diff --git a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
index 4fefdd6..fb95079 100644
--- a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
+++ b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
@@ -569,19 +569,13 @@ class V1_2 extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\AbstractHandler {
     protected function articleMarkReadMulti(array $url, array $data): Response {
         // determine whether to mark read or unread
         $set = ($url[1]=="read");
-        // start a transaction and loop through the items
-        $t = Arsse::$db->begin();
-        $in = array_chunk($data['items'] ?? [], 50);
-        for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($in); $a++) {
-            // initialize the matching context
-            $c = new Context;
-            $c->editions($in[$a]);
-            try {
-                Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['read' => $set], $c);
-            } catch (ExceptionInput $e) {
-            }
+        // initialize the matching context
+        $c = new Context;
+        $c->editions($data['items'] ?? []);
+        try {
+            Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['read' => $set], $c);
+        } catch (ExceptionInput $e) {
         }
-        $t->commit();
         return new Response(204);
     }
 
@@ -589,19 +583,13 @@ class V1_2 extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\AbstractHandler {
     protected function articleMarkStarredMulti(array $url, array $data): Response {
         // determine whether to mark starred or unstarred
         $set = ($url[1]=="star");
-        // start a transaction and loop through the items
-        $t = Arsse::$db->begin();
-        $in = array_chunk(array_column($data['items'] ?? [], "guidHash"), 50);
-        for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($in); $a++) {
-            // initialize the matching context
-            $c = new Context;
-            $c->articles($in[$a]);
-            try {
-                Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['starred' => $set], $c);
-            } catch (ExceptionInput $e) {
-            }
+        // initialize the matching context
+        $c = new Context;
+        $c->articles(array_column($data['items'] ?? [], "guidHash"));
+        try {
+            Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['starred' => $set], $c);
+        } catch (ExceptionInput $e) {
         }
-        $t->commit();
         return new Response(204);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php b/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
index f72f10d..79bdcdd 100644
--- a/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
+++ b/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
@@ -776,8 +776,6 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
         $in = [
             ["ook","eek","ack"],
             range(100, 199),
-            range(100, 149),
-            range(150, 199),
         ];
         $inStar = $in;
         for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($inStar); $a++) {
@@ -787,9 +785,7 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
         }
         Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), $this->anything())->thenReturn(42);
         Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->editions([]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooShort")); // data model function requires one valid integer for multiples
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->editions($in[1]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooLong")); // data model function limited to 50 items for multiples
         Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->articles([]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooShort")); // data model function requires one valid integer for multiples
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->articles($in[1]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooLong")); // data model function limited to 50 items for multiples
         $exp = new Response(204);
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/read/multiple")));
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/unread/multiple")));
@@ -812,27 +808,19 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/star/multiple", json_encode(['items' => $inStar[1]]), 'application/json')));
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/unstar/multiple", json_encode(['items' => $inStar[1]]), 'application/json')));
         // ensure the data model was queried appropriately for read/unread
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(2))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions([]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(2))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[0]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(0))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[1]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[2]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[3]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(2))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions([]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(2))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[0]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(0))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[1]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[2]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[3]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions([]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[0]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $read, (new Context)->editions($in[1]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions([]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[0]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unread, (new Context)->editions($in[1]));
         // ensure the data model was queried appropriately for star/unstar
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles([]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[0]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(0))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[1]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[2]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[3]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles([]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[0]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(0))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[1]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[2]));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[3]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles([]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[0]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $star, (new Context)->articles($in[1]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles([]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[0]));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::atLeast(1))->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[1]));
     }
 
     public function testQueryTheServerStatus() {