diff --git a/src/database/archive.py b/src/database/archive.py
index 2d9cd3d..7690f31 100644
--- a/src/database/archive.py
+++ b/src/database/archive.py
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ class Archive(DatabaseConnection):
         super().__init__(db_path, table_name)
 
         self.uuid = archive_json['id']
-        self.repo_id = repo.repo_id
+        self.repo_id = repo.primary_key
         self.name = archive_json['name']
         self.start = datetime.fromisoformat(archive_json['start'])
         self.end = datetime.fromisoformat(archive_json['end'])
 
-        self.archive_id = self._insert()
+        self.insert()
 
     def _create_table(self):
         create_statement = f"create table if not exists {self._sql_table}(" \
@@ -29,13 +29,11 @@ class Archive(DatabaseConnection):
         result = self.sql_execute_one(f"SELECT archive_id FROM {self._sql_table}"
                                       f" WHERE uuid=?;", (self.uuid,))
         if result is None:
-            return None
+            return False, None
         else:
-            return result[0]
+            return True, result[0]
 
     def _insert(self) -> int:
-        if self._exists():
-            raise Exception("archive with same uuid already exists")
         with self.sql_lock:
             cursor = self.sql_cursor
             statement = f"INSERT INTO {self._sql_table}"\
diff --git a/src/database/databaseconnection.py b/src/database/databaseconnection.py
index c3cf21d..5b95707 100644
--- a/src/database/databaseconnection.py
+++ b/src/database/databaseconnection.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ class DatabaseConnection(ABC):
         self._create_table()
         self.sql_commit()
 
+        self.primary_key = None
+
     @property
     def sql_lock(self):
         return self.__sql_lock
@@ -66,6 +68,28 @@ class DatabaseConnection(ABC):
     def sql_commit(self):
         self.__sql_database.commit()
 
+    def insert(self):
+        if self.exists():
+            raise Exception("Record exists")
+        elif self.primary_key is not None:
+            raise Exception("Primary key already set")
+        else:
+            self.primary_key = self._insert()
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _insert(self) -> int:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    def exists(self) -> bool:
+        exists, primary_key = self._exists()
+        if exists:
+            self.primary_key = primary_key
+        return exists
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _exists(self) -> (bool, list):
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     @abstractmethod
     def _create_table(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/src/database/repo.py b/src/database/repo.py
index a43452e..848399e 100644
--- a/src/database/repo.py
+++ b/src/database/repo.py
@@ -6,17 +6,14 @@ class Repo(DatabaseConnection):
     def __init__(self, db_path, repo_json: dict, table_name: str = 'repo'):
         super(Repo, self).__init__(db_path, table_name)
 
-        self.repo_id = None
         self.uuid = repo_json['id']
         self.location = repo_json['location']
         self.last_modified = datetime.fromisoformat(repo_json['last_modified'])
 
-        repo_id = self._exists()
-        if repo_id is None:
-            self.repo_id = self._insert()
-        else:
-            self.repo_id = repo_id
+        if self.exists():
             self._update()
+        else:
+            self.insert()
 
     def _insert(self) -> int:
         with self.sql_lock:
@@ -31,16 +28,16 @@ class Repo(DatabaseConnection):
 
     def _update(self):
         self.sql_execute(f"UPDATE {self._sql_table} SET location = ?, last_modified = ? WHERE repo_id = ?;",
-                         (self.location, self.last_modified, self.repo_id))
+                         (self.location, self.last_modified, self.primary_key))
         self.sql_commit()
 
     def _exists(self):
         result = self.sql_execute_one(f"SELECT repo_id FROM {self._sql_table}"
                                       f" WHERE uuid=?;", (self.uuid,))
         if result is None:
-            return None
+            return False, None
         else:
-            return result[0]
+            return True, result[0]
 
     def _create_table(self):
         create_statement = f"create table if not exists {self._sql_table}(" \
diff --git a/src/database/stats.py b/src/database/stats.py
index 2eb8532..a2f228d 100644
--- a/src/database/stats.py
+++ b/src/database/stats.py
@@ -5,15 +5,14 @@ class Stats(DatabaseConnection):
     def __init__(self, db_path, repo: Repo, archive: Archive, stats_json: dict, table_name: str = "stats"):
         super().__init__(db_path, table_name)
 
-        self.stat_id = None
-        self.repo_id = repo.repo_id
-        self.archive_id = archive.archive_id
+        self.repo_id = repo.primary_key
+        self.archive_id = archive.primary_key
         self.file_count = stats_json['nfiles']
         self.original_size = stats_json['original_size']
         self.compressed_size = stats_json['compressed_size']
         self.deduplicated_size = stats_json['deduplicated_size']
 
-        self.stat_id = self._insert()
+        self.insert()
 
     def _create_table(self):
         create_statement = f"create table if not exists {self._sql_table}(" \
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ class Stats(DatabaseConnection):
         self.sql_execute(create_statement)
 
     def _exists(self):
-        return False
+        return False, None
 
     def _insert(self) -> int:
         with self.sql_lock: