diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/PDFSupport/PDFViewerViewModel.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/PDFSupport/PDFViewerViewModel.swift
index a56aa07aa..7d0b46e52 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/PDFSupport/PDFViewerViewModel.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/PDFSupport/PDFViewerViewModel.swift
@@ -23,19 +23,13 @@ public final class PDFViewerViewModel: ObservableObject {
   }
 
   public func createHighlight(shortId: String, highlightID: String, quote: String, patch: String) {
-    services.dataService
-      .createHighlightPublisher(
-        shortId: shortId,
-        highlightID: highlightID,
-        quote: quote,
-        patch: patch,
-        articleId: linkedItem.unwrappedID
-      )
-      .sink { [weak self] completion in
-        guard case let .failure(error) = completion else { return }
-        self?.errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
-      } receiveValue: { _ in }
-      .store(in: &subscriptions)
+    _ = services.dataService.createHighlight(
+      shortId: shortId,
+      highlightID: highlightID,
+      quote: quote,
+      patch: patch,
+      articleId: linkedItem.unwrappedID
+    )
   }
 
   public func mergeHighlight(
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
index 39d902c12..4db2620dd 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/WebReader/WebReaderViewModel.swift
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ final class WebReaderViewModel: ObservableObject {
     replyHandler: @escaping WKScriptMessageReplyHandler,
     dataService: DataService
   ) {
-    dataService.createHighlightPublisher(
+    let result = dataService.createHighlight(
       shortId: messageBody["shortId"] as? String ?? "",
       highlightID: messageBody["id"] as? String ?? "",
       quote: messageBody["quote"] as? String ?? "",
@@ -51,17 +51,8 @@ final class WebReaderViewModel: ObservableObject {
       articleId: messageBody["articleId"] as? String ?? "",
       annotation: messageBody["annotation"] as? String ?? ""
     )
-    .sink { completion in
-      guard case .failure = completion else { return }
-      replyHandler([], "createHighlight: Error encoding response")
-    } receiveValue: { result in
-      if let result = result {
-        replyHandler(["result": result], nil)
-      } else {
-        replyHandler([], "createHighlight: Error encoding response")
-      }
-    }
-    .store(in: &subscriptions)
+
+    return replyHandler(["result": result], nil)
   }
 
   func deleteHighlight(
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/CreateHighlight.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/CreateHighlight.swift
index 614b6e29e..9afba24a0 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/CreateHighlight.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/CreateHighlight.swift
@@ -1,17 +1,52 @@
-import Combine
+import CoreData
 import Foundation
 import Models
 import SwiftGraphQL
 
-public extension DataService {
-  func createHighlightPublisher(
+extension DataService {
+  public func createHighlight(
     shortId: String,
     highlightID: String,
     quote: String,
     patch: String,
     articleId: String,
     annotation: String? = nil
-  ) -> AnyPublisher<[String: Any]?, BasicError> {
+  ) -> [String: Any]? {
+    let internalHighlight = InternalHighlight(
+      id: highlightID,
+      shortId: shortId,
+      quote: quote,
+      prefix: nil, suffix: nil,
+      patch: patch,
+      annotation: annotation,
+      createdAt: nil,
+      updatedAt: nil,
+      createdByMe: true
+    )
+
+    internalHighlight.persist(context: backgroundContext, associatedItemID: articleId)
+
+    // Send update to server
+    syncHighlightCreation(
+      shortId: shortId,
+      highlightID: highlightID,
+      quote: quote,
+      patch: patch,
+      articleId: articleId,
+      annotation: annotation
+    )
+
+    return internalHighlight.encoded()
+  }
+
+  func syncHighlightCreation(
+    shortId: String,
+    highlightID: String,
+    quote: String,
+    patch: String,
+    articleId: String,
+    annotation: String?
+  ) {
     enum MutationResult {
       case saved(highlight: InternalHighlight)
       case error(errorCode: Enums.CreateHighlightErrorCode)
@@ -42,33 +77,29 @@ public extension DataService {
 
     let path = appEnvironment.graphqlPath
     let headers = networker.defaultHeaders
+    let context = backgroundContext
 
-    return Deferred {
-      Future { promise in
-        send(mutation, to: path, headers: headers) { result in
-          switch result {
-          case let .success(payload):
-            if let graphqlError = payload.errors {
-              promise(.failure(.message(messageText: "graphql error: \(graphqlError)")))
-            }
+    send(mutation, to: path, headers: headers) { result in
+      let data = try? result.get()
+      let syncStatus: ServerSyncStatus = data == nil ? .needsCreation : .isNSync
 
-            switch payload.data {
-            case let .saved(highlight: highlight):
-              highlight.persist(
-                context: self.backgroundContext,
-                associatedItemID: articleId
-              )
-              promise(.success(highlight.encoded()))
-            case let .error(errorCode: errorCode):
-              promise(.failure(.message(messageText: errorCode.rawValue)))
-            }
-          case .failure:
-            promise(.failure(.message(messageText: "graphql error")))
-          }
+      context.perform {
+        let fetchRequest: NSFetchRequest<Models.Highlight> = Highlight.fetchRequest()
+        fetchRequest.predicate = NSPredicate(
+          format: "id == %@", highlightID
+        )
+
+        guard let highlight = (try? context.fetch(fetchRequest))?.first else { return }
+        highlight.serverSyncStatus = Int64(syncStatus.rawValue)
+
+        do {
+          try context.save()
+          logger.debug("Highlight created succesfully")
+        } catch {
+          context.rollback()
+          logger.debug("Failed to create Highlight: \(error.localizedDescription)")
         }
       }
     }
-    .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)
-    .eraseToAnyPublisher()
   }
 }
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/RemoveLink.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/RemoveLink.swift
index f914ab326..fb2f7f8da 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/RemoveLink.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/Services/DataService/Mutations/RemoveLink.swift
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import Combine
 import CoreData
 import Foundation
 import Models