diff --git a/denis/db.py b/denis/db.py
index 0407269b..7dcf00ac 100755
--- a/denis/db.py
+++ b/denis/db.py
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ class Assignment(BaseModel):
 class PeerReviewAssignment(BaseModel):
     assignment = peewee.TextField()
     reviewer = peewee.TextField()
-    reviewee1 = peewee.TextField()
-    reviewee2 = peewee.TextField()
+    reviewee1 = peewee.TextField(null=True)
+    reviewee2 = peewee.TextField(null=True)
 
     class Meta:
         indexes = ((('assignment', 'reviewer'), True),)
diff --git a/denis/initial.py b/denis/initial.py
index 706173e0..a5906205 100755
--- a/denis/initial.py
+++ b/denis/initial.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def generate_peer_review_email(assignment, review_table):
 
 students_who_submitted = [user.username for user in orbit.db.User.select()
                           if mailman.db.Submission.get_or_none((mailman.db.Submission.user == user.username) &  # NOQA: E501
-                                                               (mailman.db.Submission.assignment == assignment)) is not None]  # NOQA: E501
+                                                               (mailman.db.Submission.recipient == assignment)) is not None]  # NOQA: E501
 
 # let them see emails that have been sent since last final due date
 for student in students_who_submitted:
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ def generate_peer_review_email(assignment, review_table):
         db.PeerReviewAssignment.insert_many(
             [{'assignment': assignment,
               'reviewer': reviewer,
-              'reviewee1': reviewee1,
-              'reviewee2': reviewee2}
-             for (reviewer, reviewee1, reviewee2) in reviews]).execute()
+              'reviewee1': reviewees[0] if len(reviewees) >= 1 else None,
+              'reviewee2': reviewees[1] if len(reviewees) >= 2 else None}
+             for [reviewer, *reviewees] in reviews]).execute()
 except db.peewee.IntegrityError as e:
     print(e)