub async fn create_all_if_missing(&mut self, pubkeys: &[PublicKeyHex]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        // Collect the public keys that we don't have already (by checking in memory).
+        // Anything in memory surely already is on disk so we don't have to check disk.
+        let pubkeys: Vec<&PublicKeyHex> = pubkeys
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|pk| !self.people.contains_key(pk))
+            .collect();
+
+        if pubkeys.is_empty() {
             return Ok(());
         }
 
-        // Try loading from the database
-        let maybe_dbperson = Self::fetch_one(pubkeyhex).await?;
+        // Make sure all these people exist in the database
+        let mut sql: String = "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO person (pubkey) VALUES ".to_owned();
+        sql.push_str(&"(?),".repeat(pubkeys.len()));
+        sql.pop(); // remove trailing comma
 
-        if let Some(dbperson) = maybe_dbperson {
-            // Insert into the map
-            self.people.insert(pubkeyhex.to_owned(), dbperson);
-        } else {
-            // Create new
+        let pubkey_strings: Vec<String> = pubkeys.iter().map(|p| p.0.clone()).collect();
+
+        task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+            let maybe_db = GLOBALS.db.blocking_lock();
+            let db = maybe_db.as_ref().unwrap();
+            let mut stmt = db.prepare(&sql)?;
+            let mut pos = 1;
+            for pk in pubkey_strings.iter() {
+                stmt.raw_bind_parameter(pos, pk)?;
+                pos += 1;
+            }
+            stmt.raw_execute()?;
+            Ok::<(), Error>(())
+        })
+        .await??;
+
+        // Make matching records for them in memory
+        for pk in pubkeys {
             let dbperson = DbPerson {
-                pubkey: pubkeyhex.to_owned(),
+                pubkey: pk.to_owned(),
                 name: None,
                 about: None,
                 picture: None,
@@ -67,10 +89,7 @@ impl People {
                 followed: 0,
                 followed_last_updated: 0,
             };
-            // Insert into the map
-            self.people.insert(pubkeyhex.to_owned(), dbperson.clone());
-            // Insert into the database
-            Self::insert(dbperson).await?;
+            self.people.insert(pk.to_owned(), dbperson);
         }
 
         Ok(())
@@ -83,7 +102,7 @@ impl People {
         asof: Unixtime,
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // Sync in from database first
-        self.create_if_missing(pubkeyhex).await?;
+        self.create_all_if_missing(&[pubkeyhex.to_owned()]).await?;
 
         // Update the map
         let person = self.people.get_mut(pubkeyhex).unwrap();
@@ -524,6 +543,7 @@ impl People {
         }
     }
 
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
     async fn insert(person: DbPerson) -> Result<(), Error> {
         let sql =
             "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO person (pubkey, name, about, picture, dns_id, dns_id_valid, \
diff --git a/src/process.rs b/src/process.rs
index e0c6f7d9..12989650 100644
--- a/src/process.rs
+++ b/src/process.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ pub async fn process_new_event(
                 .people
                 .write()
                 .await
-                .create_if_missing(&event.pubkey.into())
+                .create_all_if_missing(&[event.pubkey.into()])
                 .await?;
 
             // Update person_relay.last_fetched