diff --git a/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift b/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
index 4c416e02..94f72f2f 100644
--- a/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
+++ b/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
@@ -1246,14 +1246,9 @@ enum ProcessZapResult {
 func get_zap_target_pubkey(ev: NostrEvent, events: EventCache) -> String? {
     let etags = ev.referenced_ids
 
-    if let etag = etags.first {
-        // ensure that there is only 1 etag to stop fake note zap attacks
-        guard etags.count == 1 else {
-            return nil
-        }
-        // we can't trust the p tag on note zaps because they can be faked
-        return events.lookup(etag.id)?.pubkey
-    } else {
+    guard let etag = etags.first else {
+        // no etags, ptag-only case
+
         let ptags = ev.referenced_pubkeys
 
         // ensure that there is only 1 ptag to stop fake profile zap attacks
@@ -1263,6 +1258,16 @@ func get_zap_target_pubkey(ev: NostrEvent, events: EventCache) -> String? {
 
         return ptags.first?.id
     }
+
+    // we have an e-tag
+
+    // ensure that there is only 1 etag to stop fake note zap attacks
+    guard etags.count == 1 else {
+        return nil
+    }
+
+    // we can't trust the p tag on note zaps because they can be faked
+    return events.lookup(etag.id)?.pubkey
 }
 
 func process_zap_event(damus_state: DamusState, ev: NostrEvent, completion: @escaping (ProcessZapResult) -> Void) {