diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
index c74befcc19..409c0514a3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/instance.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../db")
 const client = require("../../db/clientDb")
 const newid = require("../../db/newid")
+const { createLinkView } = require("../../db/linkedRecords")
 
 exports.create = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceName = ctx.request.body.name
@@ -33,22 +34,6 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
           emit([doc.type], doc._id)
         }.toString(),
       },
-      by_link: {
-        map: function(doc) {
-          if (doc.type === "link") {
-            let doc1 = doc.doc1
-            let doc2 = doc.doc2
-            emit([doc1.modelId, 1, doc1.fieldName, doc1.recordId], {
-              _id: doc2.recordId,
-            })
-            emit([doc2.modelId, 1, doc2.fieldName, doc2.recordId], {
-              _id: doc1.recordId,
-            })
-            emit([doc1.modelId, 2, doc1.recordId], { _id: doc2.recordId })
-            emit([doc2.modelId, 2, doc2.recordId], { _id: doc1.recordId })
-          }
-        }.toString(),
-      },
       by_automation_trigger: {
         map: function(doc) {
           if (doc.type === "automation") {
@@ -61,6 +46,8 @@ exports.create = async function(ctx) {
       },
     },
   })
+  // add view for linked records
+  await createLinkView(instanceId)
 
   // Add the new instance under the app clientDB
   const clientDb = new CouchDB(client.name(clientId))
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
index 990a36541c..909c7b631e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/model.js
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
       }`,
     },
   }
-  await db.put(designDoc)
   // update linked records
   await updateLinksForModel({
     instanceId,
     eventType: EventType.MODEL_SAVE,
     model: modelToSave,
   })
+  await db.put(designDoc)
 
   // syntactic sugar for event emission
   modelToSave.modelId = modelToSave._id
@@ -98,16 +98,16 @@ exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
     records.rows.map(record => ({ _id: record.id, _deleted: true }))
   )
 
-  // delete the "all" view
-  const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database")
-  delete designDoc.views[modelViewId]
-  await db.put(designDoc)
   // update linked records
   await updateLinksForModel({
     instanceId,
     eventType: EventType.MODEL_DELETE,
     model: modelToDelete,
   })
+  // delete the "all" view
+  const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database")
+  delete designDoc.views[modelViewId]
+  await db.put(designDoc)
 
   // syntactic sugar for event emission
   modelToDelete.modelId = modelToDelete._id
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
index 11fbc811b9..a27746b563 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/record.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ const {
   EventType,
   updateLinksForRecord,
   getLinkDocuments,
+  attachLinkInfoToRecord,
+  attachLinkInfoToRecords,
 } = require("../../db/linkedRecords")
 
 validateJs.extend(validateJs.validators.datetime, {
@@ -20,11 +22,11 @@ validateJs.extend(validateJs.validators.datetime, {
 exports.patch = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
   const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
-  const record = await db.get(ctx.params.id)
   const model = await db.get(record.modelId)
+  let record = await db.get(ctx.params.id)
   const patchfields = ctx.request.body
 
-  for (let key in patchfields) {
+  for (let key of Object.keys(patchfields)) {
     if (!model.schema[key]) continue
     record[key] = patchfields[key]
   }
@@ -43,16 +45,17 @@ exports.patch = async function(ctx) {
     return
   }
 
-  const response = await db.put(record)
-  record._rev = response.rev
-  record.type = "record"
-  await updateLinksForRecord({
+  // returned record is cleaned and prepared for writing to DB
+  record = await updateLinksForRecord({
     instanceId,
     eventType: EventType.RECORD_UPDATE,
     record,
     modelId: record.modelId,
     model,
   })
+  const response = await db.put(record)
+  record._rev = response.rev
+  record.type = "record"
 
   ctx.eventEmitter &&
     ctx.eventEmitter.emitRecord(`record:update`, instanceId, record, model)
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ exports.patch = async function(ctx) {
 exports.save = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
   const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
-  const record = ctx.request.body
+  let record = ctx.request.body
   record.modelId = ctx.params.modelId
 
   if (!record._rev && !record._id) {
@@ -99,16 +102,16 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
     return
   }
 
-  record.type = "record"
-  const response = await db.post(record)
-  record._rev = response.rev
-  await updateLinksForRecord({
+  record = await updateLinksForRecord({
     instanceId,
     eventType: EventType.RECORD_SAVE,
     record,
     modelId: record.modelId,
     model,
   })
+  record.type = "record"
+  const response = await db.post(record)
+  record._rev = response.rev
 
   ctx.eventEmitter &&
     ctx.eventEmitter.emitRecord(`record:save`, instanceId, record, model)
@@ -118,7 +121,8 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
 }
 
 exports.fetchView = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.user.instanceId)
+  const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const { stats, group, field } = ctx.query
   const response = await db.query(`database/${ctx.params.viewName}`, {
     include_docs: !stats,
@@ -136,52 +140,61 @@ exports.fetchView = async function(ctx) {
     response.rows = response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
   }
 
-  ctx.body = response.rows
+  ctx.body = await attachLinkInfoToRecords(instanceId, response.rows)
 }
 
 exports.fetchModelRecords = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.user.instanceId)
+  const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const response = await db.query(`database/all_${ctx.params.modelId}`, {
     include_docs: true,
   })
-  ctx.body = response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
+  ctx.body = await attachLinkInfoToRecords(
+    instanceId,
+    response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
+  )
 }
 
 exports.search = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.user.instanceId)
+  const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const response = await db.allDocs({
     include_docs: true,
     ...ctx.request.body,
   })
-  ctx.body = response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
+  ctx.body = await attachLinkInfoToRecords(
+    instanceId,
+    response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
+  )
 }
 
 exports.find = async function(ctx) {
-  const db = new CouchDB(ctx.user.instanceId)
+  const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const record = await db.get(ctx.params.recordId)
   if (record.modelId !== ctx.params.modelId) {
     ctx.throw(400, "Supplied modelId does not match the records modelId")
     return
   }
-  ctx.body = record
+  ctx.body = await attachLinkInfoToRecord(instanceId, record)
 }
 
 exports.destroy = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
-  const db = new CouchDB()
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const record = await db.get(ctx.params.recordId)
   if (record.modelId !== ctx.params.modelId) {
     ctx.throw(400, "Supplied modelId doesn't match the record's modelId")
     return
   }
-  ctx.body = await db.remove(ctx.params.recordId, ctx.params.revId)
-  ctx.status = 200
   await updateLinksForRecord({
     instanceId,
     eventType: EventType.RECORD_DELETE,
     record,
     modelId: record.modelId,
   })
+  ctx.body = await db.remove(ctx.params.recordId, ctx.params.revId)
+  ctx.status = 200
 
   // for automations include the record that was deleted
   ctx.record = record
@@ -217,6 +230,7 @@ async function validate({ instanceId, modelId, record, model }) {
 
 exports.fetchLinkedRecords = async function(ctx) {
   const instanceId = ctx.user.instanceId
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   const modelId = ctx.params.modelId
   const fieldName = ctx.params.fieldName
   const recordId = ctx.params.recordId
@@ -229,13 +243,18 @@ exports.fetchLinkedRecords = async function(ctx) {
     }
     return
   }
-  let records = await getLinkDocuments({
+  // get the link docs
+  const linkDocIds = await getLinkDocuments({
     instanceId,
     modelId,
     fieldName,
     recordId,
-    includeDoc: true,
   })
+  // now get the docs from the all docs index
+  const response = await db.query(`database/_all_docs`, {
+    include_docs: true,
+    keys: linkDocIds,
+  })
+  ctx.body = response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
   ctx.status = 200
-  ctx.body = { records: records }
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/LinkController.js b/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/LinkController.js
index 983155e4b9..38ec97cc7c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/LinkController.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/LinkController.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class LinkController {
    */
   async doesModelHaveLinkedFields() {
     const model = await this.model()
-    for (const fieldName of Object.keys(model.schema)) {
+    for (let fieldName of Object.keys(model.schema)) {
       const { type } = model.schema[fieldName]
       if (type === "link") {
         return true
@@ -79,12 +79,13 @@ class LinkController {
   /**
    * Utility function for main getLinkDocuments function - refer to it for functionality.
    */
-  getLinkDocs(fieldName, recordId) {
+  getLinkDocs(includeDocs, fieldName = null, recordId = null) {
     return linkedRecords.getLinkDocuments({
       instanceId: this._instanceId,
       modelId: this._modelId,
       fieldName,
       recordId,
+      includeDocs,
     })
   }
 
@@ -93,22 +94,23 @@ class LinkController {
   /**
    * When a record is saved this will carry out the necessary operations to make sure
    * the link has been created/updated.
-   * @returns {Promise<null>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
-   * be accurate.
+   * @returns {Promise<object>} returns the record that has been cleaned and prepared to be written to the DB - links
+   * have also been created.
    */
   async recordSaved() {
     const model = await this.model()
     const record = this._record
-    let operations = []
+    const operations = []
     for (let fieldName of Object.keys(model.schema)) {
       const field = model.schema[fieldName]
       if (field.type === "link") {
         // get link docs to compare against
-        let linkDocs = await this.getLinkDocs(fieldName, record._id)
-        let currentLinkIds = linkDocs.map(doc => doc._id)
-        let toLinkIds = record[fieldName]
+        const linkDocIds = await this.getLinkDocs(false, fieldName, record._id)
+        // get the links this record wants to make
+        const toLinkIds = record[fieldName]
+        // iterate through them and find any which don't exist, create them
         for (let linkId of toLinkIds) {
-          if (currentLinkIds.indexOf(linkId) === -1) {
+          if (linkDocIds.indexOf(linkId) === -1) {
             operations.push(
               new LinkDocument(
                 model._id,
@@ -120,96 +122,104 @@ class LinkController {
               )
             )
           }
-          const toDeleteIds = currentLinkIds.filter(
+          // work out any that need to be deleted
+          const toDeleteIds = linkDocIds.filter(
             id => toLinkIds.indexOf(id) === -1
           )
           operations.concat(
             toDeleteIds.map(id => ({ _id: id, _deleted: true }))
           )
         }
+        // remove the field from the record, shouldn't store it
+        delete record[fieldName]
       }
     }
     await this._db.bulkDocs(operations)
+    return record
   }
 
   /**
    * When a record is deleted this will carry out the necessary operations to make sure
    * any links that existed have been removed.
-   * @returns {Promise<null>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
-   * be accurate.
+   * @returns {Promise<object>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
+   * be accurate. This also returns the record that was deleted.
    */
   async recordDeleted() {
     const record = this._record
-    // get link docs to compare against
-    let linkDocs = await this.getLinkDocs(null, record._id)
+    // need to get the full link docs to be be able to delete it
+    const linkDocs = await this.getLinkDocs(true, null, record._id)
     if (linkDocs.length === 0) {
       return null
     }
-    let toDelete = linkDocs.map(doc => {
+    const toDelete = linkDocs.map(doc => {
       return {
         ...doc,
         _deleted: true,
       }
     })
     await this._db.bulkDocs(toDelete)
+    return record
   }
 
   /**
    * When a model is saved this will carry out the necessary operations to make sure
    * any linked models are notified and updated correctly.
-   * @returns {Promise<null>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
-   * be accurate.
+   * @returns {Promise<object>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
+   * be accurate. Also returns the model that was operated on.
    */
   async modelSaved() {
     const model = await this.model()
     const schema = model.schema
-    for (const fieldName of Object.keys(schema)) {
+    for (let fieldName of Object.keys(schema)) {
       const field = schema[fieldName]
       if (field.type === "link") {
         // create the link field in the other model
         const linkedModel = await this._db.get(field.modelId)
         linkedModel.schema[field.fieldName] = {
-          name: model.name,
+          name: field.fieldName,
           type: "link",
+          // these are the props of the table that initiated the link
           modelId: model._id,
           fieldName: fieldName,
         }
         await this._db.put(linkedModel)
       }
     }
+    return model
   }
 
   /**
    * When a model is deleted this will carry out the necessary operations to make sure
    * any linked models have the joining column correctly removed as well as removing any
    * now stale linking documents.
-   * @returns {Promise<null>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
-   * be accurate.
+   * @returns {Promise<object>} The operation has been completed and the link documents should now
+   * be accurate. Also returns the model that was operated on.
    */
   async modelDeleted() {
     const model = await this.model()
     const schema = model.schema
-    for (const fieldName of Object.keys(schema)) {
-      let field = schema[fieldName]
+    for (let fieldName of Object.keys(schema)) {
+      const field = schema[fieldName]
       if (field.type === "link") {
         const linkedModel = await this._db.get(field.modelId)
         delete linkedModel.schema[model.name]
         await this._db.put(linkedModel)
       }
     }
-    // get link docs to compare against
-    let linkDocs = await this.getLinkDocs()
+    // need to get the full link docs to delete them
+    const linkDocs = await this.getLinkDocs(true)
     if (linkDocs.length === 0) {
       return null
     }
     // get link docs for this model and configure for deletion
-    let toDelete = linkDocs.map(doc => {
+    const toDelete = linkDocs.map(doc => {
       return {
         ...doc,
         _deleted: true,
       }
     })
     await this._db.bulkDocs(toDelete)
+    return model
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/index.js b/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/index.js
index a4025ea90c..6ecd5b5a2c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/index.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/db/linkedRecords/index.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const EventType = {
   MODEL_DELETE: "model:delete",
 }
 
-module.exports.EventType = EventType
+exports.EventType = EventType
 
 /**
  * Update link documents for a model - this is to be called by the model controller when a model is being changed.
@@ -22,16 +22,13 @@ module.exports.EventType = EventType
  * future quite easily (all updates go through one function).
  * @param {string} instanceId The ID of the instance in which the model change is occurring.
  * @param {object} model The model which is changing, whether it is being deleted, created or updated.
- * @returns {Promise<null>} When the update is complete this will respond successfully.
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} When the update is complete this will respond successfully. Returns the model that was
+ * operated upon.
  */
-module.exports.updateLinksForModel = async ({
-  eventType,
-  instanceId,
-  model,
-}) => {
+exports.updateLinksForModel = async ({ eventType, instanceId, model }) => {
   // can't operate without these properties
   if (instanceId == null || model == null) {
-    return null
+    return model
   }
   let linkController = new LinkController({
     instanceId,
@@ -39,15 +36,13 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForModel = async ({
     model,
   })
   if (!(await linkController.doesModelHaveLinkedFields())) {
-    return null
+    return model
   }
   switch (eventType) {
     case EventType.MODEL_SAVE:
-      await linkController.modelSaved()
-      break
+      return await linkController.modelSaved()
     case EventType.MODEL_DELETE:
-      await linkController.modelDeleted()
-      break
+      return await linkController.modelDeleted()
     default:
       throw "Type of event is not known, linked record handler requires update."
   }
@@ -61,9 +56,10 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForModel = async ({
  * @param {object} record The record which is changing, e.g. created, updated or deleted.
  * @param {string} modelId The ID of the of the model which is being updated.
  * @param {object|null} model If the model has already been retrieved this can be used to reduce database gets.
- * @returns {Promise<null>} When the update is complete this will respond successfully.
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} When the update is complete this will respond successfully. Returns the record that was
+ * operated upon, cleaned up and prepared for writing to DB.
  */
-module.exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
+exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
   eventType,
   instanceId,
   record,
@@ -71,8 +67,8 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
   model,
 }) => {
   // can't operate without these properties
-  if (instanceId == null || modelId == null) {
-    return null
+  if (instanceId == null || modelId == null || record == null) {
+    return record
   }
   let linkController = new LinkController({
     instanceId,
@@ -81,7 +77,7 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
     record,
   })
   if (!(await linkController.doesModelHaveLinkedFields())) {
-    return null
+    return record
   }
   switch (eventType) {
     case EventType.RECORD_SAVE:
@@ -94,6 +90,73 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Utility function to in parallel up a list of records with link info.
+ * @param {string} instanceId The instance in which this record has been created.
+ * @param {object[]} records A list records to be updated with link info.
+ * @returns {Promise<object[]>} The updated records (this may be the same if no links were found).
+ */
+exports.attachLinkInfoToRecords = async (instanceId, records) => {
+  let recordPromises = []
+  for (let record of records) {
+    recordPromises.push(exports.attachLinkInfoToRecord(instanceId, record))
+  }
+  return await Promise.all(recordPromises)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Update a record with information about the links that pertain to it.
+ * @param {string} instanceId The instance in which this record has been created.
+ * @param {object} record The record itself which is to be updated with info (if applicable).
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} The updated record (this may be the same if no links were found).
+ */
+exports.attachLinkInfoToRecord = async (instanceId, record) => {
+  const recordId = record._id
+  const modelId = record.modelId
+  // get all links for record, ignore fieldName for now
+  const linkDocs = await exports.getLinkDocuments({
+    instanceId,
+    modelId,
+    recordId,
+    includeDocs: true,
+  })
+  if (linkDocs == null || linkDocs.length === 0) {
+    return record
+  }
+  for (let linkDoc of linkDocs) {
+    // work out which link pertains to this record
+    const doc = linkDoc.doc1.recordId === recordId ? linkDoc.doc1 : linkDoc.doc2
+    if (record[doc.fieldName] == null || record[doc.fieldName].count == null) {
+      record[doc.fieldName] = { type: "link", count: 1 }
+    } else {
+      record[doc.fieldName].count++
+    }
+  }
+  return record
+}
+
+exports.createLinkView = async instanceId => {
+  const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
+  const designDoc = await db.get("_design/database")
+  const view = {
+    map: function(doc) {
+      if (doc.type === "link") {
+        let doc1 = doc.doc1
+        let doc2 = doc.doc2
+        emit([doc1.modelId, 1, doc1.fieldName, doc1.recordId], doc2.recordId)
+        emit([doc2.modelId, 1, doc2.fieldName, doc2.recordId], doc1.recordId)
+        emit([doc1.modelId, 2, doc1.recordId], doc2.recordId)
+        emit([doc2.modelId, 2, doc2.recordId], doc1.recordId)
+      }
+    }.toString(),
+  }
+  designDoc.views = {
+    ...designDoc.views,
+    by_link: view,
+  }
+  await db.put(designDoc)
+}
+
 /**
  * Gets the linking documents, not the linked documents themselves.
  * @param {string} instanceId The instance in which we are searching for linked records.
@@ -103,17 +166,17 @@ module.exports.updateLinksForRecord = async ({
  * @param {string|null} recordId The ID of the record which we want to find linking documents for -
  * if this is not specified then it will assume model or field level depending on whether the
  * field name has been specified.
- * @param {boolean|null} includeDoc whether to include docs in the response call, this is considerably slower so only
+ * @param {boolean|null} includeDocs whether to include docs in the response call, this is considerably slower so only
  * use this if actually interested in the docs themselves.
  * @returns {Promise<object[]>} This will return an array of the linking documents that were found
  * (if any).
  */
-module.exports.getLinkDocuments = async ({
+exports.getLinkDocuments = async ({
   instanceId,
   modelId,
   fieldName,
   recordId,
-  includeDoc,
+  includeDocs,
 }) => {
   const db = new CouchDB(instanceId)
   let params
@@ -131,11 +194,16 @@ module.exports.getLinkDocuments = async ({
   else {
     params = { startKey: [modelId, 1], endKey: [modelId, 1, {}] }
   }
-  params.include_docs = !!includeDoc
+  params.include_docs = !!includeDocs
   try {
     const response = await db.query("database/by_link", params)
     return response.rows.map(row => row.doc)
   } catch (err) {
-    console.error(err)
+    // check if the view doesn't exist, it should for all new instances
+    if (err != null && err.name === "not_found") {
+      await exports.createLinkView(instanceId)
+    } else {
+      console.error(err)
+    }
   }
 }