diff --git a/backend/lib/deal-observer.js b/backend/lib/deal-observer.js
index 77363a2..aebd32e 100644
--- a/backend/lib/deal-observer.js
+++ b/backend/lib/deal-observer.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 /** @import {Queryable} from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db' */
 /** @import { Static } from '@sinclair/typebox' */
+/** @import { ActiveDeal } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js' */
 
 import { getActorEvents, getActorEventsFilter, getChainHead } from './rpc-service/service.js'
 import { ActiveDealDbEntry } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
 import { Value } from '@sinclair/typebox/value'
-import { convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry } from './utils.js'
+import { convertBlockEventToActiveDeal } from './utils.js'
 
 /**
  * @param {Queryable} pgPool
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ export const fetchAndStoreActiveDeals = async (blockHeight, pgPool, makeRpcReque
   const eventType = 'claim'
   const blockEvents = await getActorEvents(getActorEventsFilter(blockHeight, eventType), makeRpcRequest)
   console.log(`Fetched ${blockEvents.length} ${eventType} events from block ${blockHeight}`)
-  await storeActiveDeals(blockEvents.map((event) => convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry(event)), pgPool)
+  await storeActiveDeals(blockEvents.map((event) => convertBlockEventToActiveDeal(event)), pgPool)
 }
 
 /**
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ export async function countStoredActiveDeals (pgPool) {
 }
 
 /**
- * @param {Static<typeof ActiveDealDbEntry >[]} activeDeals
+ * @param {Static<typeof ActiveDeal >[]} activeDeals
  * @param {Queryable} pgPool
  * @returns {Promise<void>}
  * */
diff --git a/backend/lib/look-up-payload-cids.js b/backend/lib/look-up-payload-cids.js
index f1b24ac..2851a34 100644
--- a/backend/lib/look-up-payload-cids.js
+++ b/backend/lib/look-up-payload-cids.js
@@ -67,22 +67,14 @@ async function updatePayloadCidInActiveDeal (pgPool, deal, newPayloadRetrievalSt
   const updateQuery = `
     UPDATE active_deals
     SET payload_cid = $1, payload_retrievability_state = $2, last_payload_retrieval_attempt = $3
-    WHERE activated_at_epoch = $4 AND miner_id = $5 AND client_id = $6 AND piece_cid = $7 AND piece_size = $8 AND term_start_epoch = $9 AND term_min = $10 AND term_max = $11 AND sector_id = $12
+    WHERE id = $4
   `
   try {
     await pgPool.query(updateQuery, [
       newPayloadCid,
       newPayloadRetrievalState,
       lastRetrievalAttemptTimestamp,
-      deal.activated_at_epoch,
-      deal.miner_id,
-      deal.client_id,
-      deal.piece_cid,
-      deal.piece_size,
-      deal.term_start_epoch,
-      deal.term_min,
-      deal.term_max,
-      deal.sector_id
+      deal.id
     ])
   } catch (error) {
     throw Error(util.format('Error updating payload of deal: ', deal), { cause: error })
diff --git a/backend/lib/utils.js b/backend/lib/utils.js
index 4d5d72d..f1da573 100644
--- a/backend/lib/utils.js
+++ b/backend/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 /** @import { BlockEvent } from './rpc-service/data-types.js' */
-import { ActiveDealDbEntry, PayloadRetrievabilityState } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
+import { ActiveDeal, PayloadRetrievabilityState } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
 import { Value } from '@sinclair/typebox/value'
 /** @import { Static } from '@sinclair/typebox' */
 
 /**
  *
  * @param {Static <typeof BlockEvent>} blockEvent
- * @returns { Static < typeof ActiveDealDbEntry> }
+ * @returns { Static < typeof ActiveDeal> }
  */
-export function convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry (blockEvent) {
-  return Value.Parse(ActiveDealDbEntry, {
+export function convertBlockEventToActiveDeal (blockEvent) {
+  return Value.Parse(ActiveDeal, {
     activated_at_epoch: blockEvent.height,
     miner_id: blockEvent.event.provider,
     client_id: blockEvent.event.client,
diff --git a/backend/test/deal-observer.test.js b/backend/test/deal-observer.test.js
index efec2df..c87616c 100644
--- a/backend/test/deal-observer.test.js
+++ b/backend/test/deal-observer.test.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createPgPool, migrateWithPgClient } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observ
 import { fetchDealWithHighestActivatedEpoch, countStoredActiveDeals, loadDeals, storeActiveDeals, observeBuiltinActorEvents } from '../lib/deal-observer.js'
 import { Value } from '@sinclair/typebox/value'
 import { BlockEvent } from '../lib/rpc-service/data-types.js'
-import { convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry } from '../lib/utils.js'
+import { convertBlockEventToActiveDeal } from '../lib/utils.js'
 import { PayloadRetrievabilityState } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
 import { chainHeadTestData } from './test_data/chainHead.js'
 import { rawActorEventTestData } from './test_data/rawActorEvent.js'
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend', () => {
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
     await pgPool.query('DELETE FROM active_deals')
+    await pgPool.query('ALTER SEQUENCE active_deals_id_seq RESTART WITH 1')
   })
 
   it('adds new FIL+ deals from built-in actor events to storage', async () => {
@@ -39,10 +40,11 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend', () => {
       payload_cid: undefined
     }
     const event = Value.Parse(BlockEvent, { height: 1, event: eventData, emitter: 'f06' })
-    const dbEntry = convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry(event)
-    await storeActiveDeals([dbEntry], pgPool)
+    const activeDeal = convertBlockEventToActiveDeal(event)
+    await storeActiveDeals([activeDeal], pgPool)
     const actualData = await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')
     const expectedData = {
+      id: 1,
       activated_at_epoch: event.height,
       miner_id: eventData.provider,
       client_id: eventData.client,
@@ -74,8 +76,8 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend', () => {
       last_payload_retrieval_attempt: undefined
     }
     const event = Value.Parse(BlockEvent, { height: 1, event: eventData, emitter: 'f06' })
-    const dbEntry = convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry(event)
-    await storeActiveDeals([dbEntry], pgPool)
+    const activeDeal = convertBlockEventToActiveDeal(event)
+    await storeActiveDeals([activeDeal], pgPool)
     const expected = await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')
     const actual = await fetchDealWithHighestActivatedEpoch(pgPool)
     assert.deepStrictEqual(expected, [actual])
@@ -84,8 +86,8 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend', () => {
   it('check number of stored deals', async () => {
     const storeBlockEvent = async (eventData) => {
       const event = Value.Parse(BlockEvent, { height: 1, event: eventData, emitter: 'f06' })
-      const dbEntry = convertBlockEventToActiveDealDbEntry(event)
-      await storeActiveDeals([dbEntry], pgPool)
+      const activeDeal = convertBlockEventToActiveDeal(event)
+      await storeActiveDeals([activeDeal], pgPool)
     }
     const data = {
       id: 1,
@@ -132,6 +134,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend built in actor event observer', () => {
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
     await pgPool.query('DELETE FROM active_deals')
+    await pgPool.query('ALTER SEQUENCE active_deals_id_seq RESTART WITH 1')
   })
   it('stores all retrievable active deals if database is empty', async () => {
     await observeBuiltinActorEvents(pgPool, makeRpcRequest, 10, 0)
diff --git a/backend/test/look-up-payload-cids.test.js b/backend/test/look-up-payload-cids.test.js
index 0fddb76..36393e5 100644
--- a/backend/test/look-up-payload-cids.test.js
+++ b/backend/test/look-up-payload-cids.test.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import assert from 'assert'
 import { minerPeerIds } from './test_data/minerInfo.js'
 import { payloadCIDs } from './test_data/payloadCIDs.js'
 import { Value } from '@sinclair/typebox/value'
-import { ActiveDealDbEntry, PayloadRetrievabilityState } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
+import { ActiveDeal, PayloadRetrievabilityState } from '@filecoin-station/deal-observer-db/lib/types.js'
 import { countStoredActiveDealsWithUnresolvedPayloadCid, lookUpPayloadCids } from '../lib/look-up-payload-cids.js'
 
 describe('deal-observer-backend look up payload CIDs', () => {
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend look up payload CIDs', () => {
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
     await pgPool.query('DELETE FROM active_deals')
+    await pgPool.query('ALTER SEQUENCE active_deals_id_seq RESTART WITH 1')
     const startEpoch = 4622129
     for (let blockHeight = startEpoch; blockHeight < startEpoch + 10; blockHeight++) {
       await fetchAndStoreActiveDeals(blockHeight, pgPool, makeRpcRequest)
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
 
   beforeEach(async () => {
     await pgPool.query('DELETE FROM active_deals')
+    await pgPool.query('ALTER SEQUENCE active_deals_id_seq RESTART WITH 1')
   })
   it('piece indexer does not retry to fetch missing payloads if the last retrieval was too recent', async (t) => {
     const returnPayload = false
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
       return returnPayload ? payloadCid : null
     }
 
-    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDealDbEntry, {
+    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDeal, {
       miner_id: 1,
       piece_cid: pieceCid,
       client_id: 1,
@@ -128,14 +130,15 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
     })
 
     await storeActiveDeals([deal], pgPool)
-    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals'))[0], deal)
+    const expectedDealDbEntry = { id: 1, ...deal }
+    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')), [expectedDealDbEntry])
     // The payload is unretrievable and the last retrieval timestamp should be updated
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
     // The timestamp on when the last retrieval of the payload was, was not yet set, so the piece indexer will try to fetch the payload
     assert.strictEqual(payloadsCalled, 1)
-    deal.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
-    deal.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.Unresolved
-    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals'))[0], deal)
+    expectedDealDbEntry.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
+    expectedDealDbEntry.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.Unresolved
+    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')), [expectedDealDbEntry])
     // If we retry now without changing the field last_payload_retrieval_attempt the function for calling payload should not be called
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
     assert.strictEqual(payloadsCalled, 1)
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
       return returnPayload ? payloadCid : null
     }
     // If we set the last_payload_retrieval_attempt to a value more than three days ago the piece indexer should try again to fetch the payload CID
-    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDealDbEntry, {
+    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDeal, {
       miner_id: 1,
       piece_cid: pieceCid,
       client_id: 1,
@@ -168,9 +171,10 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
     assert.strictEqual(payloadsCalled, 1)
     // This is the second attempt that failed to fetch the payload CID so the deal should be marked as unretrievable
-    deal.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.TerminallyUnretrievable
-    deal.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
-    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals'))[0], deal)
+    const expectedDealDbEntry = { id: 1, ...deal }
+    expectedDealDbEntry.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.TerminallyUnretrievable
+    expectedDealDbEntry.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
+    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')), [expectedDealDbEntry])
     // Now the piece indexer should no longer call the payload request for this deal
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
     assert.strictEqual(payloadsCalled, 1)
@@ -184,7 +188,7 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
       return returnPayload ? payloadCid : null
     }
     // If we set the last_payload_retrieval_attempt to a value more than three days ago the piece indexer should try again to fetch the payload CID
-    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDealDbEntry, {
+    const deal = Value.Parse(ActiveDeal, {
       miner_id: 1,
       piece_cid: pieceCid,
       client_id: 1,
@@ -202,11 +206,12 @@ describe('deal-observer-backend piece indexer payload retrieval', () => {
     await storeActiveDeals([deal], pgPool)
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
     assert.strictEqual(payloadsCalled, 1)
-    deal.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
-    deal.payload_cid = payloadCid
-    deal.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.Resolved
+    const expectedDealDbEntry = { id: 1, ...deal }
+    expectedDealDbEntry.last_payload_retrieval_attempt = new Date(now)
+    expectedDealDbEntry.payload_cid = payloadCid
+    expectedDealDbEntry.payload_retrievability_state = PayloadRetrievabilityState.Resolved
     // The second attempt at retrieving the payload cid was successful and this should be reflected in the database entry
-    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals'))[0], deal)
+    assert.deepStrictEqual((await loadDeals(pgPool, 'SELECT * FROM active_deals')), [expectedDealDbEntry])
 
     // Now the piece indexer should no longer call the payload request for this deal
     await lookUpPayloadCids(fetchMinerId, getDealPayloadCid, pgPool, 10000, now)
diff --git a/db/lib/types.js b/db/lib/types.js
index ff2ad3c..e758fce 100644
--- a/db/lib/types.js
+++ b/db/lib/types.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Type } from '@sinclair/typebox'
+import { Omit, Type } from '@sinclair/typebox'
 
 const PayloadRetrievabilityState = {
   NotQueried: 'PAYLOAD_CID_NOT_QUERIED_YET',
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const PayloadRetrievabilityState = {
 const PayloadRetrievabilityStateType = Type.Enum(PayloadRetrievabilityState)
 
 const ActiveDealDbEntry = Type.Object({
+  id: Type.Number(),
   activated_at_epoch: Type.Number(),
   miner_id: Type.Number(),
   client_id: Type.Number(),
@@ -24,4 +25,8 @@ const ActiveDealDbEntry = Type.Object({
   last_payload_retrieval_attempt: Type.Optional(Type.Date())
 })
 
-export { ActiveDealDbEntry, PayloadRetrievabilityState, PayloadRetrievabilityStateType }
+// The content of an active deal that is to be stored in the database
+// It does not contain the ID field, which is auto-generated by the database.
+const ActiveDeal = Omit(ActiveDealDbEntry, ['id'])
+
+export { ActiveDealDbEntry, ActiveDeal, PayloadRetrievabilityState, PayloadRetrievabilityStateType }
diff --git a/db/migrations/011.do.add-serial-index-to-active-deals.sql b/db/migrations/011.do.add-serial-index-to-active-deals.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f0ddf4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/011.do.add-serial-index-to-active-deals.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ALTER TABLE active_deals ADD COLUMN id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY;
\ No newline at end of file