diff --git a/bot/pluralkit/bot.py b/bot/pluralkit/bot.py
index 6107310d..c9ab6237 100644
--- a/bot/pluralkit/bot.py
+++ b/bot/pluralkit/bot.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import json
 import os
 
 import discord
@@ -63,15 +64,25 @@ async def on_message(message):
     async with client.pool.acquire() as conn:
         await proxy.handle_proxying(conn, message)
 
-
 @client.event
-async def on_reaction_add(reaction, user):
-    from pluralkit import proxy
-
-    # Pass reactions to proxy system
-    async with client.pool.acquire() as conn:
-        await proxy.handle_reaction(conn, reaction, user)
+async def on_socket_raw_receive(msg):
+    # Since on_reaction_add is buggy (only works for messages the bot's already cached, ie. no old messages)
+    # we parse socket data manually for the reaction add event
+    if isinstance(msg, str):
+        try:
+            msg_data = json.loads(msg)
+            if msg_data.get("t") == "MESSAGE_REACTION_ADD":
+                evt_data = msg_data.get("d")
+                if evt_data:
+                    user_id = evt_data["user_id"]
+                    message_id = evt_data["message_id"]
+                    emoji = evt_data["emoji"]["name"]
 
+                    async with client.pool.acquire() as conn:
+                        from pluralkit import proxy
+                        await proxy.handle_reaction(conn, user_id, message_id, emoji)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
 
 async def run():
     from pluralkit import db
diff --git a/bot/pluralkit/db.py b/bot/pluralkit/db.py
index 2e60f34b..88c4ae3f 100644
--- a/bot/pluralkit/db.py
+++ b/bot/pluralkit/db.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ async def get_members_by_account(conn, account_id: str):
 
 @db_wrap
 async def get_message_by_sender_and_id(conn, message_id: str, sender_id: str):
-    await conn.fetchrow("select * from messages where mid = $1 and sender = $2", int(message_id), int(sender_id))
+    return await conn.fetchrow("select * from messages where mid = $1 and sender = $2", int(message_id), int(sender_id))
 
 
 @db_wrap
diff --git a/bot/pluralkit/proxy.py b/bot/pluralkit/proxy.py
index 68179d50..a91815be 100644
--- a/bot/pluralkit/proxy.py
+++ b/bot/pluralkit/proxy.py
@@ -75,7 +75,11 @@ async def send_hook_message(member, hook_id, hook_token, text=None, image_url=No
             if resp.status == 200:
                 resp_data = await resp.json()
                 # Make a fake message object for passing on - this is slightly broken but works for most things
-                return discord.Message(reactions=[], **resp_data)
+                msg = discord.Message(reactions=[], **resp_data)
+
+                # Make sure it's added to the client's message cache - otherwise events r
+                #client.messages.append(msg)
+                return msg
             else:
                 # Fake a Discord exception, also because #yolo
                 raise discord.HTTPException(resp, await resp.text())
@@ -142,13 +146,18 @@ async def handle_proxying(conn, message):
             break
 
 
-async def handle_reaction(conn, reaction, user):
-    if reaction.emoji == "❌":
+async def handle_reaction(conn, user_id, message_id, emoji):
+    if emoji == "❌":
         async with conn.transaction():
             # Find the message in the DB, and make sure it's sent by the user who reacted
-            message = await db.get_message_by_sender_and_id(conn, message_id=reaction.message.id, sender_id=user.id)
+            db_message = await db.get_message_by_sender_and_id(conn, message_id=message_id, sender_id=user_id)
+            if db_message:
+                logger.debug("Deleting message {} by reaction from {}".format(message_id, user_id))
+                
+                # If so, remove it from the DB
+                await db.delete_message(conn, message_id)
 
-            if message:
-                # If so, delete the message and remove it from the DB
-                await db.delete_message(conn, message["mid"])
-                await client.delete_message(reaction.message)
+                # And look up the message and then delete it
+                channel = client.get_channel(str(db_message["channel"]))
+                message = await client.get_message(channel, message_id)
+                await client.delete_message(message)