diff --git a/improc/alignment.py b/improc/alignment.py
index 15f62066..7408647a 100644
--- a/improc/alignment.py
+++ b/improc/alignment.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import astropy.wcs.utils
 
 from util import ldac
-from util.config import Config
 from util.exceptions import SubprocessFailure
 from util.util import read_fits_image, save_fits_image_file
 from util.logger import SCLogger
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@
 from pipeline.data_store import DataStore
 from pipeline.parameters import Parameters
 from pipeline.detection import Detector
-from pipeline.photo_cal import PhotCalibrator
 from improc.bitmask_tools import dilate_bitflag
 
 
diff --git a/models/base.py b/models/base.py
index 69876fc5..e66e020f 100644
--- a/models/base.py
+++ b/models/base.py
@@ -543,8 +543,23 @@ def copy(self):
         """Make a new instance of this object, with all column-based attributed (shallow) copied. """
         new = self.__class__()
         for key in sa.inspect(self).mapper.columns.keys():
-            value = getattr(self, key)
-            setattr(new, key, value)
+            # HACK ALERT
+            # I was getting a sqlalchemy.orm.exc.DetachedInstanceError
+            #   trying to copy a zeropoint deep inside alignment, and it
+            #   was on the line value = getattr(self, key) trying to load
+            #   the "modified" colum.  Rather than trying to figure out WTF
+            #   is going on with SQLAlchmey *this* time, I just decided that
+            #   when we copy an object, we don't copy the modified field,
+            #   so that I could move on with life.
+            # (This isn't necessarily terrible; one could make the argument
+            #   that the modified field of the new object *should* be now(),
+            #   which is the default.  The real worry is that it's yet another
+            #   mysterious SQLAlchemy thing, which just happened to be this field
+            #   this time around.  As long as we're tied to the albatross that is
+            #   SQLAlchemy, these kinds of things are going to keep happening.)
+            if key != 'modified':
+                value = getattr(self, key)
+                setattr(new, key, value)
 
         return new
 
diff --git a/pipeline/data_store.py b/pipeline/data_store.py
index 8f3d6d65..f5f83270 100644
--- a/pipeline/data_store.py
+++ b/pipeline/data_store.py
@@ -1501,6 +1501,12 @@ def save_and_commit(self, exists_ok=False, overwrite=True, no_archive=False,
                     self.reference = self.reference.merge_all(session)
                     self.sub_image.ref_image = self.reference.image
                 self.sub_image.new_image = self.image  # update with the now-merged image
+                # Make sure that the sub_image's image upstreams are the things that are now properly
+                #  merged with the session.  (OMG sqlalchemy is a nightmare)
+                if ( self.sub_image.new_image.mjd < self.sub_image.ref_image.mjd ):
+                    self.sub_image.upstreams = [ self.sub_image.new_image, self.sub_image.ref_image ]
+                else:
+                    self.sub_image.upstreams = [ self.sub_image.ref_image, self.sub_image.new_image ]
                 self.sub_image = self.sub_image.merge_all(session)  # merges the upstream_images and downstream products
                 self.sub_image.ref_image.id = self.sub_image.ref_image_id
                 self.detections = self.sub_image.sources