diff --git a/bin/boot_server_in_docker b/bin/boot_server_in_docker
index bd039722..fda4fd16 100755
--- a/bin/boot_server_in_docker
+++ b/bin/boot_server_in_docker
@@ -31,7 +31,14 @@ if [[ "${APPLICATION_ROOT:-}" != "/" ]]; then
   additional_args="${additional_args} -e SCRIPT_NAME=${APPLICATION_ROOT}"
 fi
 
+# HACK: if loading fixtures for acceptance tests when we do not need multiple workers
+# it causes issues with attempting to add duplicate data to the db
+workers=3
+if [[ "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_LOAD_FIXTURE_DATA:-}" == "true" ]]; then
+  workers=1
+fi
+
 export IS_GUNICORN="true"
 
 # THIS MUST BE THE LAST COMMAND!
-exec poetry run gunicorn ${additional_args} --bind "0.0.0.0:$port" --workers=3 --timeout 90 --capture-output --access-logfile '-' --log-level debug wsgi:app
+exec poetry run gunicorn ${additional_args} --bind "0.0.0.0:$port" --workers="$workers" --timeout 90 --capture-output --access-logfile '-' --log-level debug wsgi:app
diff --git a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
index 59e804fd..2e24499a 100644
--- a/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
+++ b/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
@@ -352,6 +352,18 @@ class ProcessInstanceProcessor:
             if not self.bpmn_process_instance._is_engine_task(
                 ready_or_waiting_task.task_spec
             ):
+
+                user_id = ready_or_waiting_task.data['current_user']['id']
+                principal = PrincipalModel.query.filter_by(user_id=user_id).first()
+                if principal is None:
+                    raise (
+                        ApiError(
+                            code="principal_not_found",
+                            message=f"Principal not found from user id: {user_id}",
+                            status_code=400,
+                        )
+                    )
+
                 extensions = ready_or_waiting_task.task_spec.extensions
 
                 form_file_name = None
@@ -365,8 +377,7 @@ class ProcessInstanceProcessor:
 
                 active_task = ActiveTaskModel(
                     process_instance_id=self.process_instance_model.id,
-                    # FIXME: look for the correct principal based on ready_or_waiting_task.lane
-                    assigned_principal_id=PrincipalModel.query.first().id,
+                    assigned_principal_id=principal.id,
                     form_file_name=form_file_name,
                     ui_form_file_name=ui_form_file_name,
                     task_id=str(ready_or_waiting_task.id),