diff --git a/lib/model/query/entities.js b/lib/model/query/entities.js
index a62c21613..96c5109ef 100644
--- a/lib/model/query/entities.js
+++ b/lib/model/query/entities.js
@@ -34,10 +34,26 @@ const createSource = (details = null, subDefId = null, eventId = null) => ({ one
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // ENTITY CREATE
 
-const _defInsert = (id, root, creatorId, userAgent, label, json, version, dataReceived, sourceId = null, baseVersion = null, conflictingProperties = null) => sql`
-  insert into entity_defs ("entityId", "root", "sourceId", "creatorId", "userAgent", "label", "data", "current", "createdAt", "version", "baseVersion", "dataReceived", "conflictingProperties")
-  values (${id}, ${root}, ${sourceId}, ${creatorId}, ${userAgent}, ${label}, ${json}, true, clock_timestamp(), ${version}, ${baseVersion}, ${dataReceived}, ${conflictingProperties})
+const _defInsert = (id, root, creatorId, userAgent, partial, version, sourceId = null, baseVersion = null, conflictingProperties = null) => {
+  const json = JSON.stringify(partial.def.data);
+  const dataReceived = JSON.stringify(partial.def.dataReceived);
+
+  return sql`
+  insert into entity_defs ("entityId", "createdAt",
+    "root", "current",
+    "sourceId", "creatorId", "userAgent",
+    "label", "data", "dataReceived",
+    "version", "baseVersion",
+    "conflictingProperties")
+  values (${id}, clock_timestamp(),
+    ${root}, true,
+    ${sourceId}, ${creatorId}, ${userAgent},
+    ${partial.def.label}, ${json}, ${dataReceived},
+    ${version}, ${baseVersion},
+    ${conflictingProperties})
   returning *`;
+};
+
 const nextval = sql`nextval(pg_get_serial_sequence('entities', 'id'))`;
 
 // Creates both the entity and its initial entity def in one go.
@@ -58,11 +74,8 @@ const createNew = (dataset, partial, subDef, sourceId, userAgentIn) => ({ one, c
     userAgent = blankStringToNull(userAgentIn);
   }
 
-  const json = JSON.stringify(partial.def.data);
-  const dataReceived = JSON.stringify(partial.def.dataReceived);
-
   return one(sql`
-with def as (${_defInsert(nextval, true, creatorId, userAgent, partial.def.label, json, 1, dataReceived, sourceId)}),
+with def as (${_defInsert(nextval, true, creatorId, userAgent, partial, 1, sourceId)}),
 ins as (insert into entities (id, "datasetId", "uuid", "createdAt", "creatorId")
   select def."entityId", ${dataset.id}, ${partial.uuid}, def."createdAt", ${creatorId} from def
   returning entities.*)
@@ -96,7 +109,6 @@ const createMany = (dataset, rawEntities, sourceId, userAgentIn) => async ({ all
 
   // Augment parsed entity data with dataset and creator IDs
   const entitiesForInsert = rawEntities.map(e => new Entity({ datasetId: dataset.id, creatorId, ...e }));
-
   const entities = await all(sql`${insertMany(entitiesForInsert)} RETURNING id`);
 
   // Augment defs with IDs of freshly inserted entities and
@@ -134,16 +146,12 @@ const createVersion = (dataset, partial, subDef, version, sourceId, baseVersion,
     userAgent = blankStringToNull(userAgentIn);
   }
 
-  const json = JSON.stringify(partial.def.data);
-
-  const dataReceived = JSON.stringify(partial.def.dataReceived);
-
   const conflictingPropJson = partial.def.conflictingProperties ? JSON.stringify(partial.def.conflictingProperties) : null;
 
   const _unjoiner = unjoiner(Entity, Entity.Def.into('currentVersion'));
 
   return one(sql`
-  with def as (${_defInsert(partial.id, false, creatorId, userAgent, partial.def.label, json, version, dataReceived, sourceId, baseVersion, conflictingPropJson)}),
+  with def as (${_defInsert(partial.id, false, creatorId, userAgent, partial, version, sourceId, baseVersion, conflictingPropJson)}),
   upd as (update entity_defs set current=false where entity_defs."entityId" = ${partial.id}),
   entities as (update entities set "updatedAt"=clock_timestamp(), conflict=${partial.conflict ?? sql`NULL`}
     where "uuid"=${partial.uuid}
diff --git a/test/integration/api/entities.js b/test/integration/api/entities.js
index df4c7df7b..3cef18d14 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/entities.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/entities.js
@@ -616,30 +616,33 @@ describe('Entities API', () => {
         });
     }));
 
-    it('should get version source even when there is no corresponding create/update event', testEntities(async (service, container) => {
+    it('should get version source with source details even when there is no corresponding submission event', testEntities(async (service) => {
       const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
 
-      await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/datasets/people/entities/12345678-1234-4123-8234-123456789abc/versions')
-        .expect(200)
-        .then(({ body: versions }) => {
-          versions[0].should.have.property('source');
-          versions[0].source.submission.instanceId.should.equal('one');
-          versions[0].source.submission.should.have.property('currentVersion');
-          versions[0].source.event.action.should.equal('submission.update');
+      await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/datasets/people/entities')
+        .send({
+          source: {
+            name: 'people.csv',
+            size: 100,
+          },
+          entities: [
+            {
+              uuid: '12345678-1234-4123-8234-111111111aaa',
+              label: 'Johnny Doe',
+              data: {
+                first_name: 'Johnny',
+                age: '22'
+              }
+            },
+          ]
         });
 
-      // this is simulating an entity version that doesnt have a corresponding create event
-      // e.g. made through bulk create (coming soon)
-      // but that can still look up source details directly from source table
-      await container.run(sql`delete from audits where action = 'entity.create'`);
-
-      await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/datasets/people/entities/12345678-1234-4123-8234-123456789abc/versions')
+      await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/datasets/people/entities/12345678-1234-4123-8234-111111111aaa/versions')
         .expect(200)
         .then(({ body: versions }) => {
           versions[0].should.have.property('source');
-          versions[0].source.should.eql({ submission: { instanceId: 'one' } });
+          versions[0].source.should.eql({ name: 'people.csv', size: 100, count: 1, userAgent: null });
         });
-
     }));
 
     describe('relevantToConflict', () => {