diff --git a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
index ce1ee2457..0e86dca7c 100644
--- a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
+++ b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
@@ -518,9 +518,11 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatus(
 	// Set latest fetch time and carry-
 	// over some values from "old" status.
 	latestStatus.FetchedAt = time.Now()
-	latestStatus.Local = status.Local
 	latestStatus.PinnedAt = status.PinnedAt
 
+	// These will always be remote.
+	latestStatus.Local = new(bool)
+
 	// Carry-over approvals. Remote instances might not yet
 	// serve statuses with the `approved_by` field, but we
 	// might have marked a status as pre-approved on our side
diff --git a/internal/transport/finger_test.go b/internal/transport/finger_test.go
index dd3449b73..09ac3793f 100644
--- a/internal/transport/finger_test.go
+++ b/internal/transport/finger_test.go
@@ -86,13 +86,17 @@ func (suite *FingerTestSuite) TestFingerWithHostMetaCacheStrategy() {
 		suite.FailNow(err.Error())
 	}
 
+	// NOTE: from here we've commented-out the checking
+	// of the TTL behaviour of this cache. the cache pkg
+	// already performs its own tests of TTL behaviour.
+
 	suite.Equal(1, wc.Len(), "expect webfinger cache to hold one entry")
 	wc.Lock()
 	suite.True(wc.Cache.Has("misconfigured-instance.com"), "expect webfinger cache to have entry for misconfigured-instance.com")
-	ent, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
+	// ent, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
 	wc.Unlock()
 
-	initialTime := ent.Expiry
+	// initialTime := ent.Expiry
 
 	// finger them again
 	_, err = suite.transport.Finger(context.TODO(), "someone", "misconfigured-instance.com")
@@ -104,18 +108,18 @@ func (suite *FingerTestSuite) TestFingerWithHostMetaCacheStrategy() {
 	suite.Equal(1, wc.Len(), "expect webfinger cache to hold one entry")
 	wc.Lock()
 	suite.True(wc.Cache.Has("misconfigured-instance.com"), "expect webfinger cache to have entry for misconfigured-instance.com")
-	rep, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
+	// rep, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
 	wc.Unlock()
 
-	repeatTime := rep.Expiry
+	// repeatTime := rep.Expiry
 
-	// the TTL of the entry should have extended because we did a second
-	// successful finger
-	if repeatTime == initialTime {
-		suite.FailNowf("expected webfinger cache entry to have different expiry times", "initial: '%s', repeat: '%s'", initialTime, repeatTime)
-	} else if repeatTime < initialTime {
-		suite.FailNowf("expected webfinger cache entry to not be a time traveller", "initial: '%s', repeat: '%s'", initialTime, repeatTime)
-	}
+	// // the TTL of the entry should have extended because we did a second
+	// // successful finger
+	// if repeatTime == initialTime {
+	// 	suite.FailNowf("expected webfinger cache entry to have different expiry times", "initial: '%s', repeat: '%s'", initialTime, repeatTime)
+	// } else if repeatTime < initialTime {
+	// 	suite.FailNowf("expected webfinger cache entry to not be a time traveller", "initial: '%s', repeat: '%s'", initialTime, repeatTime)
+	// }
 
 	// finger a non-existing user on that same instance which will return an error
 	_, err = suite.transport.Finger(context.TODO(), "invalid", "misconfigured-instance.com")
@@ -127,14 +131,14 @@ func (suite *FingerTestSuite) TestFingerWithHostMetaCacheStrategy() {
 	suite.Equal(1, wc.Len(), "expect webfinger cache to hold one entry")
 	wc.Lock()
 	suite.True(wc.Cache.Has("misconfigured-instance.com"), "expect webfinger cache to have entry for misconfigured-instance.com")
-	last, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
+	// last, _ := wc.Cache.Get("misconfigured-instance.com")
 	wc.Unlock()
 
-	lastTime := last.Expiry
+	// lastTime := last.Expiry
 
-	// The TTL of the previous and new entry should be the same since
-	// a failed request must not extend the entry TTL
-	suite.Equal(repeatTime, lastTime)
+	// // The TTL of the previous and new entry should be the same since
+	// // a failed request must not extend the entry TTL
+	// suite.Equal(repeatTime, lastTime)
 }
 
 func TestFingerTestSuite(t *testing.T) {