diff --git a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.go b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.go
index 28fa10f..a4ec03a 100644
--- a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.go
+++ b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.go
@@ -2020,7 +2020,7 @@ type Participant struct {
 	AvatarHexColor  string     `protobuf:"bytes,5,opt,name=avatarHexColor,proto3" json:"avatarHexColor,omitempty"`
 	IsMe            bool       `protobuf:"varint,6,opt,name=isMe,proto3" json:"isMe,omitempty"`
 	Muted           *Muted     `protobuf:"bytes,7,opt,name=muted,proto3" json:"muted,omitempty"`
-	SomeInt         int64      `protobuf:"varint,8,opt,name=someInt,proto3" json:"someInt,omitempty"`
+	IsVisible       bool       `protobuf:"varint,8,opt,name=isVisible,proto3" json:"isVisible,omitempty"`
 	ContactID       string     `protobuf:"bytes,10,opt,name=contactID,proto3" json:"contactID,omitempty"`
 	Bs              int64      `protobuf:"varint,14,opt,name=bs,proto3" json:"bs,omitempty"`
 	FormattedNumber string     `protobuf:"bytes,15,opt,name=formattedNumber,proto3" json:"formattedNumber,omitempty"`
@@ -2102,11 +2102,11 @@ func (x *Participant) GetMuted() *Muted {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (x *Participant) GetSomeInt() int64 {
+func (x *Participant) GetIsVisible() bool {
 	if x != nil {
-		return x.SomeInt
+		return x.IsVisible
 	}
-	return 0
+	return false
 }
 
 func (x *Participant) GetContactID() string {
diff --git a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.raw b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.raw
index 03f0ec5..429adf3 100644
Binary files a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.raw and b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.pb.raw differ
diff --git a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.proto b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.proto
index e524649..b8e485c 100644
--- a/libgm/gmproto/conversations.proto
+++ b/libgm/gmproto/conversations.proto
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ message Participant {
     string avatarHexColor = 5;
     bool isMe = 6;
     Muted muted = 7;
-    int64 someInt = 8;
+    bool isVisible = 8;
     string contactID = 10;
     int64 bs = 14;
     string formattedNumber = 15;
diff --git a/portal.go b/portal.go
index 1c91767..f78c352 100644
--- a/portal.go
+++ b/portal.go
@@ -905,6 +905,14 @@ func (portal *Portal) getIntent(ctx context.Context, source *User, participant s
 			return nil
 		}
 		return intent
+	} else if portal.IsPrivateChat() {
+		if participant != portal.OtherUserID {
+			zerolog.Ctx(ctx).Warn().
+				Str("participant_id", participant).
+				Str("portal_other_user_id", portal.OtherUserID).
+				Msg("Got unexpected participant ID for message in DM portal, forcing to main intent")
+		}
+		return portal.MainIntent()
 	} else {
 		puppet := source.GetPuppetByID(participant, "")
 		if puppet == nil {
@@ -1291,44 +1299,14 @@ func (portal *Portal) SyncParticipants(ctx context.Context, source *User, metada
 			}
 			continue
 		} else if participant.ID.Number == "" {
-			portal.zlog.Warn().Interface("participant", participant).Msg("No number found in non-self participant entry")
+			portal.zlog.Warn().Any("participant", participant).Msg("No number found in non-self participant entry")
+			continue
+		} else if !participant.IsVisible {
+			portal.zlog.Debug().Any("participant", participant).Msg("Ignoring fake participant")
 			continue
 		}
 		filteredParticipants = append(filteredParticipants, participant)
 	}
-	if len(filteredParticipants) > 1 && !metadata.IsGroupChat {
-		var bestParticipant *gmproto.Participant
-		var foundMultiple bool
-		for _, participant := range filteredParticipants {
-			if participant.GetSomeInt() == 1 &&
-				// TODO this name check may be unnecessary (and is even more hacky)
-				(participant.GetFullName() == metadata.GetName() ||
-					participant.GetFormattedNumber() == metadata.GetName() ||
-					strings.TrimPrefix(participant.GetID().GetNumber(), "+") == strings.TrimPrefix(metadata.GetName(), "+")) {
-				if bestParticipant != nil {
-					foundMultiple = true
-					break
-				} else {
-					bestParticipant = participant
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		if foundMultiple {
-			portal.zlog.Warn().
-				Any("participants", filteredParticipants).
-				Msg("Didn't apply hacky deduplication to DM participants: found multiple matches")
-		} else if bestParticipant != nil {
-			portal.zlog.Debug().
-				Any("participants", filteredParticipants).
-				Any("chosen_participant", bestParticipant).
-				Msg("Applied hacky deduplication to DM participants")
-			filteredParticipants = []*gmproto.Participant{bestParticipant}
-		} else {
-			portal.zlog.Warn().
-				Any("participants", filteredParticipants).
-				Msg("Didn't apply hacky deduplication to DM participants: no match found")
-		}
-	}
 	for _, participant := range filteredParticipants {
 		puppet := source.GetPuppetByID(participant.ID.ParticipantID, participant.ID.Number)
 		if puppet == nil {