diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/AutoLayout.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/AutoLayout.js
index f3e91440..1408ba62 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/AutoLayout.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/AutoLayout.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const AutoLayout = {
       }
     }
 
-    if (opts.map && self.coordsTaken(nextX, nextY, opts.map)) {
+    if (opts.mappings && self.coordsTaken(nextX, nextY, opts.mappings)) {
       // check if the coordinate is already taken on the current map
       return self.getNextCoord(opts)
     } else {
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ const AutoLayout = {
       }
     }
   },
-  coordsTaken: function (x, y, map) {
-    const mappings = map.getMappings()
+  coordsTaken: function (x, y, mappings) {
     if (mappings.findWhere({ xloc: x, yloc: y })) {
       return true
     } else {
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Backbone/index.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Backbone/index.js
index 1994c483..389d7dcf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Backbone/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Backbone/index.js
@@ -85,46 +85,6 @@ _Backbone.Map = Backbone.Model.extend({
   getUser: function () {
     return Mapper.get(this.get('user_id'))
   },
-  fetchContained: function () {
-    var bb = _Backbone
-    var that = this
-    var start = function (data) {
-      that.set('mappers', new bb.MapperCollection(data.mappers))
-      that.set('topics', new bb.TopicCollection(data.topics))
-      that.set('synapses', new bb.SynapseCollection(data.synapses))
-      that.set('mappings', new bb.MappingCollection(data.mappings))
-    }
-
-    $.ajax({
-      url: '/maps/' + this.id + '/contains.json',
-      success: start,
-      async: false
-    })
-  },
-  getTopics: function () {
-    if (!this.get('topics')) {
-      this.fetchContained()
-    }
-    return this.get('topics')
-  },
-  getSynapses: function () {
-    if (!this.get('synapses')) {
-      this.fetchContained()
-    }
-    return this.get('synapses')
-  },
-  getMappings: function () {
-    if (!this.get('mappings')) {
-      this.fetchContained()
-    }
-    return this.get('mappings')
-  },
-  getMappers: function () {
-    if (!this.get('mappers')) {
-      this.fetchContained()
-    }
-    return this.get('mappers')
-  },
   updateView: function () {
     var map = Active.Map
     var isActiveMap = this.id === map.id
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Import.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Import.js
index f70a1290..f3e872ec 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Import.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Import.js
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ const Import = {
     parsedTopics.forEach(function (topic) {
       let coords = { x: topic.x, y: topic.y }
       if (!coords.x || !coords.y) {
-        coords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ map: Active.Map })
+        coords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ mappings: Metamaps.Mappings })
       }
 
       if (!topic.name && topic.link ||
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ const Import = {
   handleURL: function (url, opts = {}) {
     let coords = opts.coords
     if (!coords || coords.x === undefined || coords.y === undefined) {
-      coords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ map: Active.Map })
+      coords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ mappings: Metamaps.Mappings })
     }
 
     const name = opts.name || 'Link'
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Realtime.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Realtime.js
index 6522d460..f905bb84 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Realtime.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Realtime.js
@@ -981,7 +981,6 @@ const Realtime = {
           else if (!couldEditBefore && canEditNow) {
             Map.canEditNow()
           } else {
-            model.fetchContained()
             model.trigger('changeByOther')
           }
         }
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Synapse.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Synapse.js
index 400cb0b0..8253d6ba 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Synapse.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Synapse.js
@@ -19,35 +19,21 @@ import Visualize from './Visualize'
  *  - Metamaps.Topics
  */
 
+const noOp = () => {}
 const Synapse = {
   // this function is to retrieve a synapse JSON object from the database
   // @param id = the id of the synapse to retrieve
-  get: function (id, callback) {
+  get: function (id, callback = noOp) {
     // if the desired topic is not yet in the local topic repository, fetch it
     if (Metamaps.Synapses.get(id) == undefined) {
-      if (!callback) {
-        var e = $.ajax({
-          url: '/synapses/' + id + '.json',
-          async: false
-        })
-        Metamaps.Synapses.add($.parseJSON(e.responseText))
-        return Metamaps.Synapses.get(id)
-      } else {
-        return $.ajax({
-          url: '/synapses/' + id + '.json',
-          success: function (data) {
-            Metamaps.Synapses.add(data)
-            callback(Metamaps.Synapses.get(id))
-          }
-        })
-      }
-    } else {
-      if (!callback) {
-        return Metamaps.Synapses.get(id)
-      } else {
-        return callback(Metamaps.Synapses.get(id))
-      }
-    }
+      $.ajax({
+        url: '/synapses/' + id + '.json',
+        success: function (data) {
+          Metamaps.Synapses.add(data)
+          callback(Metamaps.Synapses.get(id))
+        }
+      })
+    } else callback(Metamaps.Synapses.get(id))
   },
   /*
    *
@@ -152,21 +138,19 @@ const Synapse = {
       node1,
       node2
 
-    var synapse = self.get(id)
-
-    var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
-      mappable_type: 'Synapse',
-      mappable_id: synapse.id,
+    self.get(id, synapse => {
+      var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
+        mappable_type: 'Synapse',
+        mappable_id: synapse.id,
+      })
+      Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
+      topic1 = Metamaps.Topics.get(Create.newSynapse.topic1id)
+      node1 = topic1.get('node')
+      topic2 = Metamaps.Topics.get(Create.newSynapse.topic2id)
+      node2 = topic2.get('node')
+      Create.newSynapse.hide()
+      self.renderSynapse(mapping, synapse, node1, node2, true)
     })
-    Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
-
-    topic1 = Metamaps.Topics.get(Create.newSynapse.topic1id)
-    node1 = topic1.get('node')
-    topic2 = Metamaps.Topics.get(Create.newSynapse.topic2id)
-    node2 = topic2.get('node')
-    Create.newSynapse.hide()
-
-    self.renderSynapse(mapping, synapse, node1, node2, true)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Topic.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Topic.js
index 34e2bb64..5be6cc57 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Topic.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Topic.js
@@ -28,37 +28,21 @@ import Visualize from './Visualize'
  *  - Metamaps.Synapses
  *  - Metamaps.Topics
  */
-
+const noOp = () => {}
 const Topic = {
   // this function is to retrieve a topic JSON object from the database
   // @param id = the id of the topic to retrieve
-  get: function (id, callback) {
+  get: function (id, callback = noOp) {
     // if the desired topic is not yet in the local topic repository, fetch it
     if (Metamaps.Topics.get(id) == undefined) {
-      // console.log("Ajax call!")
-      if (!callback) {
-        var e = $.ajax({
-          url: '/topics/' + id + '.json',
-          async: false
-        })
-        Metamaps.Topics.add($.parseJSON(e.responseText))
-        return Metamaps.Topics.get(id)
-      } else {
-        return $.ajax({
-          url: '/topics/' + id + '.json',
-          success: function (data) {
-            Metamaps.Topics.add(data)
-            callback(Metamaps.Topics.get(id))
-          }
-        })
-      }
-    } else {
-      if (!callback) {
-        return Metamaps.Topics.get(id)
-      } else {
-        return callback(Metamaps.Topics.get(id))
-      }
-    }
+      $.ajax({
+        url: '/topics/' + id + '.json',
+        success: function (data) {
+          Metamaps.Topics.add(data)
+          callback(Metamaps.Topics.get(id))
+        }
+      })
+    } else callback(Metamaps.Topics.get(id))
   },
   launch: function (id) {
     var bb = Metamaps.Backbone
@@ -192,7 +176,7 @@ const Topic = {
   },
 
   // opts is additional options in a hash
-  // TODO: move createNewInDB and permitCerateSYnapseAfter into opts
+  // TODO: move createNewInDB and permitCreateSynapseAfter into opts
   renderTopic: function (mapping, topic, createNewInDB, permitCreateSynapseAfter, opts = {}) {
     var self = Topic
 
@@ -335,7 +319,7 @@ const Topic = {
     Metamaps.Topics.add(topic)
 
     if (Create.newTopic.pinned) {
-      var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord()
+      var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ mappings: Metamaps.Mappings })
     }
     var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
       xloc: nextCoords ? nextCoords.x : Create.newTopic.x,
@@ -357,40 +341,38 @@ const Topic = {
 
     Create.newTopic.hide()
 
-    var topic = self.get(id)
+    self.get(id, (topic) => {
+      if (Create.newTopic.pinned) {
+        var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ mappings: Metamaps.Mappings })
+      }
+      var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
+        xloc: nextCoords ? nextCoords.x : Create.newTopic.x,
+        yloc: nextCoords ? nextCoords.y : Create.newTopic.y,
+        mappable_type: 'Topic',
+        mappable_id: topic.id,
+      })
+      Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
 
-    if (Create.newTopic.pinned) {
-      var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord()
-    }
-    var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
-      xloc: nextCoords ? nextCoords.x : Create.newTopic.x,
-      yloc: nextCoords ? nextCoords.y : Create.newTopic.y,
-      mappable_type: 'Topic',
-      mappable_id: topic.id,
+      self.renderTopic(mapping, topic, true, true)
     })
-    Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
-
-    self.renderTopic(mapping, topic, true, true)
   },
   getTopicFromSearch: function (event, id) {
     var self = Topic
 
     $(document).trigger(Map.events.editedByActiveMapper)
 
-    var topic = self.get(id)
-
-    var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord()
-    var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
-      xloc: nextCoords.x,
-      yloc: nextCoords.y,
-      mappable_type: 'Topic',
-      mappable_id: topic.id,
+    self.get(id, (topic) => {
+      var nextCoords = AutoLayout.getNextCoord({ mappings: Metamaps.Mappings })
+      var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
+        xloc: nextCoords.x,
+        yloc: nextCoords.y,
+        mappable_type: 'Topic',
+        mappable_id: topic.id,
+      })
+      Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
+      self.renderTopic(mapping, topic, true, true)
+      GlobalUI.notifyUser('Topic was added to your map!')
     })
-    Metamaps.Mappings.add(mapping)
-
-    self.renderTopic(mapping, topic, true, true)
-
-    GlobalUI.notifyUser('Topic was added to your map!')
 
     event.stopPropagation()
     event.preventDefault()