diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
index e0db18dde6..1e430f01de 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/context/index.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ export const getTenantIDFromAppID = (appId: string) => {
 
 // used for automations, API endpoints should always be in context already
 export const doInTenant = (tenantId: string | null, task: any) => {
+  // make sure default always selected in single tenancy
+  if (!env.MULTI_TENANCY) {
+    tenantId = tenantId || DEFAULT_TENANT_ID
+  }
   // the internal function is so that we can re-use an existing
   // context - don't want to close DB on a parent context
   async function internal(opts = { existing: false }) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js b/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
index 2ba7175bfd..8880f0cbcb 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ const actions = require("../automations/actions")
 const automationUtils = require("../automations/automationUtils")
 const AutomationEmitter = require("../events/AutomationEmitter")
 const { processObject } = require("@budibase/string-templates")
-const { DEFAULT_TENANT_ID } = require("@budibase/backend-core/constants")
 const { DocumentTypes } = require("../db/utils")
-const { doInTenant } = require("@budibase/backend-core/tenancy")
 const { definitions: triggerDefs } = require("../automations/triggerInfo")
 const { doInAppContext, getAppDB } = require("@budibase/backend-core/context")
 const { AutomationErrors, LoopStepTypes } = require("../constants")
@@ -134,7 +132,6 @@ class Orchestrator {
 
   async execute() {
     let automation = this._automation
-    const app = await this.getApp()
     let stopped = false
     let loopStep = null
 
@@ -264,14 +261,11 @@ class Orchestrator {
         inputs = automationUtils.cleanInputValues(inputs, step.schema.inputs)
         try {
           // appId is always passed
-          let tenantId = app.tenantId || DEFAULT_TENANT_ID
-          const outputs = await doInTenant(tenantId, () => {
-            return stepFn({
-              inputs: inputs,
-              appId: this._appId,
-              emitter: this._emitter,
-              context: this._context,
-            })
+          const outputs = await stepFn({
+            inputs: inputs,
+            appId: this._appId,
+            emitter: this._emitter,
+            context: this._context,
           })
           this._context.steps[stepCount] = outputs
           // if filter causes us to stop execution don't break the loop, set a var