diff --git a/fedireads/incoming.py b/fedireads/incoming.py
index 225177ce..40c2deb5 100644
--- a/fedireads/incoming.py
+++ b/fedireads/incoming.py
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def get_following(request, username):
         return HttpResponseBadRequest()
 
     user = models.User.objects.get(localname=username)
-    following = models.User.objects.filter(followers=user)
+    following = user.following
     page = request.GET.get('page')
     return JsonResponse(activitypub.get_following(user, page, following))
 
@@ -201,8 +201,8 @@ def handle_incoming_follow(activity):
     # TODO: allow users to manually approve requests
     try:
         models.UserRelationship.objects.create(
-            user_subject=to_follow,
-            user_object=user,
+            user_subject=user,
+            user_object=to_follow,
             status='follow_request',
             relationship_id=activity['id']
         )
diff --git a/fedireads/migrations/0008_auto_20200224_1504.py b/fedireads/migrations/0008_auto_20200224_1504.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ddbc8cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fedireads/migrations/0008_auto_20200224_1504.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.0.3 on 2020-02-24 15:04
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('fedireads', '0007_auto_20200223_0902'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name='user',
+            name='followers',
+            field=models.ManyToManyField(related_name='following', through='fedireads.UserRelationship', to=settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/fedireads/models/user.py b/fedireads/models/user.py
index 37c9cbca..292a7906 100644
--- a/fedireads/models/user.py
+++ b/fedireads/models/user.py
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ class User(AbstractUser):
         'self',
         symmetrical=False,
         through='UserRelationship',
-        through_fields=('user_subject', 'user_object')
+        through_fields=('user_object', 'user_subject'),
+        related_name='following'
     )
     favorites = models.ManyToManyField(
         'Status',
diff --git a/fedireads/outgoing.py b/fedireads/outgoing.py
index e1a9c510..f91975ff 100644
--- a/fedireads/outgoing.py
+++ b/fedireads/outgoing.py
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ def handle_outgoing_follow(user, to_follow):
 def handle_outgoing_unfollow(user, to_unfollow):
     ''' someone local wants to follow someone '''
     relationship = models.UserRelationship.objects.get(
-        user_object=user,
-        user_subject=to_unfollow
+        user_subject=user,
+        user_object=to_unfollow
     )
     activity = activitypub.get_unfollow(relationship)
     errors = broadcast(user, activity, [to_unfollow.inbox])
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/layout.html b/fedireads/templates/layout.html
index 51bfc75b..c6290f93 100644
--- a/fedireads/templates/layout.html
+++ b/fedireads/templates/layout.html
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
             <div id="branding"><a href="/">📚FediReads</a></div>
             <div id="actions">
                 <div id="account">
-                    {% if user.is_authenticated %}
+                    {% if request.user.is_authenticated %}
                     <form name="logout" action="/logout/" method="post">
                         {% csrf_token %}
                         Welcome, {% include 'snippets/username.html' with user=request.user %}
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/user.html b/fedireads/templates/user.html
index a71a565e..79605dbe 100644
--- a/fedireads/templates/user.html
+++ b/fedireads/templates/user.html
@@ -25,12 +25,25 @@
         {% for follower in user.followers.all %}
         <div>
             <a href="{{ follower.actor }}">{{ follower.username }}</a>
-            {% if not request.user in follower.followers.all %}
+            {% if not request.user in follower.followers.all and request.user != follower %}
             {% include 'snippets/follow_button.html' with user=follower %}
             {% endif %}
         </div>
         {% endfor %}
     </div>
+
+    <div>
+        <h2>Following</h2>
+        {% for following in user.following.all %}
+        <div>
+            <a href="{{ following.actor }}">{{ following.username }}</a>
+            {% if not request.user in following.followers.all and request.user != following %}
+            {% include 'snippets/follow_button.html' with user=following %}
+            {% endif %}
+        </div>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+
 </div>
 
 <div id="content">
diff --git a/init_db.py b/init_db.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c112b5a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init_db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from fedireads.models import User
+from fedireads.openlibrary import get_or_create_book
+
+User.objects.create_user('mouse', 'mouse.reeve@gmail.com', 'password123')
+User.objects.create_user('rat', 'rat@rat.com', 'ratword')
+
+User.objects.get(id=1).followers.add(User.objects.get(id=2))
+
+get_or_create_book('OL1715344W')
+get_or_create_book('OL102749W')
diff --git a/rebuilddb.sh b/rebuilddb.sh
index 127b5ed7..09d024aa 100755
--- a/rebuilddb.sh
+++ b/rebuilddb.sh
@@ -21,12 +21,5 @@ fi
 python manage.py makemigrations fedireads
 python manage.py migrate
 
-echo "from fedireads.models import User
-User.objects.create_user('mouse', 'mouse.reeve@gmail.com', 'password123')" | python manage.py shell
-echo "from fedireads.models import User
-User.objects.create_user('rat', 'rat@rat.com', 'ratword')
-User.objects.get(id=1).followers.add(User.objects.get(id=2))" | python manage.py shell
-echo "from fedireads.openlibrary import get_or_create_book
-get_or_create_book('OL1715344W')
-get_or_create_book('OL102749W')" | python manage.py shell
+python manage.py shell < init_db.py
 python manage.py runserver