diff --git a/services/gunDB/contact-api/actions.js b/services/gunDB/contact-api/actions.js
index 08d69974..821c44e9 100644
--- a/services/gunDB/contact-api/actions.js
+++ b/services/gunDB/contact-api/actions.js
@@ -957,7 +957,6 @@ const sendPayment = async (to, amount, memo) => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line init-declarations
     let timeoutID
 
-    /** @type {string} */
     const invoice = await Promise.race([
       Utils.tryAndWait(
         gun =>
@@ -979,6 +978,13 @@ const sendPayment = async (to, amount, memo) => {
       })
     ])
 
+    if (typeof invoice !== 'string') {
+      throw new Error(
+        'received invoice not an string, isntead got: ' +
+          JSON.stringify(invoice)
+      )
+    }
+
     const decInvoice = await SEA.decrypt(invoice, ourSecret)
 
     logger.info('decoded invoice: ' + decInvoice)
diff --git a/services/gunDB/contact-api/jobs/onOrders.js b/services/gunDB/contact-api/jobs/onOrders.js
index 0dc81390..ca05579d 100644
--- a/services/gunDB/contact-api/jobs/onOrders.js
+++ b/services/gunDB/contact-api/jobs/onOrders.js
@@ -49,23 +49,10 @@ const listenerForAddr = (addr, SEA) => async (order, orderID) => {
       )} -- addr: ${addr}`
     )
 
-    let hasRetried = false
-
-    const alreadyAnswered = Utils.tryAndWait(
-      (_, user) =>
-        user
-          .get(Key.ORDER_TO_RESPONSE)
-          .get(orderID)
-          .then(),
-      v => {
-        // only retry once, because of the timeout
-        if (hasRetried) {
-          return false
-        }
-        hasRetried = true
-        return typeof v === 'undefined'
-      }
-    )
+    const alreadyAnswered = getUser()
+      .get(Key.ORDER_TO_RESPONSE)
+      .get(orderID)
+      .then()
 
     if (alreadyAnswered) {
       return