diff --git a/app/sql.js b/app/sql.js
index 0a9455bf5..30a10281e 100644
--- a/app/sql.js
+++ b/app/sql.js
@@ -1338,9 +1338,9 @@ function updateToLokiSchemaVersion19(currentVersion, db) {
 
 function updateToLokiSchemaVersion20(currentVersion, db) {
   const targetVersion = 20;
-  // if (currentVersion >= targetVersion) {
-  //   return;
-  // }
+  if (currentVersion >= targetVersion) {
+    return;
+  }
   console.log(`updateToLokiSchemaVersion${targetVersion}: starting...`);
   db.transaction(() => {
     db.exec(`
@@ -1350,22 +1350,11 @@ function updateToLokiSchemaVersion20(currentVersion, db) {
       `);
 
     // all closed group admins
-    const closedGroupRows = db
-      .prepare(
-        `
-        SELECT json FROM ${CONVERSATIONS_TABLE} WHERE
-        type = 'group' AND
-        id NOT LIKE 'publicChat:%';
-      `
-      )
-      .all();
-
-    console.warn({ closedGroupRows });
+    const closedGroupRows = getAllClosedGroupConversations(db, false) || [];
 
     const adminIds = closedGroupRows.map(json => {
       return jsonToObject(json).groupAdmins;
     });
-    console.warn({ adminIds });
     forEach(adminIds, id => {
       db.exec(
         `
@@ -2959,13 +2948,13 @@ function getMessagesCountByConversation(instance, conversationId) {
   return row ? row['count(*)'] : 0;
 }
 
-function getAllClosedGroupConversationsV1(instance) {
+function getAllClosedGroupConversations(instance, order = true) {
   const rows = (globalInstance || instance)
     .prepare(
       `SELECT json FROM ${CONVERSATIONS_TABLE} WHERE
       type = 'group' AND
       id NOT LIKE 'publicChat:%'
-     ORDER BY id ASC;`
+     ${order ? 'ORDER BY id ASC' : ''};`
     )
     .all();
 
@@ -2981,7 +2970,7 @@ function remove05PrefixFromStringIfNeeded(str) {
 
 function updateExistingClosedGroupV1ToClosedGroupV2(db) {
   // the migration is called only once, so all current groups not being open groups are v1 closed group.
-  const allClosedGroupV1 = getAllClosedGroupConversationsV1(db) || [];
+  const allClosedGroupV1 = getAllClosedGroupConversations(db) || [];
 
   allClosedGroupV1.forEach(groupV1 => {
     const groupId = groupV1.id;
diff --git a/ts/interactions/conversationInteractions.ts b/ts/interactions/conversationInteractions.ts
index 23d24f12e..932fcab82 100644
--- a/ts/interactions/conversationInteractions.ts
+++ b/ts/interactions/conversationInteractions.ts
@@ -132,9 +132,10 @@ export const acceptConversation = async (conversationId: string, syncToDevices:
   }
 
   Promise.all([
-    await convoToApprove.setIsApproved(true),
-    await convoToApprove.setDidApproveMe(true),
+    await convoToApprove.setIsApproved(true, false),
+    await convoToApprove.setDidApproveMe(true, false),
   ]);
+  convoToApprove.commit();
   await convoToApprove.sendMessageRequestResponse(true);
 
   // Conversation was not approved before so a sync is needed
diff --git a/ts/models/conversation.ts b/ts/models/conversation.ts
index c78677f3a..b10a5e63d 100644
--- a/ts/models/conversation.ts
+++ b/ts/models/conversation.ts
@@ -646,13 +646,9 @@ export class ConversationModel extends Backbone.Model<ConversationAttributes> {
       const shouldApprove = !this.isApproved() && this.isPrivate();
       const hasMsgsFromOther =
         (await getMessagesByConversation(this.id, { type: MessageDirection.incoming })).length > 0;
-      console.warn(hasMsgsFromOther);
       if (shouldApprove) {
         await this.setIsApproved(true);
         if (!this.didApproveMe() && hasMsgsFromOther) {
-          console.warn('This is a reply message sending message request acceptance response.');
-          // TODO: if this is a reply, send messageRequestAccept
-
           await this.setDidApproveMe(true);
           await this.sendMessageRequestResponse(true);
           void forceSyncConfigurationNowIfNeeded();
@@ -660,13 +656,6 @@ export class ConversationModel extends Backbone.Model<ConversationAttributes> {
         // void forceSyncConfigurationNowIfNeeded();
       }
 
-      // TODO: remove once dev-tested
-      if (chatMessageParams.body?.includes('unapprove')) {
-        await this.setIsApproved(false);
-        await this.setDidApproveMe(false);
-        // void forceSyncConfigurationNowIfNeeded();
-      }
-
       if (this.isOpenGroupV2()) {
         const chatMessageOpenGroupV2 = new OpenGroupVisibleMessage(chatMessageParams);
         const roomInfos = this.toOpenGroupV2();
@@ -1209,7 +1198,7 @@ export class ConversationModel extends Backbone.Model<ConversationAttributes> {
     }
   }
 
-  public async setIsApproved(value: boolean) {
+  public async setIsApproved(value: boolean, commit: boolean = true) {
     if (value !== this.isApproved()) {
       window?.log?.info(`Setting ${this.attributes.profileName} isApproved to:: ${value}`);
       this.set({
@@ -1226,7 +1215,7 @@ export class ConversationModel extends Backbone.Model<ConversationAttributes> {
     }
   }
 
-  public async setDidApproveMe(value: boolean) {
+  public async setDidApproveMe(value: boolean, commit: boolean = false) {
     if (value !== this.didApproveMe()) {
       window?.log?.info(`Setting ${this.attributes.profileName} didApproveMe to:: ${value}`);
       this.set({
diff --git a/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts b/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
index 8e0cfdec8..20512aef4 100644
--- a/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
+++ b/ts/receiver/closedGroups.ts
@@ -112,15 +112,13 @@ export async function handleClosedGroupControlMessage(
   }
   if (type === Type.NEW) {
     if (
-      getConversationController()
+      !getConversationController()
         .get(envelope.senderIdentity)
-        .isApproved() == false
+        .isApproved()
     ) {
       window?.log?.info(
         'Received new closed group message from an unapproved sender -- dropping message.'
       );
-      // TODO: remove console output
-      console.warn('Received unapproved closed group invite msg');
       return;
     }
     await handleNewClosedGroup(envelope, groupUpdate);
diff --git a/ts/receiver/queuedJob.ts b/ts/receiver/queuedJob.ts
index b91cd081f..27e9cfab4 100644
--- a/ts/receiver/queuedJob.ts
+++ b/ts/receiver/queuedJob.ts
@@ -222,11 +222,6 @@ async function handleRegularMessage(
 
   if (type === 'outgoing') {
     await handleSyncedReceipts(message, conversation);
-
-    // if (window.lokiFeatureFlags.useMessageRequests) {
-    //   // assumes sync receipts are always from linked device outgoings
-    //   await conversation.setIsApproved(true);
-    // }
   }
 
   const conversationActiveAt = conversation.get('active_at');