diff --git a/database/community.go b/database/community.go
index da157e6..6589bf7 100644
--- a/database/community.go
+++ b/database/community.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func AmAutoJoinCommunities(user *User) error {
 			var lock bool
 			rows.Scan(&cid, &lock)
 			if !slices.Contains(current, cid) {
-				_, err = amdb.Exec("INSERT INTO commmember (commid, uid, granted_lvl, locked) VALUES (?. ?, ?, ?)",
+				_, err = amdb.Exec("INSERT INTO commmember (commid, uid, granted_lvl, locked) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)",
 					cid, user.Uid, grantLevel, lock)
 				if err != nil {
 					break
diff --git a/database/user.go b/database/user.go
index 32a3a7b..068931e 100644
--- a/database/user.go
+++ b/database/user.go
@@ -472,8 +472,13 @@ func AmCreateNewUser(username string, password string, reminder string, dob *tim
 		AmStoreAudit(ar)
 	}()
 
+	unlock := true
 	amdb.Exec("LOCK TABLES users WRITE, userprefs WRITE, propuser WRITE, commmember WRITE, sideboxes WRITE, confhotlist WRITE;")
-	defer amdb.Exec("UNLOCK TABLES;")
+	defer func() {
+		if unlock {
+			amdb.Exec("UNLOCK TABLES;")
+		}
+	}()
 
 	// Test if the user name is already taken.
 	rs, err := amdb.Query("SELECT uid FROM users WHERE username = ?", username)
@@ -525,6 +530,9 @@ func AmCreateNewUser(username string, password string, reminder string, dob *tim
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	amdb.Exec("UNLOCK TABLES;")
+	unlock = false
+
 	// auto-join communities
 	err = AmAutoJoinCommunities(user)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/ui/amcontext.go b/ui/amcontext.go
index 3e6da78..569b01a 100644
--- a/ui/amcontext.go
+++ b/ui/amcontext.go
@@ -296,8 +296,6 @@ func NewAmContext(ctxt echo.Context) (AmContext, error) {
 		sess.Options = defoptions
 		if sess.IsNew {
 			setupAmSession(sess)
-		} else {
-			log.Debugf("took the not-new-session path")
 		}
 	}
 	return &rc, err