diff --git a/kordophone-db/src/chat_database.rs b/kordophone-db/src/chat_database.rs
index 1ca973b..65e2286 100644
--- a/kordophone-db/src/chat_database.rs
+++ b/kordophone-db/src/chat_database.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
+use std::error::Error;
 use microrm::prelude::*;
 use microrm::Stored;
-use crate::models::conversation::{self, Conversation, ConversationID};
-use std::error::Error;
+
+use crate::models::participant::ParticipantID;
+use crate::models::{
+    participant::Participant,
+    conversation::{
+        self, Conversation, ConversationID, PendingConversation
+    }
+};
 
 pub struct ChatDatabase {
     db: DB,
@@ -10,6 +17,7 @@ pub struct ChatDatabase {
 #[derive(Database)]
 struct DB {
     conversations: microrm::IDMap<Conversation>,
+    participants: microrm::IDMap<Participant>,
 }
 
 impl ChatDatabase {
@@ -20,20 +28,27 @@ impl ChatDatabase {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn insert_conversation(&self, conversation: Conversation) -> Result<ConversationID, microrm::Error> {
+    pub fn insert_conversation(&self, conversation: PendingConversation) -> Result<ConversationID, microrm::Error> {
         // First see if conversation guid already exists, update it if so 
-        let guid = &conversation.guid;
-        let mut existing = self.db.conversations
-            .with(Conversation::Guid, guid)
-            .get()?;
+        let guid = conversation.guid();
+        let mut existing = self.stored_conversation_by_guid(guid)?;
 
-        if let Some(existing) = existing.first_mut() {
-            existing.display_name = conversation.display_name;
+        if let Some(existing) = existing.as_mut() {
+            conversation.update(existing);
             existing.sync();
             return Ok(existing.id());
         } else {
             // Otherwise, insert. 
-            return self.db.conversations.insert(conversation);
+            let inserted = self.db.conversations.insert_and_return(conversation.get_conversation())?;
+
+            // Insert participants
+            let participants = conversation.get_participants();
+            let inserted_participants = participants.iter()
+                .map(|p| self.db.participants.insert(p.clone()).unwrap())
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+            inserted.connect_participants(inserted_participants);
+            
+            return Ok(inserted.id());
         }
     }
 
@@ -66,6 +81,26 @@ impl ChatDatabase {
             )
     }
 
+    fn upsert_participants(&self, participants: Vec<Participant>) -> Vec<ParticipantID> {
+        // Filter existing participants and add to result 
+        let existing_participants = participants.iter()
+            .filter_map(|p| self.db.participants
+                .with(Participant::DisplayName, &p.display_name)
+                .get()
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|v| v
+                    .into_iter()
+                    .last()
+                    .map(|p| p.id())
+                )
+            )
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+        participants.iter()
+            .map(|p| self.db.participants.insert(p.clone()).unwrap())
+            .collect()
+    }
+
     fn stored_conversation_by_guid(&self, guid: &str) -> Result<Option<Stored<Conversation>>, microrm::Error> {
         self.db.conversations
             .with(Conversation::Guid, guid)
diff --git a/kordophone-db/src/lib.rs b/kordophone-db/src/lib.rs
index 1eca944..6eb6f99 100644
--- a/kordophone-db/src/lib.rs
+++ b/kordophone-db/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@ pub mod chat_database;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use microrm::prelude::Queryable;
-
-    use crate::{chat_database::{self, ChatDatabase}, models::conversation::{Conversation, ConversationBuilder, Participant}};
+    use crate::{
+        chat_database::ChatDatabase, 
+        models::{
+            conversation::{Conversation, ConversationBuilder},
+            participant::Participant
+        }
+    };
 
     #[test]
     fn test_database_init() {
@@ -48,7 +52,8 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_conversation_participants() {
         let db = ChatDatabase::new_in_memory().unwrap();
 
-        let participants: Vec<String> = vec!["one".into(), "two".into()];
+        let participants: Vec<Participant> = vec!["one".into(), "two".into()];
+
         let conversation = ConversationBuilder::new()
             .display_name("Test")
             .participant_display_names(participants.clone())
@@ -57,12 +62,20 @@ mod tests {
         let id = db.insert_conversation(conversation).unwrap();
 
         let read_conversation = db.get_conversation_by_id(id).unwrap().unwrap();
-        let read_participants: Vec<String> = read_conversation.participant_display_names
-            .get()
-            .unwrap()
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|p| p.wrapped().display_name)
-            .collect();
+        let read_participants: Vec<Participant> = read_conversation.get_participant_display_names();
+
+        assert_eq!(participants, read_participants);
+
+        // Try making another conversation with the same participants
+        let conversation = ConversationBuilder::new()
+            .display_name("A Different Test")
+            .participant_display_names(participants.clone())
+            .build();
+
+        let id = db.insert_conversation(conversation).unwrap();
+
+        let read_conversation = db.get_conversation_by_id(id).unwrap().unwrap();
+        let read_participants: Vec<Participant> = read_conversation.get_participant_display_names();
 
         assert_eq!(participants, read_participants);
     }
diff --git a/kordophone-db/src/models/conversation.rs b/kordophone-db/src/models/conversation.rs
index 3807d54..4fd2ff5 100644
--- a/kordophone-db/src/models/conversation.rs
+++ b/kordophone-db/src/models/conversation.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 use microrm::prelude::*;
-use chrono::{DateTime, Local, Utc};
+use microrm::Stored;
 use time::OffsetDateTime;
 use uuid::Uuid;
 
-use crate::models::date::Date;
+use crate::models::{
+    date::Date,
+    participant::Participant,
+};
+
+use super::participant::ParticipantID;
 
 #[derive(Entity, Clone)]
 pub struct Conversation {
@@ -14,19 +19,8 @@ pub struct Conversation {
     pub display_name: Option<String>,
     pub last_message_preview: Option<String>,
     pub date: OffsetDateTime,
-    pub participant_display_names: microrm::RelationMap<Participant>,
-}
-
-#[derive(Entity, Clone)]
-pub struct Participant {
-    #[unique]
-    pub display_name: String
-}
-
-impl Into<Participant> for String {
-    fn into(self) -> Participant {
-        Participant { display_name: self }
-    }
+    
+    participant_display_names: microrm::RelationMap<Participant>,
 }
 
 impl Conversation {
@@ -44,6 +38,60 @@ impl Conversation {
             display_name: self.display_name.clone(),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn get_participant_display_names(&self) -> Vec<Participant> {
+        self.participant_display_names
+            .get()
+            .unwrap()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|p| p.wrapped())
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    pub fn update(&self, stored_conversation: &mut Stored<Conversation>) {
+        *stored_conversation.as_mut() = self.clone();
+    }
+
+    pub fn connect_participants(&self, participant_ids: Vec<ParticipantID>) {
+        participant_ids.iter().for_each(|id| {
+            self.participant_display_names.connect_to(*id).unwrap();
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct PendingConversation {
+    conversation: Conversation,
+    participants: Vec<Participant>,
+}
+
+impl PendingConversation {
+    pub fn guid(&self) -> &String {
+        &self.conversation.guid
+    }
+
+    pub fn into_builder(self) -> ConversationBuilder {
+        ConversationBuilder {
+            guid: Some(self.conversation.guid),
+            date: Date::new(self.conversation.date),
+            participant_display_names: Some(self.participants),
+            unread_count: Some(self.conversation.unread_count),
+            last_message_preview: self.conversation.last_message_preview,
+            display_name: self.conversation.display_name,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn update(&self, stored_conversation: &mut microrm::Stored<Conversation>) {
+        self.conversation.update(stored_conversation);
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_participants(&self) -> &Vec<Participant> {
+        &self.participants
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_conversation(&self) -> Conversation {
+        self.conversation.clone()
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Default)]
@@ -52,7 +100,7 @@ pub struct ConversationBuilder {
     date: Date,
     unread_count: Option<i64>,
     last_message_preview: Option<String>,
-    participant_display_names: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    participant_display_names: Option<Vec<Participant>>,
     display_name: Option<String>,
 }
 
@@ -81,7 +129,7 @@ impl ConversationBuilder {
         self
     }
 
-    pub fn participant_display_names(mut self, participant_display_names: Vec<String>) -> Self {
+    pub fn participant_display_names(mut self, participant_display_names: Vec<Participant>) -> Self {
         self.participant_display_names = Some(participant_display_names);
         self
     }
@@ -91,23 +139,21 @@ impl ConversationBuilder {
         self
     }
 
-    pub fn build(self) -> Conversation {
-        let result = Conversation {
-            guid: self.guid.unwrap_or(Uuid::new_v4().to_string()),
+    fn build_conversation(&self) -> Conversation {
+        Conversation {
+            guid: self.guid.clone().unwrap_or(Uuid::new_v4().to_string()),
             unread_count: self.unread_count.unwrap_or(0),
-            last_message_preview: self.last_message_preview,
-            display_name: self.display_name,
+            last_message_preview: self.last_message_preview.clone(),
+            display_name: self.display_name.clone(),
             date: self.date.dt,
             participant_display_names: Default::default(),
-        };
-
-        // TODO: this isn't right... this is crashing the test. 
-        if let Some(participants) = self.participant_display_names {
-            for participant in participants {
-                result.participant_display_names.insert(participant.into()).unwrap();
-            }
         }
+    }
 
-        result
+    pub fn build(self) -> PendingConversation {
+        PendingConversation {
+            conversation: self.build_conversation(),
+            participants: self.participant_display_names.unwrap_or_default(),
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/kordophone-db/src/models/mod.rs b/kordophone-db/src/models/mod.rs
index 3181e39..8323539 100644
--- a/kordophone-db/src/models/mod.rs
+++ b/kordophone-db/src/models/mod.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 pub mod conversation;
-pub mod date;
\ No newline at end of file
+pub mod date;
+pub mod participant;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/kordophone-db/src/models/participant.rs b/kordophone-db/src/models/participant.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5cabb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kordophone-db/src/models/participant.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use microrm::prelude::*;
+
+#[derive(Entity, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Participant {
+    #[unique]
+    pub display_name: String
+}
+
+impl Into<Participant> for String {
+    fn into(self) -> Participant {
+        Participant { display_name: self }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<&str> for Participant {
+    fn from(s: &str) -> Self {
+        Participant { display_name: s.into() }
+    }
+}