diff --git a/cmd/itemAdd.go b/cmd/itemAdd.go
index 10f6e25..2aeb2e5 100644
--- a/cmd/itemAdd.go
+++ b/cmd/itemAdd.go
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@ func itemAdd() {
 
 	db := openAndMigrateDb()
 
-	err := core.AddItem(db, addSource, addId, addTitle, addAuthor, addBody, addLink, addTime)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := core.AddItems(db, []core.Item{{
+		Source: addSource,
+		Id:     addId,
+		Title:  addTitle,
+		Author: addAuthor,
+		Body:   addBody,
+		Link:   addLink,
+		Time:   addTime,
+	}}); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to add item: %s", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/db_test.go b/core/db_test.go
index d49302a..1e73670 100644
--- a/core/db_test.go
+++ b/core/db_test.go
@@ -11,21 +11,21 @@ func TestDeleteSourceCascade(t *testing.T) {
 	db := EphemeralDb(t)
 
 	if err := AddSource(db, "source1"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed to add source1: %v", err)
 	}
 	if err := AddSource(db, "source2"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed to add source2: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := AddItem(db, "source1", "item1", "", "", "", "", 0); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if err := AddItem(db, "source2", "item2", "", "", "", "", 0); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+	if err := AddItems(db, []Item{
+		{"source1", "item1", 0, true, "", "", "", "", 0},
+		{"source2", "item2", 0, true, "", "", "", "", 0},
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to add items: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	items, err := GetAllActiveItems(db)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed to get active items: %v", err)
 	}
 	if len(items) != 2 {
 		t.Fatal("Expected 2 items")
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ func TestDeleteSourceCascade(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if len(items) != 1 {
-		t.Fatal("Expected only 1 item after source delete")
+		t.Fatalf("Expected only 1 item after source delete, got %d", len(items))
 	}
 
-	err = AddItem(db, "source1", "item3", "", "", "", "", 0)
+	err = AddItems(db, []Item{{"source1", "item3", 0, true, "", "", "", "", 0}})
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Unexpected success adding item for nonexistent source")
 	}
diff --git a/core/source.go b/core/source.go
index 95e5a22..c677add 100644
--- a/core/source.go
+++ b/core/source.go
@@ -48,24 +48,6 @@ func DeleteSource(db *DB, name string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func AddItem(
-	db *DB,
-	source string,
-	id string,
-	title string,
-	author string,
-	body string,
-	link string,
-	time int,
-) error {
-	_, err := db.Exec(`
-		insert into items (source, id, active, title, author, body, link, time)
-		values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
-	`, source, id, true, title, author, body, link, time)
-
-	return err
-}
-
 func AddItems(db *DB, items []Item) error {
 	return db.Transact(func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
 		stmt, err := tx.Prepare(`
diff --git a/core/source_test.go b/core/source_test.go
index 5f04deb..838d178 100644
--- a/core/source_test.go
+++ b/core/source_test.go
@@ -57,18 +57,18 @@ func AssertItemIs(t *testing.T, item Item, expected string) {
 func TestAddItem(t *testing.T) {
 	db := EphemeralDb(t)
 	if err := AddSource(db, "test"); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed to add source: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := AddItem(db, "test", "one", "", "", "", "", 0); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if err := AddItem(db, "test", "two", "title", "author", "body", "link", 123456); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+	if err := AddItems(db, []Item{
+		{"test", "one", 0, true, "", "", "", "", 0},
+		{"test", "two", 0, true, "title", "author", "body", "link", 123456},
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to add items: %v", err)
 	}
 	items, err := GetActiveItemsForSource(db, "test")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed to get active items: %v", err)
 	}
 	if len(items) != 2 {
 		t.Fatal("should get two items")