diff --git a/indexedDb/init.go b/indexedDb/init.go
index 271300b4bafcec519a1b15ea05518fb0cfae5d6a..908a13be830d1a08efacca5d26b0c92e291d6ae9 100644
--- a/indexedDb/init.go
+++ b/indexedDb/init.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ package indexedDb
 
 import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto/broadcast"
 	cryptoChannel "gitlab.com/elixxir/crypto/channel"
 	"gitlab.com/elixxir/xxdk-wasm/storage"
 	"syscall/js"
@@ -94,27 +95,7 @@ func newWASMModel(databaseName string, encryption cryptoChannel.Cipher,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// FIXME: The below is a hack that for some reason prevents moving on with
-	//        uninitialized database despite the previous call to Await.
-	//        It would be idea to find a different solution.
-	// Close and open again to ensure the state is finalized
-	err = db.Close()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	openRequest, err = idb.Global().Open(ctx, databaseName, currentVersion,
-		func(db *idb.Database, oldVersion, newVersion uint) error {
-			return nil
-		})
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	// Wait for database open to finish
-	db, err = openRequest.Await(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
+	// Save the encryption status to storage
 	encryptionStatus := encryption != nil
 	loadedEncryptionStatus, err := storage.StoreIndexedDbEncryptionStatus(
 		databaseName, encryptionStatus)
@@ -122,13 +103,17 @@ func newWASMModel(databaseName string, encryption cryptoChannel.Cipher,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	// Verify encryption status does not change
 	if encryptionStatus != loadedEncryptionStatus {
 		return nil, errors.New(
 			"Cannot load database with different encryption status.")
 	} else if !encryptionStatus {
 		jww.WARN.Printf("IndexedDb encryption disabled!")
 	}
-	return &wasmModel{db: db, receivedMessageCB: cb, cipher: encryption}, err
+
+	// Attempt to ensure the database has been properly initialized
+	wrapper := &wasmModel{db: db, receivedMessageCB: cb, cipher: encryption}
+	return wrapper, wrapper.hackTestDb()
 }
 
 // v1Upgrade performs the v0 -> v1 database upgrade.
@@ -195,3 +180,26 @@ func v1Upgrade(db *idb.Database) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// hackTestDb is a horrible function that exists as the result of an extremely
+// long discussion about why initializing the IndexedDb sometimes silently
+// fails. It ultimately tries to prevent an unrecoverable situation by actually
+// inserting some nonsense data and then checking to see if it persists.
+// If this function still exists in 2023, god help us all. Amen.
+func (w *wasmModel) hackTestDb() error {
+	testId := &id.DummyUser
+	testChannel := &broadcast.Channel{
+		ReceptionID: testId,
+		Name:        "test",
+		Description: "test",
+	}
+	w.JoinChannel(testChannel)
+	result, err := w.get(channelsStoreName, js.ValueOf(testId.String()))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(result) == 0 {
+		return errors.Errorf("Failed to test db, record not present")
+	}
+	return nil
+}