diff --git a/src/RelayWriter.cpp b/src/RelayWriter.cpp
index a082487..d241552 100644
--- a/src/RelayWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/RelayWriter.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ void RelayServer::runWriter(ThreadPool<MsgWriter>::Thread &thr) {
 
         // Prepare messages
 
-        std::deque<EventToWrite> newEvents;
+        std::vector<EventToWrite> newEvents;
 
         for (auto &newMsg : newMsgs) {
             if (auto msg = std::get_if<MsgWriter::AddEvent>(&newMsg.msg)) {
diff --git a/src/WriterPipeline.h b/src/WriterPipeline.h
index 21d1851..85a81fa 100644
--- a/src/WriterPipeline.h
+++ b/src/WriterPipeline.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct WriterPipeline {
                 // Collect a certain amount of records in a batch, push the rest back into the inbox
                 // Pre-filter out dups in a read-only txn as an optimisation
 
-                std::deque<EventToWrite> newEventsToProc;
+                std::vector<EventToWrite> newEventsToProc;
 
                 {
                     auto txn = env.txn_ro();
diff --git a/src/cmd_import.cpp b/src/cmd_import.cpp
index 3a84636..f7e2de5 100644
--- a/src/cmd_import.cpp
+++ b/src/cmd_import.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void cmd_import(const std::vector<std::string> &subArgs) {
 
     std::string line;
     uint64_t processed = 0, added = 0, rejected = 0, dups = 0;
-    std::deque<EventToWrite> newEvents;
+    std::vector<EventToWrite> newEvents;
 
     auto logStatus = [&]{
         LI << "Processed " << processed << " lines. " << added << " added, " << rejected << " rejected, " << dups << " dups";
diff --git a/src/events.cpp b/src/events.cpp
index a7dbd6f..759aa49 100644
--- a/src/events.cpp
+++ b/src/events.cpp
@@ -166,23 +166,23 @@ std::string_view getEventJson(lmdb::txn &txn, uint64_t quadId) {
 
 
 
-void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, quadrable::Quadrable &qdb, std::deque<EventToWrite> &evs) {
+void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, quadrable::Quadrable &qdb, std::vector<EventToWrite> &evs) {
+    std::sort(evs.begin(), evs.end(), [](auto &a, auto &b) { return a.quadKey < b.quadKey; });
+
     auto changes = qdb.change();
 
     std::vector<uint64_t> eventIdsToDelete;
-    std::set<quadrable::Key> seenAlready;
 
-    for (auto &ev : evs) {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < evs.size(); i++) {
+        auto &ev = evs[i];
+
         const NostrIndex::Event *flat = flatbuffers::GetRoot<NostrIndex::Event>(ev.flatStr.data());
-        auto quadKey = flatEventToQuadrableKey(flat);
 
-        if (lookupEventById(txn, sv(flat->id())) || seenAlready.contains(quadKey)) {
+        if (lookupEventById(txn, sv(flat->id())) || (i != 0 && ev.quadKey == evs[i-1].quadKey)) {
             ev.status = EventWriteStatus::Duplicate;
             continue;
         }
 
-        seenAlready.insert(quadKey);
-
         if (env.lookup_Event__deletion(txn, std::string(sv(flat->id())) + std::string(sv(flat->pubkey())))) {
             ev.status = EventWriteStatus::Deleted;
             continue;
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, quadrable::Quadrable &qdb, std::deque<EventToWr
         }
 
         if (ev.status == EventWriteStatus::Pending) {
-            changes.put(quadKey, ev.jsonStr, &ev.nodeId);
+            changes.put(ev.quadKey, ev.jsonStr, &ev.nodeId);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/events.h b/src/events.h
index 0b04108..ed11658 100644
--- a/src/events.h
+++ b/src/events.h
@@ -72,9 +72,15 @@ struct EventToWrite {
     std::string jsonStr;
     uint64_t receivedAt;
     void *userData = nullptr;
+    quadrable::Key quadKey;
     uint64_t nodeId = 0;
     EventWriteStatus status = EventWriteStatus::Pending;
+
+    EventToWrite(std::string flatStr, std::string jsonStr, uint64_t receivedAt, void *userData = nullptr) : flatStr(flatStr), jsonStr(jsonStr), receivedAt(receivedAt), userData(userData) {
+        const NostrIndex::Event *flat = flatbuffers::GetRoot<NostrIndex::Event>(flatStr.data());
+        quadKey = flatEventToQuadrableKey(flat);
+    }
 };
 
 
-void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, quadrable::Quadrable &qdb, std::deque<EventToWrite> &evs);
+void writeEvents(lmdb::txn &txn, quadrable::Quadrable &qdb, std::vector<EventToWrite> &evs);