diff --git a/backend/build.gradle b/backend/build.gradle
index e7ee3f5fa..9c0484161 100644
--- a/backend/build.gradle
+++ b/backend/build.gradle
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ dependencies {
     implementation "org.postgresql:postgresql:42.7.4"
     implementation "org.apache.commons:commons-csv:1.12.0"
     implementation "org.springdoc:springdoc-openapi-starter-webmvc-ui:2.6.0"
-    implementation "org.flywaydb:flyway-database-postgresql:10.20.1"
-    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-spring-boot-starter:0.55.0"
-    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-jdbc:0.55.0"
-    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-json:0.55.0"
-    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-kotlin-datetime:0.55.0"
+    implementation "org.flywaydb:flyway-database-postgresql:10.21.0"
+    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-spring-boot-starter:0.56.0"
+    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-jdbc:0.56.0"
+    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-json:0.56.0"
+    implementation "org.jetbrains.exposed:exposed-kotlin-datetime:0.56.0"
     implementation "org.jetbrains.kotlinx:kotlinx-datetime:0.6.1"
     implementation "org.hibernate.validator:hibernate-validator:8.0.1.Final"
     implementation "org.keycloak:keycloak-admin-client:23.0.7"
diff --git a/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/service/seqsetcitations/SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService.kt b/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/service/seqsetcitations/SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService.kt
index 6c3de15b2..6a6ddddd3 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/service/seqsetcitations/SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService.kt
+++ b/backend/src/main/kotlin/org/loculus/backend/service/seqsetcitations/SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService.kt
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService(
                 .insert {
                     it[SeqSetRecordsTable.accession] = record.accession
                     it[SeqSetRecordsTable.type] = record.type
-                    it[SeqSetRecordsTable.isFocal] = record.isFocal ?: true
+                    it[SeqSetRecordsTable.isFocal] = record.isFocal
                 }
             SeqSetToRecordsTable
                 .insert {
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService(
             .where { SeqSetsTable.seqSetId eq seqSetId and (SeqSetsTable.createdBy eq username) }
             .firstOrNull()
             ?.get(SeqSetsTable.seqSetVersion.max())
+            as Long?
 
         if (maxVersion == null) {
             throw NotFoundException("SeqSet $seqSetId does not exist")
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ class SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService(
                     .insert {
                         it[SeqSetRecordsTable.accession] = record.accession
                         it[SeqSetRecordsTable.type] = record.type
-                        it[SeqSetRecordsTable.isFocal] = record.isFocal ?: true
+                        it[SeqSetRecordsTable.isFocal] = record.isFocal
                     }
                 insertedRecord[SeqSetRecordsTable.seqSetRecordId]
             } else {
@@ -469,7 +470,7 @@ class SeqSetCitationsDatabaseService(
                     val (accession, version) = it.accession.split('.')
                     AccessionVersion(accession, version.toLong())
                 }
-        } catch (e: NumberFormatException) {
+        } catch (_: NumberFormatException) {
             throw UnprocessableEntityException("Accession versions must be integers")
         }