diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b01856b..7b21aa2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/peterbourgon/ff v1.2.0
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1
 	github.com/rainycape/unidecode v0.0.0-20150907023854-cb7f23ec59be
-	github.com/t-tiger/gorm-bulk-insert v0.0.0-20190401142620-ba33202b110e
 	github.com/wader/gormstore v0.0.0-20190302154359-acb787ba3755
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190422183909-d864b10871cd // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4423bb8..aa34f0d 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -169,8 +169,6 @@ github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.1/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.2.2/go.mod h1:a8OnRcib4nhh0OaRAV+Yts87kKdq0PP7pXfy6kDkUVs=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.3.0 h1:TivCn/peBQ7UY8ooIcPgZFpTNSz0Q2U6UrFlUfqbe0Q=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.3.0/go.mod h1:M5WIy9Dh21IEIfnGCwXGc5bZfKNJtfHm1UVUgZn+9EI=
-github.com/t-tiger/gorm-bulk-insert v0.0.0-20190401142620-ba33202b110e h1:mOgAh77WyFUaHUCziKMExurMgVJobHeEZCnwIBdActY=
-github.com/t-tiger/gorm-bulk-insert v0.0.0-20190401142620-ba33202b110e/go.mod h1:SK1RZT4TR1aMUNGtbk6YxTPgx2D/gfbxB571QGnAV+c=
 github.com/tarm/serial v0.0.0-20180830185346-98f6abe2eb07/go.mod h1:kDXzergiv9cbyO7IOYJZWg1U88JhDg3PB6klq9Hg2pA=
 github.com/wader/gormstore v0.0.0-20190302154359-acb787ba3755 h1:pNaEDfvqe9W2h4D+xm5f+lnZdao3Rob6O0b8SovpGbE=
 github.com/wader/gormstore v0.0.0-20190302154359-acb787ba3755/go.mod h1:PbEnTGtqU8NGCALR62gu2+eQYO8zQDEvaMJiPaj5Hic=
diff --git a/model/base.go b/model/base.go
index ee61124..f808b7e 100644
--- a/model/base.go
+++ b/model/base.go
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ type CrudBase struct {
 }
 
 type IDBase struct {
-	ID int `gorm:"primary_key"`
+	ID *int `gorm:"primary_key"`
 }
diff --git a/model/model.go b/model/model.go
index c36e83f..b5bcca1 100644
--- a/model/model.go
+++ b/model/model.go
@@ -2,19 +2,24 @@ package model
 
 import "time"
 
+// q:  why in tarnation are all the foreign keys pointers to ints?
+//
+// a:  so they will be true sqlite null values instead of go zero
+//     values when we save a row without that value
+
 // Album represents the albums table
 type Album struct {
 	IDBase
 	CrudBase
 	AlbumArtist   AlbumArtist
-	AlbumArtistID int    `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES album_artists(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
+	AlbumArtistID *int   `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES album_artists(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
 	Title         string `gorm:"not null;index"`
 	// an Album having a `Path` is a little weird when browsing by tags
 	// (for the most part - the library's folder structure is treated as
 	// if it were flat), but this solves the "American Football problem"
 	// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Football_(band)#Discography
 	Path    string `gorm:"not null;unique_index"`
-	CoverID int    `sql:"type:int REFERENCES covers(id)"`
+	CoverID *int   `sql:"type:int REFERENCES covers(id)"`
 	Cover   Cover
 	Year    int
 	Tracks  []Track
@@ -34,9 +39,9 @@ type Track struct {
 	IDBase
 	CrudBase
 	Album         Album
-	AlbumID       int `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES albums(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
+	AlbumID       *int `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES albums(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
 	AlbumArtist   AlbumArtist
-	AlbumArtistID int `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES album_artists(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
+	AlbumArtistID *int `gorm:"index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES album_artists(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
 	Artist        string
 	Bitrate       int
 	Codec         string
@@ -51,7 +56,7 @@ type Track struct {
 	ContentType   string
 	Size          int
 	Folder        Folder
-	FolderID      int    `gorm:"not null;index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES folders(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
+	FolderID      *int   `gorm:"not null;index" sql:"type:int REFERENCES folders(id) ON DELETE CASCADE"`
 	Path          string `gorm:"not null;unique_index"`
 }
 
@@ -85,11 +90,11 @@ type Setting struct {
 type Play struct {
 	IDBase
 	User     User
-	UserID   int `gorm:"not null;index"`
+	UserID   *int `gorm:"not null;index"`
 	Album    Album
-	AlbumID  int `gorm:"not null;index"`
+	AlbumID  *int `gorm:"not null;index"`
 	Folder   Folder
-	FolderID int `gorm:"not null;index"`
+	FolderID *int `gorm:"not null;index"`
 	Time     time.Time
 	Count    int
 }
@@ -101,8 +106,8 @@ type Folder struct {
 	Name      string
 	Path      string `gorm:"not null;unique_index"`
 	Parent    *Folder
-	ParentID  int
-	CoverID   int
+	ParentID  *int
+	CoverID   *int
 	HasTracks bool `gorm:"not null;index"`
 	Cover     Cover
 	IsNew     bool `gorm:"-"`
diff --git a/scanner/folder_stack.go b/scanner/folder_stack.go
index d58585d..d8ca6c2 100644
--- a/scanner/folder_stack.go
+++ b/scanner/folder_stack.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ func (s *folderStack) Peek() model.Folder {
 	return (*s)[l-1]
 }
 
-func (s *folderStack) PeekID() int {
+func (s *folderStack) PeekID() *int {
 	l := len(*s)
 	if l == 0 {
-		return 0
+		return nil
 	}
 	return (*s)[l-1].ID
 }
diff --git a/scanner/scanner.go b/scanner/scanner.go
index 19a1073..f89c56c 100644
--- a/scanner/scanner.go
+++ b/scanner/scanner.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jinzhu/gorm"
 	"github.com/karrick/godirwalk"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	gormbulk "github.com/t-tiger/gorm-bulk-insert"
 
 	"github.com/sentriz/gonic/model"
 )
@@ -119,17 +118,11 @@ func (s *Scanner) handleFolderCompletion(fullPath string, info *godirwalk.Dirent
 		folder.HasTracks = len(s.curTracks) > 1
 		s.tx.Save(&folder)
 	}
-	for _, track := range s.curTracks {
-		track.AlbumID = s.curAlbum.ID
-		track.FolderID = folder.ID
-	}
-	toInsert := make([]interface{}, len(s.curTracks))
-	for i, t := range s.curTracks {
+	for _, t := range s.curTracks {
 		t.FolderID = folder.ID
 		t.AlbumID = s.curAlbum.ID
-		toInsert[i] = t
+		s.tx.Save(&t)
 	}
-	gormbulk.BulkInsert(s.tx, toInsert, 3000)
 	//
 	s.curTracks = make([]model.Track, 0)
 	s.curCover = model.Cover{}