diff --git a/server/src/vbox.rs b/server/src/vbox.rs
index 0317d6bd..ad54fd7c 100644
--- a/server/src/vbox.rs
+++ b/server/src/vbox.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ impl Vbox {
             return Err(err_msg("too many vars bound"));
         }
 
+        println!("{:?}", self.free);
+
         self.free.get(i).ok_or(format_err!("no var at index {:?}", i))?;
 
         self.bound.push(self.free.remove(i));
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ impl Vbox {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn vbox_write(vbox: Vbox, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
+pub fn vbox_create(vbox: Vbox, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
     let vbox_bytes = to_vec(&vbox)?;
 
     let query = "
@@ -102,6 +104,27 @@ pub fn vbox_write(vbox: Vbox, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result
     return Ok(vbox);
 }
 
+pub fn vbox_write(vbox: Vbox, tx: &mut Transaction) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
+    let vbox_bytes = to_vec(&vbox)?;
+
+    let query = "
+        UPDATE vbox
+        SET data = $1
+        WHERE id = $2
+        RETURNING id, account, data;
+    ";
+
+    let result = tx
+        .query(query, &[&vbox_bytes, &vbox.id])?;
+
+    let _returned = result.iter().next().expect("no row returned");
+
+    // println!("{:?} wrote vbox", vbox.id);
+
+    return Ok(vbox);
+}
+
+
 pub fn vbox_get(tx: &mut Transaction, game_id: Uuid, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
     let query = "
         SELECT *
@@ -127,17 +150,17 @@ pub fn vbox_get(tx: &mut Transaction, game_id: Uuid, account: &Account) -> Resul
 
 pub fn vbox_state(params: VboxStateParams, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
     match vbox_get(tx, params.game_id, account) {
-        Ok(v) => Ok(v.fill()),
+        Ok(v) => Ok(v),
         Err(e) => {
             println!("{:?}", e);
-            vbox_write(Vbox::new(account.id, params.game_id).fill(), tx, account)
+            vbox_create(Vbox::new(account.id, params.game_id).fill(), tx, account)
         }
     }
 }
 
 pub fn vbox_discard(params: VboxDiscardParams, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
     let vbox = vbox_get(tx, params.game_id, account)?;
-    return vbox_write(vbox.fill(), tx, account);
+    return vbox_write(vbox.fill(), tx);
 }
 
 pub fn vbox_accept(params: VboxAcceptParams, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {
@@ -145,7 +168,7 @@ pub fn vbox_accept(params: VboxAcceptParams, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Acc
 
     vbox.accept(params.index)?;
 
-    return vbox_write(vbox, tx, account);
+    return vbox_write(vbox, tx);
 }
 
 pub fn vbox_combine(params: VboxCombineParams, tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vbox, Error> {