diff --git a/clients/ios/Classes/StoriesCollection.m b/clients/ios/Classes/StoriesCollection.m
index c83024348..3db662d01 100644
--- a/clients/ios/Classes/StoriesCollection.m
+++ b/clients/ios/Classes/StoriesCollection.m
@@ -362,17 +362,22 @@
     NSString *storyFeedId = [request.userInfo objectForKey:@"story_feed_id"];
     NSString *storyHash = [request.userInfo objectForKey:@"story_hash"];
     
-    BOOL dequeued = [appDelegate dequeueReadStoryHash:storyHash inFeed:storyFeedId];
-    if (!dequeued) {
-        // Offline means can't unread a story unless it was read while offline.
-        [self markStoryRead:storyHash feedId:storyFeedId];
-//        [self.storyTitlesTable reloadData];
-        [appDelegate failedMarkAsUnread:request];
-    } else {
-        // Offline but read story while offline, so it never touched the server.
-        [appDelegate.unreadStoryHashes setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES] forKey:storyHash];
-//        [self.storyTitlesTable reloadData];
-    }
+    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
+                                             (unsigned long)NULL), ^(void) {
+        BOOL dequeued = [appDelegate dequeueReadStoryHash:storyHash inFeed:storyFeedId];
+        dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
+            if (!dequeued) {
+                // Offline means can't unread a story unless it was read while offline.
+                [self markStoryRead:storyHash feedId:storyFeedId];
+        //        [self.storyTitlesTable reloadData];
+                [appDelegate failedMarkAsUnread:request];
+            } else {
+                // Offline but read story while offline, so it never touched the server.
+                [appDelegate.unreadStoryHashes setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES] forKey:storyHash];
+        //        [self.storyTitlesTable reloadData];
+            }
+        });
+    });
 }
 
 #pragma mark - Story Actions
@@ -551,20 +556,23 @@
     if (!newUnreadCounts) return;
     [appDelegate.dictUnreadCounts setObject:newUnreadCounts forKey:feedIdStr];
     
-    [appDelegate.database inTransaction:^(FMDatabase *db, BOOL *rollback) {
-        NSString *storyHash = [newStory objectForKey:@"story_hash"];
-        [db executeUpdate:@"UPDATE stories SET story_json = ? WHERE story_hash = ?",
-         [newStory JSONRepresentation],
-         storyHash];
-        [db executeUpdate:@"INSERT INTO unread_hashes "
-         "(story_hash, story_feed_id, story_timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
-         storyHash, feedIdStr, [newStory objectForKey:@"story_timestamp"]];
-        [db executeUpdate:@"UPDATE unread_counts SET ps = ?, nt = ?, ng = ? WHERE feed_id = ?",
-         [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"ps"],
-         [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"nt"],
-         [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"ng"],
-         feedIdStr];
-    }];
+    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
+                                             (unsigned long)NULL), ^(void) {
+        [appDelegate.database inTransaction:^(FMDatabase *db, BOOL *rollback) {
+            NSString *storyHash = [newStory objectForKey:@"story_hash"];
+            [db executeUpdate:@"UPDATE stories SET story_json = ? WHERE story_hash = ?",
+             [newStory JSONRepresentation],
+             storyHash];
+            [db executeUpdate:@"INSERT INTO unread_hashes "
+             "(story_hash, story_feed_id, story_timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
+             storyHash, feedIdStr, [newStory objectForKey:@"story_timestamp"]];
+            [db executeUpdate:@"UPDATE unread_counts SET ps = ?, nt = ?, ng = ? WHERE feed_id = ?",
+             [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"ps"],
+             [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"nt"],
+             [newUnreadCounts objectForKey:@"ng"],
+             feedIdStr];
+        }];
+    });
     
     [appDelegate.recentlyReadStories removeObjectForKey:[story objectForKey:@"story_hash"]];
     [appDelegate finishMarkAsUnread:story];
diff --git a/clients/ios/NewsBlur_Prefix.pch b/clients/ios/NewsBlur_Prefix.pch
index 84c4b27cc..61a690f4d 100644
--- a/clients/ios/NewsBlur_Prefix.pch
+++ b/clients/ios/NewsBlur_Prefix.pch
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     #import <SystemConfiguration/SystemConfiguration.h>
     #import <MobileCoreServices/MobileCoreServices.h>
 
-#define DEBUG 1
+//#define DEBUG 1
 //#define PROD_DEBUG 1
 
 #ifdef DEBUG