diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
index 165a1847b5..685af4e98e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest.ts
@@ -640,14 +640,26 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
       ) {
         continue
       }
-      const isMany = field.relationshipType === RelationshipType.MANY_TO_MANY
-      const tableId = isMany ? field.through! : field.tableId!
+      let tableId: string | undefined,
+        lookupField: string | undefined,
+        fieldName: string | undefined
+      if (isManyToMany(field)) {
+        tableId = field.through
+        lookupField = primaryKey
+        fieldName = field.throughTo || primaryKey
+      } else if (isManyToOne(field)) {
+        tableId = field.tableId
+        lookupField = field.foreignKey
+        fieldName = field.fieldName
+      }
+      if (!tableId || !lookupField || !fieldName) {
+        throw new Error(
+          "Unable to lookup relationships - undefined column properties."
+        )
+      }
       const { tableName: relatedTableName } = breakExternalTableId(tableId)
       // @ts-ignore
       const linkPrimaryKey = this.tables[relatedTableName].primary[0]
-
-      const lookupField = isMany ? primaryKey : field.foreignKey
-      const fieldName = isMany ? field.throughTo || primaryKey : field.fieldName
       if (!lookupField || !row[lookupField]) {
         continue
       }
@@ -660,9 +672,12 @@ export class ExternalRequest<T extends Operation> {
         },
       })
       // this is the response from knex if no rows found
-      const rows: Row[] = response?.[0].read ? [] : (response as Row[])
-      const storeTo = isMany ? field.throughFrom || linkPrimaryKey : fieldName
-      related[storeTo] = { rows, isMany, tableId }
+      const rows: Row[] =
+        !Array.isArray(response) || response?.[0].read ? [] : response
+      const storeTo = isManyToMany(field)
+        ? field.throughFrom || linkPrimaryKey
+        : fieldName
+      related[storeTo] = { rows, isMany: isManyToMany(field), tableId }
     }
     return related
   }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/alias.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/alias.ts
index 280d50de9b..9d54bbff8e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/alias.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/alias.ts
@@ -16,19 +16,17 @@ class CharSequence {
     this.counters = [0]
   }
 
-  get character() {
-    return this.counters.map(i => CharSequence.alphabet[i]).join("")
-  }
-
-  next() {
+  getCharacter(): string {
+    const char = this.counters.map(i => CharSequence.alphabet[i]).join("")
     for (let i = this.counters.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
       if (this.counters[i] < CharSequence.alphabet.length - 1) {
         this.counters[i]++
-        return
+        return char
       }
       this.counters[i] = 0
     }
     this.counters.unshift(0)
+    return char
   }
 }
 
@@ -49,8 +47,7 @@ export default class AliasTables {
     if (this.aliases[tableName]) {
       return this.aliases[tableName]
     }
-    const char = this.charSeq.character
-    this.charSeq.next()
+    const char = this.charSeq.getCharacter()
     this.aliases[tableName] = char
     this.tableAliases[char] = tableName
     return char
diff --git a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/sqlAlias.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/sqlAlias.spec.ts
index 6e8bd0ea72..61dbc11840 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/sqlAlias.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/integrations/tests/sqlAlias.spec.ts
@@ -164,14 +164,14 @@ describe("Captures of real examples", () => {
     it("should handle over 'z' max character alias", () => {
       const tableNames = []
       for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
-        tableNames.push(generator.word())
+        tableNames.push(generator.guid())
       }
       const aliasing = new AliasTables(tableNames)
       let alias: string = ""
       for (let table of tableNames) {
         alias = aliasing.getAlias(table)
       }
-      expect(alias).toEqual("cu")
+      expect(alias).toEqual("cv")
     })
   })
 })