diff --git a/merlin-driver/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/driver/engine/SimulationEngine.java b/merlin-driver/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/driver/engine/SimulationEngine.java
index fed9782634..d57945b7f9 100644
--- a/merlin-driver/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/driver/engine/SimulationEngine.java
+++ b/merlin-driver/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/driver/engine/SimulationEngine.java
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ private TreeMap<Duration, List<EventGraph<EventRecord>>> createSerializedTimelin
                       }
                     }
                   }
-                  var activitySpanID = Optional.of(spanToActivities.get(event.provenance()).id());
+                  var activitySpanID = Optional.ofNullable(spanToActivities.get(event.provenance())).map(ActivityInstanceId::id);
                   output = EventGraph.concurrently(
                       output,
                       EventGraph.atom(
diff --git a/merlin-server/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/server/remotes/postgres/InsertSimulationEventsAction.java b/merlin-server/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/server/remotes/postgres/InsertSimulationEventsAction.java
index 7b0f9c7a04..8ad0f1eb13 100644
--- a/merlin-server/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/server/remotes/postgres/InsertSimulationEventsAction.java
+++ b/merlin-server/src/main/java/gov/nasa/jpl/aerie/merlin/server/remotes/postgres/InsertSimulationEventsAction.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import java.sql.Connection;
 import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
+import java.sql.Types;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ private static void batchInsertEventGraph(
       statement.setString(5, causalTime);
       statement.setInt(6, event.topicId());
       statement.setString(7, serializedValueP.unparse(event.value()).toString());
-      statement.setLong(8, event.spanId().isPresent() ? event.spanId().get() : null);
+      statement.setObject(8, event.spanId().orElse(null), Types.INTEGER);
       statement.addBatch();
     }
   }