diff --git a/data/model/modelutil.py b/data/model/modelutil.py
index 7f0594f89..bbea5b5fe 100644
--- a/data/model/modelutil.py
+++ b/data/model/modelutil.py
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ def paginate(query, model, descending=False, page_token=None, limit=50, id_alias
       next page, if any. If descending is set to True, orders by the ID descending rather
       than ascending.
   """
+  # Note: We use the id_alias for the order_by, but not the where below. The alias is necessary
+  # for certain queries that use unions in MySQL, as it gets confused on which ID to order by.
+  # The where clause, on the other hand, cannot use the alias because Postgres does not allow
+  # aliases in where clauses.
   id_field = model.id
   if id_alias is not None:
     id_field = SQL(id_alias)
diff --git a/test/test_queue.py b/test/test_queue.py
index 4703ba8b9..d31268850 100644
--- a/test/test_queue.py
+++ b/test/test_queue.py
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.running_count, None)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, None)
 
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, available_after=-1)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.currently_processing, False)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.running_count, 0)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 1)
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 1)
 
   def test_different_canonical_names(self):
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, available_after=-1)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.running_count, 0)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 2)
 
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 2)
 
   def test_canonical_name(self):
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def', 'ghi'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
 
     one = self.queue.get(ordering_required=True)
     self.assertNotEqual(QUEUE_NAME + '/abc/def/', one)
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
     self.assertNotEqual(QUEUE_NAME + '/abc/def/ghi/', two)
 
   def test_expiration(self):
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.running_count, 0)
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 1)
 
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
     self.assertEqual(self.reporter.total, 1)
 
   def test_specialized_queue(self):
-    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1)
-    self.queue.put(['def', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2)
+    self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_1, available_after=-1)
+    self.queue.put(['def', 'def'], self.TEST_MESSAGE_2, available_after=-1)
 
     my_queue = AutoUpdatingQueue(WorkQueue(QUEUE_NAME, self.transaction_factory, ['def']))
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class TestQueue(QueueTestCase):
 
   def test_random_queue_no_duplicates(self):
     for msg in self.TEST_MESSAGES:
-      self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], msg)
+      self.queue.put(['abc', 'def'], msg, available_after=-1)
     seen = set()
 
     for _ in range(1, 101):