diff --git a/src/App.hs b/src/App.hs
index ad8721cd3..8e2130132 100644
--- a/src/App.hs
+++ b/src/App.hs
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ app req =
               let vals = elems obj
               H.unit . coerce $ iffNotT
                       (whereT qq $ update qt cols vals)
-                      (insertInto qt cols vals)
+                      (insertSelect qt cols vals)
               return $ responseLBS status204 [ jsonH ] ""
 
               else return $ if Prelude.null tableCols
diff --git a/src/PgQuery.hs b/src/PgQuery.hs
index 14070ccf6..24c04da31 100644
--- a/src/PgQuery.hs
+++ b/src/PgQuery.hs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ parentheticT (sql, params, pre) =
 iffNotT :: DynamicSQL -> StatementT
 iffNotT (aq, ap, apre) (bq, bp, bpre) =
   ("WITH aaa AS (" <> aq <> " returning *) " <>
-    bq <> "WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM aaa)"
+    bq <> " WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM aaa)"
   , ap ++ bp
   , All $ getAll apre && getAll bpre
   )
@@ -100,6 +100,18 @@ insertInto t cols vals =
   , mempty
   )
 
+insertSelect :: QualifiedTable -> [Text] -> [JSON.Value] -> DynamicSQL
+insertSelect t [] _ =
+  ("insert into " <> fromQt t <> " default values returning *", [], mempty)
+insertSelect t cols vals =
+  ("insert into " <> fromQt t <> " (" <>
+    cs (intercalate ", " (map pgFmtIdent cols)) <>
+    ") select " <>
+    cs (intercalate ", " (map (const "?") vals))
+  , map pgParam vals
+  , mempty
+  )
+
 update :: QualifiedTable -> [Text] -> [JSON.Value] -> DynamicSQL
 update t cols vals =
   ("update " <> fromQt t <> " set (" <>