diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
index b1a2bc060a..d433cca504 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/sql/sql.ts
@@ -855,6 +855,21 @@ class InternalBuilder {
     return withSchema
   }
 
+  private buildJsonField(field: string): string {
+    const parts = field.split(".")
+    let tableField: string, unaliased: string
+    if (parts.length > 1) {
+      const alias = parts.shift()!
+      unaliased = parts.join(".")
+      tableField = `${this.quote(alias)}.${this.quote(unaliased)}`
+    } else {
+      unaliased = parts.join(".")
+      tableField = this.quote(unaliased)
+    }
+    const separator = this.client === SqlClient.ORACLE ? " VALUE " : ","
+    return `'${unaliased}'${separator}${tableField}`
+  }
+
   addJsonRelationships(
     query: Knex.QueryBuilder,
     fromTable: string,
@@ -864,27 +879,6 @@ class InternalBuilder {
     const knex = this.knex
     const { resource, tableAliases: aliases, endpoint } = this.query
     const fields = resource?.fields || []
-    const jsonField = (field: string) => {
-      const parts = field.split(".")
-      let tableField: string, unaliased: string
-      if (parts.length > 1) {
-        const alias = parts.shift()!
-        unaliased = parts.join(".")
-        tableField = `${this.quote(alias)}.${this.quote(unaliased)}`
-      } else {
-        unaliased = parts.join(".")
-        tableField = this.quote(unaliased)
-      }
-      let separator = ","
-      switch (sqlClient) {
-        case SqlClient.ORACLE:
-          separator = " VALUE "
-          break
-        case SqlClient.MS_SQL:
-          separator = ":"
-      }
-      return `'${unaliased}'${separator}${tableField}`
-    }
     for (let relationship of relationships) {
       const {
         tableName: toTable,
@@ -914,7 +908,7 @@ class InternalBuilder {
         )
       }
       const fieldList: string = relationshipFields
-        .map(field => jsonField(field))
+        .map(field => this.buildJsonField(field))
         .join(",")
       // SQL Server uses TOP - which performs a little differently to the normal LIMIT syntax
       // it reduces the result set rather than limiting how much data it filters over
@@ -1066,43 +1060,6 @@ class InternalBuilder {
     return query
   }
 
-  addRelationships(
-    query: Knex.QueryBuilder,
-    fromTable: string,
-    relationships: RelationshipsJson[]
-  ): Knex.QueryBuilder {
-    const tableSets: Record<string, [RelationshipsJson]> = {}
-    // aggregate into table sets (all the same to tables)
-    for (let relationship of relationships) {
-      const keyObj: { toTable: string; throughTable: string | undefined } = {
-        toTable: relationship.tableName,
-        throughTable: undefined,
-      }
-      if (relationship.through) {
-        keyObj.throughTable = relationship.through
-      }
-      const key = JSON.stringify(keyObj)
-      if (tableSets[key]) {
-        tableSets[key].push(relationship)
-      } else {
-        tableSets[key] = [relationship]
-      }
-    }
-    for (let [key, relationships] of Object.entries(tableSets)) {
-      const { toTable, throughTable } = JSON.parse(key)
-      query = this.addJoin(
-        query,
-        {
-          from: fromTable,
-          to: toTable,
-          through: throughTable,
-        },
-        relationships
-      )
-    }
-    return query
-  }
-
   qualifiedKnex(opts?: { alias?: string | boolean }): Knex.QueryBuilder {
     let alias = this.query.tableAliases?.[this.query.endpoint.entityId]
     if (opts?.alias === false) {
@@ -1186,8 +1143,7 @@ class InternalBuilder {
       if (!primary) {
         throw new Error("Primary key is required for upsert")
       }
-      const ret = query.insert(parsedBody).onConflict(primary).merge()
-      return ret
+      return query.insert(parsedBody).onConflict(primary).merge()
     } else if (
       this.client === SqlClient.MS_SQL ||
       this.client === SqlClient.ORACLE
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/utils/basic.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/utils/basic.ts
index b754e288ed..289e56f36f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/utils/basic.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/utils/basic.ts
@@ -129,32 +129,29 @@ export function basicProcessing({
       : typeof value === "string"
       ? JSON.parse(value)
       : undefined
-    if (array) {
+    if (array && Array.isArray(array)) {
       thisRow[col] = array
       // make sure all of them have an _id
-      if (Array.isArray(thisRow[col])) {
-        const sortField =
-          relatedTable.primaryDisplay || relatedTable.primary![0]!
-        thisRow[col] = (thisRow[col] as Row[])
-          .map(relatedRow => {
-            relatedRow._id = relatedRow._id
-              ? relatedRow._id
-              : generateIdForRow(relatedRow, relatedTable)
-            return relatedRow
-          })
-          .sort((a, b) => {
-            const aField = a?.[sortField],
-              bField = b?.[sortField]
-            if (!aField) {
-              return 1
-            } else if (!bField) {
-              return -1
-            }
-            return aField.localeCompare
-              ? aField.localeCompare(bField)
-              : aField - bField
-          })
-      }
+      const sortField = relatedTable.primaryDisplay || relatedTable.primary![0]!
+      thisRow[col] = (thisRow[col] as Row[])
+        .map(relatedRow => {
+          relatedRow._id = relatedRow._id
+            ? relatedRow._id
+            : generateIdForRow(relatedRow, relatedTable)
+          return relatedRow
+        })
+        .sort((a, b) => {
+          const aField = a?.[sortField],
+            bField = b?.[sortField]
+          if (!aField) {
+            return 1
+          } else if (!bField) {
+            return -1
+          }
+          return aField.localeCompare
+            ? aField.localeCompare(bField)
+            : aField - bField
+        })
     }
   }
   return thisRow
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/queries/generic-sql.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/queries/generic-sql.spec.ts
index 4bd1951d67..e6da4693eb 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/queries/generic-sql.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/queries/generic-sql.spec.ts
@@ -832,12 +832,13 @@ describe.each(
         },
       })
       expect(res).toHaveLength(1)
-      expect(res[0]).toEqual(
-        expect.objectContaining({
-          id: 2,
-          name: "two",
-        })
-      )
+      expect(res[0]).toEqual({
+        id: 2,
+        name: "two",
+        // the use of table.* introduces the possibility of nulls being returned
+        birthday: null,
+        number: null,
+      })
     })
 
     // this parameter really only impacts SQL queries