diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
index 0fea102f7b..cf8f7b5be4 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
@@ -568,18 +568,14 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
         // need to specify where to put this back into
         column: fieldName,
       }
-      if ((field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).through) {
+      if (isManyToMany(field)) {
         const { tableName: throughTableName } = breakExternalTableId(
-          (field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).through
+          field.through
         )
         definition.through = throughTableName
         // don't support composite keys for relationships
-        definition.from =
-          (field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).throughTo ||
-          table.primary[0]
-        definition.to =
-          (field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).throughFrom ||
-          linkTable.primary[0]
+        definition.from = field.throughTo || table.primary[0]
+        definition.to = field.throughFrom || linkTable.primary[0]
         definition.fromPrimary = table.primary[0]
         definition.toPrimary = linkTable.primary[0]
       }
@@ -603,7 +599,7 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
     const primaryKey = table.primary[0]
     // make a new request to get the row with all its relationships
     // we need this to work out if any relationships need removed
-    for (let field of Object.values(table.schema)) {
+    for (const field of Object.values(table.schema)) {
       if (
         field.type !== FieldTypes.LINK ||
         !field.fieldName ||
@@ -612,16 +608,13 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
         continue
       }
       const isMany = field.relationshipType === RelationshipType.MANY_TO_MANY
-      const tableId = isMany
-        ? (field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).through
-        : field.tableId
+      const tableId = isMany ? field.through : field.tableId
       const { tableName: relatedTableName } = breakExternalTableId(tableId)
       // @ts-ignore
       const linkPrimaryKey = this.tables[relatedTableName].primary[0]
-      const manyKey =
-        (field as ManyToManyRelationshipFieldMetadata).throughTo || primaryKey
+
       const lookupField = isMany ? primaryKey : (field as any).foreignKey
-      const fieldName = isMany ? manyKey : field.fieldName
+      const fieldName = isMany ? field.throughTo || primaryKey : field.fieldName
       if (!lookupField || !row[lookupField]) {
         continue
       }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/external.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/external.ts
index dac39a4a99..e84c23b5ca 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/external.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/table/external.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ function cleanupRelationships(
       const relatedTable = Object.values(tables).find(
         table => table._id === schemaTableId
       )
-      const foreignKey = (schema as any).foreignKey
+      const foreignKey =
+        schema.relationshipType !== RelationshipType.MANY_TO_MANY &&
+        schema.foreignKey
       if (!relatedTable || !foreignKey) {
         continue
       }
@@ -183,17 +185,19 @@ function generateRelatedSchema(
 ) {
   // generate column for other table
   const relatedSchema = cloneDeep(linkColumn)
+  const isMany2Many =
+    linkColumn.relationshipType === RelationshipType.MANY_TO_MANY
   // swap them from the main link
-  if ((linkColumn as any).foreignKey) {
-    relatedSchema.fieldName = (linkColumn as any).foreignKey
+  if (!isMany2Many && linkColumn.foreignKey) {
+    relatedSchema.fieldName = linkColumn.foreignKey
     relatedSchema.foreignKey = linkColumn.fieldName
   }
   // is many to many
-  else {
+  else if (isMany2Many) {
     // don't need to copy through, already got it
-    relatedSchema.fieldName = (linkColumn as any).throughTo
-    relatedSchema.throughTo = (linkColumn as any).throughFrom
-    relatedSchema.throughFrom = (linkColumn as any).throughTo
+    relatedSchema.fieldName = linkColumn.throughTo
+    relatedSchema.throughTo = linkColumn.throughFrom
+    relatedSchema.throughFrom = linkColumn.throughTo
   }
   relatedSchema.relationshipType = otherRelationshipType(
     linkColumn.relationshipType
@@ -203,7 +207,7 @@ function generateRelatedSchema(
   table.schema[columnName] = relatedSchema
 }
 
-function isRelationshipSetup(column: FieldSchema) {
+function isRelationshipSetup(column: RelationshipFieldMetadata) {
   return (column as any).foreignKey || (column as any).through
 }