diff --git a/hive/indexer/posts.py b/hive/indexer/posts.py
index 0a219c53e2b38b2749c62439ed5c6b3721e50908..64da8b4e34fb059c5f805da07bed3193b9944e9d 100644
--- a/hive/indexer/posts.py
+++ b/hive/indexer/posts.py
@@ -323,16 +323,22 @@ class Posts:
     @classmethod
     def update_child_count(cls, parent_id, op='+'):
         """ Increase/decrease child count by 1 """
+        sql = """SELECT children FROM hive_posts WHERE id = :id"""
+        children = int(DB.query(sql, id=parent_id))
+        if children == 32767:
+            children = 0
+
+        if op == '+':
+            children += 1
+        else:
+            children -= 1
+
         sql = """
             UPDATE 
                 hive_posts 
-            SET """
-        if op == '+':
-            sql += """children = (SELECT children FROM hive_posts WHERE id = :id) + 1"""
-        else:
-            sql += """children = (SELECT children FROM hive_posts WHERE id = :id) - 1"""
-        sql += """ WHERE id = :id"""
-        DB.query(sql, id=parent_id)
+            SET children = :children WHERE id = :id"""
+
+        DB.query(sql, id=parent_id, children=children)
 
     @classmethod
     def undelete(cls, op, date, pid):
diff --git a/hive/steem/http_client.py b/hive/steem/http_client.py
index 1233ec439d3cf3cc7b99e3ea102c838adee5147f..ed7fc6236e7421aea042967cebe8c7bb36995cdc 100644
--- a/hive/steem/http_client.py
+++ b/hive/steem/http_client.py
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ class HttpClient(object):
         body_data = json.dumps(body, ensure_ascii=False).encode('utf8')
 
         tries = 0
-        while tries < 100:
+        # changed number of tries to 25
+        while tries < 25:
             tries += 1
             secs = -1
             info = None