diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.js b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.js
index b55f798f1..effb7f4d0 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.js
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.js
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ const notifyUsers = async (label, id, idsOfUsers, reason, context) => {
         MERGE (post)-[notification:NOTIFIED {reason: $reason}]->(user)
         SET notification.read = FALSE
         SET notification.updatedAt = toString(datetime())
-        SET notification.createdAt = toString(datetime())
+        SET (
+        CASE
+        WHEN notification.createdAt IS NULL
+        THEN notification END ).createdAt = toString(datetime())
       `
       break
     }
@@ -41,7 +44,10 @@ const notifyUsers = async (label, id, idsOfUsers, reason, context) => {
         MERGE (comment)-[notification:NOTIFIED {reason: $reason}]->(user)
         SET notification.read = FALSE
         SET notification.updatedAt = toString(datetime())
-        SET notification.createdAt = toString(datetime())
+        SET (
+        CASE
+        WHEN notification.createdAt IS NULL
+        THEN notification END ).createdAt = toString(datetime())
       `
       break
     }
@@ -55,7 +61,10 @@ const notifyUsers = async (label, id, idsOfUsers, reason, context) => {
         MERGE (comment)-[notification:NOTIFIED {reason: $reason}]->(user)
         SET notification.read = FALSE
         SET notification.updatedAt = toString(datetime())
-        SET notification.createdAt = toString(datetime())
+        SET (
+          CASE
+          WHEN notification.createdAt IS NULL
+          THEN notification END ).createdAt = toString(datetime())
       `
       break
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.js b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.js
index b737768f2..94fb18668 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.js
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.js
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ describe('notifications', () => {
                 expect(Date.parse(createdAtBefore)).toEqual(expect.any(Number))
                 expect(createdAtAfter).toBeTruthy()
                 expect(Date.parse(createdAtAfter)).toEqual(expect.any(Number))
-                expect(createdAtBefore).not.toEqual(createdAtAfter)
+                expect(createdAtBefore).toEqual(createdAtAfter)
               })
             })
           })
diff --git a/backend/src/schema/resolvers/comments.js b/backend/src/schema/resolvers/comments.js
index 7310b7af8..f507897c5 100644
--- a/backend/src/schema/resolvers/comments.js
+++ b/backend/src/schema/resolvers/comments.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default {
         SET comment.createdAt = toString(datetime())
         SET comment.updatedAt = toString(datetime())
         MERGE (post)<-[:COMMENTS]-(comment)<-[:WROTE]-(author)
-        RETURN comment, author
+        RETURN comment
       `
       const transactionRes = await session.run(createCommentCypher, {
         userId: context.user.id,
@@ -30,12 +30,7 @@ export default {
       })
       session.close()
 
-      const [response] = transactionRes.records.map(record => {
-        return {
-          ...record.get('comment').properties,
-          author: record.get('author').properties,
-        }
-      })
+      const [response] = transactionRes.records.map(record => record.get('comment').properties)
 
       return response
     },