diff --git a/schema/comments_ddl.sql b/schema/comments_ddl.sql
index 5960824..af06eb8 100644
--- a/schema/comments_ddl.sql
+++ b/schema/comments_ddl.sql
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS COMMENT (
     ParentId    TEXT                DEFAULT NULL,
     Signature   TEXT                DEFAULT NULL,
     Timestamp   INTEGER NOT NULL,
+    SigningTs   TEXT                DEFAULT NULL,
     CONSTRAINT COMMENT_PRIMARY_KEY PRIMARY KEY (CommentId) ON CONFLICT IGNORE,
     CONSTRAINT COMMENT_SIGNATURE_SK UNIQUE (Signature) ON CONFLICT ABORT,
     CONSTRAINT COMMENT_CHANNEL_FK FOREIGN KEY (ChannelId) REFERENCES CHANNEL(ClaimId)
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS COMMENT (
         ON UPDATE CASCADE ON DELETE NO ACTION  -- setting null implies comment is top level
 );
 
-ALTER TABLE COMMENT ADD COLUMN SigningTs TEXT DEFAULT NULL;
+-- ALTER TABLE COMMENT ADD COLUMN SigningTs TEXT DEFAULT NULL;
 
 -- DROP TABLE IF EXISTS CHANNEL;
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS CHANNEL(
diff --git a/src/database.py b/src/database.py
index 5ee10d9..c71bdff 100644
--- a/src/database.py
+++ b/src/database.py
@@ -94,9 +94,8 @@ def insert_comment(conn: sqlite3.Connection, claim_id: str = None, comment: str
                    channel_id: str = None, signature: str = None, signing_ts: str = None,
                    parent_id: str = None) -> str:
     timestamp = int(time.time())
-    prehash = ':'.join((claim_id, comment, str(timestamp),))
-    prehash = bytes(prehash.encode('utf-8'))
-    comment_id = nacl.hash.sha256(prehash).decode('utf-8')
+    prehash = b':'.join((claim_id.encode(), comment.encode(), str(timestamp).encode(),))
+    comment_id = nacl.hash.sha256(prehash).decode()
     with conn:
         conn.execute(
             """
diff --git a/src/writes.py b/src/writes.py
index 981ad1d..8030cca 100644
--- a/src/writes.py
+++ b/src/writes.py
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ import logging
 import sqlite3
 
 from src.database import get_comment_or_none
-from src.database import insert_comment, insert_channel
-from src.misc import validate_channel, validate_signature
+from src.database import insert_comment
+from src.database import insert_channel
+from src.misc import validate_channel
+from src.misc import validate_signature
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ def create_comment(conn: sqlite3.Connection, comment: str, claim_id: str, channe
     try:
         comment_id = insert_comment(
             conn=conn, comment=comment, claim_id=claim_id, channel_id=channel_id,
-            signature=signature, parent_id=parent_id
+            signature=signature, parent_id=parent_id, signing_ts=signing_ts
         )
         return get_comment_or_none(conn, comment_id)
     except sqlite3.IntegrityError as ie:
diff --git a/tests/database_test.py b/tests/database_test.py
index 39371e6..427b6a5 100644
--- a/tests/database_test.py
+++ b/tests/database_test.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class TestCommentCreation(DatabaseTestCase):
             signing_ts='asdasd'
         )
         self.assertIsNotNone(comment)
+        self.assertIn('signing_ts', comment)
         previous_id = comment['comment_id']
         reply = create_comment(
             conn=self.conn,
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ class TestCommentCreation(DatabaseTestCase):
         )
         self.assertIsNotNone(reply)
         self.assertEqual(reply['parent_id'], comment['comment_id'])
+        self.assertIn('signing_ts', reply)
 
     def test04UsernameVariations(self):
         self.assertRaises(