diff --git a/apps/cli/src/services/api/client.ts b/apps/cli/src/services/api/client.ts
index 17de5d4..05b26c6 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/services/api/client.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/services/api/client.ts
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ export async function request<T = unknown>(opts: RequestOpts): Promise<T> {
     });
 
     if (!res.ok) {
-      let body: unknown;
-      try { body = await res.json(); } catch { body = await res.text(); }
+      const text = await res.text();
+      let body: unknown = text;
+      try { body = JSON.parse(text); } catch { /* leave as text */ }
       throw new ApiError(res.status, res.statusText, body);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/modules/mesh/v1-router.ts b/packages/api/src/modules/mesh/v1-router.ts
index d48c8d9..3f925c2 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/modules/mesh/v1-router.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/modules/mesh/v1-router.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import {
   messageQueue,
   presence,
 } from "@turbostarter/db/schema/mesh";
-import { and, asc, count, desc, eq, gt, inArray, isNull, lt, sql } from "drizzle-orm";
+import { and, asc, count, desc, eq, gt, inArray, isNull, lt, notInArray, sql } from "drizzle-orm";
 
 import { validate } from "../../middleware";
 import {
@@ -596,10 +596,7 @@ export const v1Router = new Hono<Env>()
         and(
           inArray(meshTopicMessage.topicId, topicIds),
           sql`${meshTopicMessage.createdAt} > COALESCE(${meshTopicMember.lastReadAt}, '1970-01-01'::timestamp)`,
-          sql`${meshTopicMessage.senderMemberId} NOT IN (${sql.join(
-            myMemberIds.map((id) => sql`${id}`),
-            sql`, `,
-          )})`,
+          notInArray(meshTopicMessage.senderMemberId, myMemberIds),
         ),
       )
       .groupBy(meshTopicMessage.topicId);
@@ -688,7 +685,7 @@ export const v1Router = new Hono<Env>()
         )
         .where(
           and(
-            sql`${meshTopicMessage.topicId} = ANY(${topicIds})`,
+            inArray(meshTopicMessage.topicId, topicIds),
             sql`${meshTopicMessage.createdAt} > COALESCE(${meshTopicMember.lastReadAt}, '1970-01-01'::timestamp)`,
             sql`${meshTopicMessage.senderMemberId} <> ${key.issuedByMemberId}`,
           ),