diff --git a/swh/storage/in_memory.py b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
--- a/swh/storage/in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
@@ -1049,6 +1049,8 @@
         assert 'id' not in origin
         origin_id = self._origin_id(origin)
         if origin_id is None:
+            if self.journal_writer:
+                self.journal_writer.write_addition('origin', origin)
             # origin ids are in the range [1, +inf[
             origin_id = len(self._origins) + 1
             origin['id'] = origin_id
@@ -1059,9 +1061,6 @@
         else:
             origin['id'] = origin_id
 
-        if self.journal_writer:
-            self.journal_writer.write_addition('origin', origin)
-
         return origin_id
 
     def fetch_history_start(self, origin_id):
@@ -1132,6 +1131,7 @@
 
             if self.journal_writer:
                 origin = self.origin_get([{'id': origin_id}])[0]
+                del origin['id']
                 self.journal_writer.write_addition('origin_visit', {
                     **visit, 'origin': origin})
 
@@ -1161,6 +1161,7 @@
             raise ValueError('Invalid origin_id or visit_id') from None
         if self.journal_writer:
             origin = self.origin_get([{'id': origin_id}])[0]
+            del origin['id']
             self.journal_writer.write_update('origin_visit', {
                 'origin': origin, 'visit': visit_id,
                 'status': status or visit['status'],
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -1138,19 +1138,20 @@
         if isinstance(date, str):
             date = dateutil.parser.parse(date)
 
-        visit = db.origin_visit_add(origin, date, cur)
+        visit_id = db.origin_visit_add(origin_id, date, cur)
 
         if self.journal_writer:
             # We can write to the journal only after inserting to the
             # DB, because we want the id of the visit
             origin = self.origin_get([{'id': origin_id}], db=db, cur=cur)[0]
+            del origin['id']
             self.journal_writer.write_addition('origin_visit', {
-                'origin': origin, 'date': date, 'visit': visit,
+                'origin': origin, 'date': date, 'visit': visit_id,
                 'status': 'ongoing', 'metadata': None, 'snapshot': None})
 
         return {
             'origin': origin_id,
-            'visit': visit,
+            'visit': visit_id,
         }
 
     @db_transaction()
@@ -1192,6 +1193,7 @@
             if self.journal_writer:
                 origin = self.origin_get(
                     [{'id': origin_id}], db=db, cur=cur)[0]
+                del origin['id']
                 self.journal_writer.write_update('origin_visit', {
                     **visit, **updates, 'origin': origin})
 
@@ -1450,12 +1452,10 @@
         if origin_id:
             return origin_id
 
-        origin['id'] = db.origin_add(origin['type'], origin['url'], cur)
-
         if self.journal_writer:
             self.journal_writer.write_addition('origin', origin)
 
-        return origin['id']
+        return db.origin_add(origin['type'], origin['url'], cur)
 
     @db_transaction()
     def fetch_history_start(self, origin_id, db=None, cur=None):
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
@@ -536,6 +536,8 @@
     class twice.
 
     """
+    maxDiff = None
+
     @staticmethod
     def normalize_entity(entity):
         entity = copy.deepcopy(entity)
@@ -1065,6 +1067,9 @@
         }])[0]
         self.assertEqual(actual_origin2['id'], origin2['id'])
 
+        del actual_origin['id']
+        del actual_origin2['id']
+
         self.assertEqual(list(self.journal_writer.objects),
                          [('origin', actual_origin),
                           ('origin', actual_origin2)])
@@ -1202,7 +1207,6 @@
                          }])
 
         expected_origin = self.origin2.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         data = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit2,
@@ -1297,9 +1301,7 @@
                          }])
 
         expected_origin = self.origin2.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         expected_origin2 = self.origin.copy()
-        expected_origin2['id'] = origin_id2
         data1 = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit2,
@@ -1501,7 +1503,6 @@
         self.assertEqual(by_ov, self.empty_snapshot)
 
         expected_origin = self.origin.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         data1 = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit1,
@@ -1539,7 +1540,6 @@
         self.assertEqual(by_ov, self.empty_snapshot)
 
         expected_origin = self.origin.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         data1 = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit1,
@@ -1801,7 +1801,6 @@
         self.assertEqual(by_ov2, self.snapshot)
 
         expected_origin = self.origin.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         data1 = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit1,
@@ -1864,7 +1863,6 @@
         self.assertEqual(by_ov2, self.snapshot)
 
         expected_origin = self.origin.copy()
-        expected_origin['id'] = origin_id
         data1 = {
             'origin': expected_origin,
             'date': self.date_visit1,