diff --git a/atuin-server/src/database.rs b/atuin-server/src/database.rs
index 9043c2d..e163d3a 100644
--- a/atuin-server/src/database.rs
+++ b/atuin-server/src/database.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
-use eyre::{eyre, Result};
-use sqlx::postgres::PgPoolOptions;
+use sqlx::{postgres::PgPoolOptions, Result};
 
 use crate::settings::HISTORY_PAGE_SIZE;
 
@@ -25,6 +24,7 @@ pub trait Database {
     async fn add_user(&self, user: &NewUser) -> Result<i64>;
 
     async fn count_history(&self, user: &User) -> Result<i64>;
+    async fn count_history_cached(&self, user: &User) -> Result<i64>;
 
     async fn count_history_range(
         &self,
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub struct Postgres {
 }
 
 impl Postgres {
-    pub async fn new(uri: &str) -> Result<Self, sqlx::Error> {
+    pub async fn new(uri: &str) -> Result<Self> {
         let pool = PgPoolOptions::new()
             .max_connections(100)
             .connect(uri)
@@ -78,52 +78,36 @@ impl Postgres {
 #[async_trait]
 impl Database for Postgres {
     async fn get_session(&self, token: &str) -> Result<Session> {
-        let res: Option<Session> =
-            sqlx::query_as::<_, Session>("select * from sessions where token = $1")
-                .bind(token)
-                .fetch_optional(&self.pool)
-                .await?;
-
-        if let Some(s) = res {
-            Ok(s)
-        } else {
-            Err(eyre!("could not find session"))
-        }
+        sqlx::query_as::<_, Session>("select * from sessions where token = $1")
+            .bind(token)
+            .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+            .await
     }
 
     async fn get_user(&self, username: &str) -> Result<User> {
-        let res: Option<User> =
-            sqlx::query_as::<_, User>("select * from users where username = $1")
-                .bind(username)
-                .fetch_optional(&self.pool)
-                .await?;
-
-        if let Some(u) = res {
-            Ok(u)
-        } else {
-            Err(eyre!("could not find user"))
-        }
+        sqlx::query_as::<_, User>("select * from users where username = $1")
+            .bind(username)
+            .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+            .await
     }
 
     async fn get_session_user(&self, token: &str) -> Result<User> {
-        let res: Option<User> = sqlx::query_as::<_, User>(
+        sqlx::query_as::<_, User>(
             "select * from users 
             inner join sessions 
             on users.id = sessions.user_id 
             and sessions.token = $1",
         )
         .bind(token)
-        .fetch_optional(&self.pool)
-        .await?;
-
-        if let Some(u) = res {
-            Ok(u)
-        } else {
-            Err(eyre!("could not find user"))
-        }
+        .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+        .await
     }
 
     async fn count_history(&self, user: &User) -> Result<i64> {
+        // The cache is new, and the user might not yet have a cache value.
+        // They will have one as soon as they post up some new history, but handle that
+        // edge case.
+
         let res: (i64,) = sqlx::query_as(
             "select count(1) from history
             where user_id = $1",
@@ -135,6 +119,18 @@ impl Database for Postgres {
         Ok(res.0)
     }
 
+    async fn count_history_cached(&self, user: &User) -> Result<i64> {
+        let res: (i64,) = sqlx::query_as(
+            "select total from total_history_count_user
+            where user_id = $1",
+        )
+        .bind(user.id)
+        .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+        .await?;
+
+        Ok(res.0)
+    }
+
     async fn count_history_range(
         &self,
         user: &User,
@@ -300,17 +296,10 @@ impl Database for Postgres {
     }
 
     async fn get_user_session(&self, u: &User) -> Result<Session> {
-        let res: Option<Session> =
-            sqlx::query_as::<_, Session>("select * from sessions where user_id = $1")
-                .bind(u.id)
-                .fetch_optional(&self.pool)
-                .await?;
-
-        if let Some(s) = res {
-            Ok(s)
-        } else {
-            Err(eyre!("could not find session"))
-        }
+        sqlx::query_as::<_, Session>("select * from sessions where user_id = $1")
+            .bind(u.id)
+            .fetch_one(&self.pool)
+            .await
     }
 
     async fn oldest_history(&self, user: &User) -> Result<History> {
diff --git a/atuin-server/src/handlers/history.rs b/atuin-server/src/handlers/history.rs
index fde7cf2..4fa2a96 100644
--- a/atuin-server/src/handlers/history.rs
+++ b/atuin-server/src/handlers/history.rs
@@ -13,10 +13,17 @@ pub async fn count(
     user: User,
     db: Extension<Postgres>,
 ) -> Result<Json<CountResponse>, ErrorResponseStatus<'static>> {
-    match db.count_history(&user).await {
+    match db.count_history_cached(&user).await {
+        // By default read out the cached value
         Ok(count) => Ok(Json(CountResponse { count })),
-        Err(_) => Err(ErrorResponse::reply("failed to query history count")
-            .with_status(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)),
+
+        // If that fails, fallback on a full COUNT. Cache is built on a POST
+        // only
+        Err(_) => match db.count_history(&user).await {
+            Ok(count) => Ok(Json(CountResponse { count })),
+            Err(_) => Err(ErrorResponse::reply("failed to query history count")
+                .with_status(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)),
+        },
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/atuin-server/src/handlers/user.rs b/atuin-server/src/handlers/user.rs
index 1bcfce2..42e4aa3 100644
--- a/atuin-server/src/handlers/user.rs
+++ b/atuin-server/src/handlers/user.rs
@@ -32,10 +32,15 @@ pub async fn get(
 ) -> Result<Json<UserResponse>, ErrorResponseStatus<'static>> {
     let user = match db.get_user(username.as_ref()).await {
         Ok(user) => user,
-        Err(e) => {
-            debug!("user not found: {}", e);
+        Err(sqlx::Error::RowNotFound) => {
+            debug!("user not found: {}", username);
             return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("user not found").with_status(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND));
         }
+        Err(err) => {
+            error!("database error: {}", err);
+            return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("database error")
+                .with_status(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR));
+        }
     };
 
     Ok(Json(UserResponse {
@@ -96,20 +101,28 @@ pub async fn login(
 ) -> Result<Json<LoginResponse>, ErrorResponseStatus<'static>> {
     let user = match db.get_user(login.username.borrow()).await {
         Ok(u) => u,
+        Err(sqlx::Error::RowNotFound) => {
+            return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("user not found").with_status(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND));
+        }
         Err(e) => {
             error!("failed to get user {}: {}", login.username.clone(), e);
 
-            return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("user not found").with_status(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND));
+            return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("database error")
+                .with_status(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR));
         }
     };
 
     let session = match db.get_user_session(&user).await {
         Ok(u) => u,
-        Err(e) => {
-            error!("failed to get session for {}: {}", login.username, e);
-
+        Err(sqlx::Error::RowNotFound) => {
+            debug!("user session not found for user id={}", user.id);
             return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("user not found").with_status(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND));
         }
+        Err(err) => {
+            error!("database error for user {}: {}", login.username, err);
+            return Err(ErrorResponse::reply("database error")
+                .with_status(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR));
+        }
     };
 
     let verified = verify_str(user.password.as_str(), login.password.borrow());