diff --git a/npm-shrinkwrap.json b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
index 2c9951767..67145e995 100644
--- a/npm-shrinkwrap.json
+++ b/npm-shrinkwrap.json
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
     "@tradle/dynamodb": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "from": "tradle/dynamodb#overload",
-      "resolved": "git://github.com/tradle/dynamodb.git#6d505b255f260048f650ba69ef51e392fdcc1a92",
+      "resolved": "git://github.com/tradle/dynamodb.git#333b5d0196bb9745316a40d8e703ce303340b03a",
       "dependencies": {
         "koa-compose": {
           "version": "4.0.0",
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@
     "@tradle/validate-model": {
       "version": "5.9.0",
       "from": "tradle/validate-model",
-      "resolved": "git://github.com/tradle/validate-model.git#fd32572e97e9004a5d105d5cd64a4fd1751849f3"
+      "resolved": "git://github.com/tradle/validate-model.git#6d67d9d06698fe4d661a1b8865eeab9b29134550"
     },
     "@tradle/validate-resource": {
       "version": "2.22.0",
diff --git a/src/bot/index.ts b/src/bot/index.ts
index 5069f2f40..4b470f034 100644
--- a/src/bot/index.ts
+++ b/src/bot/index.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ type LambdaMap = {
 }
 
 type GetResourceOpts = {
-  backlinks?: boolean
+  backlinks?: boolean|string[]
   resolveEmbeds?: boolean
 }
 
@@ -523,6 +523,19 @@ export class Bot extends EventEmitter implements IReady, IHasModels {
     })
   }
 
+  public getBacklink = async (props: GetResourceIdentifierInput, backlink: string) => {
+    return await this.getBacklinks(props, [backlink])
+  }
+
+  public getBacklinks = async (props: GetResourceIdentifierInput, backlinks?: string[]) => {
+    const { type, permalink } = getResourceIdentifier(props)
+    return await this.backlinks.fetchBacklinks({
+      type,
+      permalink,
+      properties: backlinks
+    })
+  }
+
   public getResource = async (props: GetResourceIdentifierInput, opts: GetResourceOpts={}):Promise<ITradleObject> => {
     const { backlinks, resolveEmbeds } = opts
     let promiseResource = this._getResource(props)
@@ -537,7 +550,7 @@ export class Bot extends EventEmitter implements IReady, IHasModels {
     const { type, permalink, link } = getResourceIdentifier(props)
     const [resource, backlinksObj] = await Promise.all([
       promiseResource,
-      this.backlinks.fetchBacklinks({ type, permalink })
+      this.getBacklinks({ type, permalink }, typeof backlinks === 'boolean' ? null : backlinks)
     ])
 
     return {
@@ -561,11 +574,7 @@ export class Bot extends EventEmitter implements IReady, IHasModels {
   public getResourceByStub = this.getResource
 
   public addBacklinks = async (resource: ITradleObject) => {
-    const backlinks = await this.backlinks.fetchBacklinks({
-      type: resource[TYPE],
-      permalink: buildResource.permalink(resource)
-    })
-
+    const backlinks = await this.getBacklinks(resource)
     return _.extend(resource, backlinks)
   }
 
diff --git a/src/db.ts b/src/db.ts
index 7f3938b9a..ef6d12a99 100644
--- a/src/db.ts
+++ b/src/db.ts
@@ -112,11 +112,7 @@ export = function createDB (tradle:Tradle) {
         tableDefinition: cloudformation,
         // all key props are derived
         derivedProps: pluck(cloudformation.AttributeDefinitions, 'AttributeName'),
-        deriveProps: defaults.deriveProps,
-        resolveOrderBy: defaults.resolveOrderBy,
-        parseDerivedProps: defaults.parseDerivedProps,
-        getPrimaryKeysForModel: defaults.getPrimaryKeysForModel,
-        getIndexesForModel,
+        getIndexesForModel
       })
 
       const controlLatestHooks = method => async ({ args }) => {
diff --git a/src/resolvers.ts b/src/resolvers.ts
index ae6b5dbd6..0ff317f1d 100644
--- a/src/resolvers.ts
+++ b/src/resolvers.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,11 @@ export const createResolvers = ({ db, backlinks, objects, models, postProcess }:
       }
     }
 
-    const container = await backlinks.fetchBacklinks(parseStub(backlink.target))
+    const container = await backlinks.fetchBacklinks({
+      type: backlink.target[TYPE],
+      permalink: backlink.target._permalink
+    })
+
     const results = container[propertyName]
     const items = results ? await normalizeBacklinkResults({ ...opts, results }) : []
     return {