diff --git a/cmd/server/pactasrv/pactasrv.go b/cmd/server/pactasrv/pactasrv.go
index ebf66f4..597f58c 100644
--- a/cmd/server/pactasrv/pactasrv.go
+++ b/cmd/server/pactasrv/pactasrv.go
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ type DB interface {
 	PortfolioSnapshots(tx db.Tx, ids []pacta.PortfolioSnapshotID) (map[pacta.PortfolioSnapshotID]*pacta.PortfolioSnapshot, error)
 
 	GetOwnerForUser(tx db.Tx, uID pacta.UserID) (pacta.OwnerID, error)
+	GetOwnerForInitiative(tx db.Tx, iID pacta.InitiativeID) (pacta.OwnerID, error)
 
 	PortfolioGroup(tx db.Tx, id pacta.PortfolioGroupID) (*pacta.PortfolioGroup, error)
 	PortfolioGroupsByOwner(tx db.Tx, owner pacta.OwnerID) ([]*pacta.PortfolioGroup, error)
diff --git a/db/sqldb/initiative.go b/db/sqldb/initiative.go
index 86bd651..df41c4a 100644
--- a/db/sqldb/initiative.go
+++ b/db/sqldb/initiative.go
@@ -78,16 +78,22 @@ func (d *DB) CreateInitiative(tx db.Tx, i *pacta.Initiative) error {
 	if err := validateInitiativeForCreation(i); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("validating initiative for creation: %w", err)
 	}
-	err := d.exec(tx, `
-		INSERT INTO initiative 
-			(id, name, affiliation, public_description, internal_description, requires_invitation_to_join, is_accepting_new_members, is_accepting_new_portfolios, pacta_version_id, language)
-			VALUES
-			($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9, $10);`,
-		i.ID, i.Name, i.Affiliation, i.PublicDescription, i.InternalDescription, i.RequiresInvitationToJoin, i.IsAcceptingNewMembers, i.IsAcceptingNewPortfolios, i.PACTAVersion.ID, i.Language)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("creating initiative: %w", err)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return d.RunOrContinueTransaction(tx, func(tx db.Tx) error {
+		err := d.exec(tx, `
+			INSERT INTO initiative 
+				(id, name, affiliation, public_description, internal_description, requires_invitation_to_join, is_accepting_new_members, is_accepting_new_portfolios, pacta_version_id, language)
+				VALUES
+				($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9, $10);`,
+			i.ID, i.Name, i.Affiliation, i.PublicDescription, i.InternalDescription, i.RequiresInvitationToJoin, i.IsAcceptingNewMembers, i.IsAcceptingNewPortfolios, i.PACTAVersion.ID, i.Language)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("creating initiative: %w", err)
+		}
+		_, err = d.createOwner(tx, &pacta.Owner{Initiative: &pacta.Initiative{ID: i.ID}})
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("creating owner: %w", err)
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
 }
 
 func (d *DB) UpdateInitiative(tx db.Tx, id pacta.InitiativeID, mutations ...db.UpdateInitiativeFn) error {
@@ -117,7 +123,7 @@ func (d *DB) UpdateInitiative(tx db.Tx, id pacta.InitiativeID, mutations ...db.U
 func (d *DB) DeleteInitiative(tx db.Tx, id pacta.InitiativeID) ([]pacta.BlobURI, error) {
 	buris := []pacta.BlobURI{}
 	err := d.RunOrContinueTransaction(tx, func(db.Tx) error {
-		owner, err := d.GetOrCreateOwnerForInitiative(tx, id)
+		owner, err := d.GetOwnerForInitiative(tx, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("getting owner for initiative: %w", err)
 		}
diff --git a/db/sqldb/owner.go b/db/sqldb/owner.go
index 5fc65da..61c2cbd 100644
--- a/db/sqldb/owner.go
+++ b/db/sqldb/owner.go
@@ -71,45 +71,25 @@ func (d *DB) ownerByInitiative(tx db.Tx, id pacta.InitiativeID) (*pacta.Owner, e
 }
 
 func (d *DB) GetOwnerForUser(tx db.Tx, uID pacta.UserID) (pacta.OwnerID, error) {
-	var ownerID pacta.OwnerID
-	err := d.RunOrContinueTransaction(tx, func(tx db.Tx) error {
-		owner, err := d.ownerByUser(tx, uID)
-		if err == nil {
-			ownerID = owner.ID
-			return nil
-		}
-		if !db.IsNotFound(err) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("user owner not found: %w", err)
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("looking up owner: %w", err)
-	})
+	owner, err := d.ownerByUser(tx, uID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("getting or creating owner for initiative: %w", err)
+		if db.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return "", db.NotFound(uID, "ownerByUserId")
+		}
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error retrieving user owner: %w", err)
 	}
-	return ownerID, nil
+	return owner.ID, nil
 }
 
-func (d *DB) GetOrCreateOwnerForInitiative(tx db.Tx, iID pacta.InitiativeID) (pacta.OwnerID, error) {
-	var ownerID pacta.OwnerID
-	err := d.RunOrContinueTransaction(tx, func(tx db.Tx) error {
-		owner, err := d.ownerByInitiative(tx, iID)
-		if err == nil {
-			ownerID = owner.ID
-			return nil
-		}
-		if !db.IsNotFound(err) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("querying owner by user: %w", err)
-		}
-		ownerID, err = d.createOwner(tx, &pacta.Owner{Initiative: &pacta.Initiative{ID: iID}})
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("creating owner: %w", err)
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
+func (d *DB) GetOwnerForInitiative(tx db.Tx, iID pacta.InitiativeID) (pacta.OwnerID, error) {
+	owner, err := d.ownerByInitiative(tx, iID)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("getting or creating owner for initiative: %w", err)
+		if db.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return "", db.NotFound(iID, "ownerByInitiativeId")
+		}
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error retrieving initiative owner: %w", err)
 	}
-	return ownerID, nil
+	return owner.ID, nil
 }
 
 func (d *DB) DeleteOwner(tx db.Tx, oID pacta.OwnerID) ([]pacta.BlobURI, error) {
diff --git a/db/sqldb/owner_test.go b/db/sqldb/owner_test.go
index 76f385c..0b1ccd7 100644
--- a/db/sqldb/owner_test.go
+++ b/db/sqldb/owner_test.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ func TestGetOrCreateOwners(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected owner id %q, got %q", uo, uo2)
 	}
 
-	io, err := tdb.GetOrCreateOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
+	io, err := tdb.GetOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("creating owner for initiative: %v", err)
 	}
-	io2, err := tdb.GetOrCreateOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
+	io2, err := tdb.GetOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("creating owner for initiative: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func ownerUserForTesting(t *testing.T, tdb *DB, u *pacta.User) *pacta.Owner {
 func ownerInitiativeForTesting(t *testing.T, tdb *DB, i *pacta.Initiative) *pacta.Owner {
 	t.Helper()
 	tx := tdb.NoTxn(context.Background())
-	oid, err := tdb.GetOrCreateOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
+	oid, err := tdb.GetOwnerForInitiative(tx, i.ID)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("creating owner for user: %v", err)
 	}