diff --git a/dataherald/api/fastapi.py b/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
index 0f608416..a59a4d4c 100644
--- a/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
+++ b/dataherald/api/fastapi.py
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ def scan_db(
 
         db_connection_repository = DatabaseConnectionRepository(self.storage)
         scanner = self.system.instance(Scanner)
+        rows = scanner.synchronizing(
+            scanner_request,
+            TableDescriptionRepository(self.storage),
+        )
         database_connection_service = DatabaseConnectionService(scanner, self.storage)
         for schema, table_descriptions in data.items():
             db_connection = db_connection_repository.find_by_id(
@@ -156,11 +160,7 @@ def scan_db(
             background_tasks.add_task(
                 async_scanning, scanner, database, table_descriptions, self.storage
             )
-        return [
-            TableDescriptionResponse(**row.dict())
-            for _, table_descriptions in data.items()
-            for row in table_descriptions
-        ]
+        return [TableDescriptionResponse(**row.dict()) for row in rows]
 
     @override
     def create_database_connection(
diff --git a/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py b/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
index 6d3a7733..72b26c0f 100644
--- a/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/dataherald/db_scanner/sqlalchemy.py
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ def synchronizing(
         scanner_request: ScannerRequest,
         repository: TableDescriptionRepository,
     ) -> list[TableDescription]:
-        # persist tables to be scanned
         rows = []
-        for table in scanner_request.table_names:
+        for id in scanner_request.ids:
+            table_description = repository.find_by_id(id)
             rows.append(
                 repository.save_table_info(
                     TableDescription(
-                        db_connection_id=scanner_request.db_connection_id,
-                        table_name=table,
+                        db_connection_id=table_description.db_connection_id,
+                        table_name=table_description.table_name,
                         status=TableDescriptionStatus.SYNCHRONIZING.value,
                         metadata=scanner_request.metadata,
                     )