diff --git a/bigchaindb/assets.py b/bigchaindb/assets.py
index f80ab031..68a667e9 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/assets.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/assets.py
@@ -1,35 +1,31 @@
 import rethinkdb as r
 
-from bigchaindb.exceptions import AssetIdMismatch, TransactionDoesNotExist, AmountError
+from bigchaindb.exceptions import AssetIdMismatch, AmountError
 
 
-def get_asset_id(txids, bigchain):
+def get_asset_id(transactions):
     """Get the asset id from a list of transaction ids.
 
     This is useful when we want to check if the multiple inputs of a transaction
     are related to the same asset id.
 
     Args:
-        txids (list): list of transaction ids.
+        transactions (list): list of transaction usually inputs that should have a matching asset_id
 
     Returns:
         str: uuid of the asset.
 
     Raises:
         AssetIdMismatch: If the inputs are related to different assets.
-        TransactionDoesNotExist: If one of the txids does not exist on the bigchain.
     """
 
-    if not isinstance(txids, list):
-        txids = [txids]
+    if not isinstance(transactions, list):
+        transactions = [transactions]
 
-    asset_ids = set()
-    for txid in set(txids):
-        tx = bigchain.get_transaction(txid)
-        if tx is None:
-            raise TransactionDoesNotExist('Transaction with txid `{}` does not exist in the bigchain'.format(txid))
-        asset_ids.add(tx['transaction']['asset']['id'])
+    # create a set of asset_ids
+    asset_ids = {tx['transaction']['asset']['id'] for tx in transactions}
 
+    # check that all the transasctions have the same asset_id
     if len(asset_ids) > 1:
         raise AssetIdMismatch("All inputs of a transaction need to have the same asset id.")
     return asset_ids.pop()
diff --git a/bigchaindb/util.py b/bigchaindb/util.py
index 007d8f7e..e853e314 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/util.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/util.py
@@ -152,8 +152,12 @@ def is_genesis_block(block):
 
     # we cannot have empty blocks, there will always be at least one
     # element in the list so we can safely refer to it
+<<<<<<< e00a34e943b596c2302d3911929c052767008611
     # TODO: Remove this try-except and only handle `Block` as input
     try:
         return block.transactions[0].operation == 'GENESIS'
     except AttributeError:
         return block['block']['transactions'][0]['transaction']['operation'] == 'GENESIS'
+=======
+    return block['block']['transactions'][0]['transaction']['operation'] == 'GENESIS'
+>>>>>>> Remove unnecessart database queries in get_asset_id
diff --git a/tests/assets/test_digital_assets.py b/tests/assets/test_digital_assets.py
index efe00ec8..2f48f9a3 100644
--- a/tests/assets/test_digital_assets.py
+++ b/tests/assets/test_digital_assets.py
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def test_get_asset_id_create_transaction(b, user_vk):
 
     tx_input = b.get_owned_ids(user_vk).pop()
     tx_create = b.get_transaction(tx_input['txid'])
-    asset_id = get_asset_id(tx_input['txid'], bigchain=b)
+    asset_id = get_asset_id(tx_create)
 
     assert asset_id == tx_create['transaction']['asset']['id']
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def test_get_asset_id_transfer_transaction(b, user_vk, user_sk):
     # vote the block valid
     vote = b.vote(block['id'], b.get_last_voted_block()['id'], True)
     b.write_vote(vote)
-    asset_id = get_asset_id(tx_transfer['id'], bigchain=b)
+    asset_id = get_asset_id(tx_transfer)
 
     assert asset_id == tx_transfer['transaction']['asset']['id']
 
@@ -150,9 +150,11 @@ def test_asset_id_mismatch(b, user_vk):
     from bigchaindb.exceptions import AssetIdMismatch
 
     tx_input1, tx_input2 = b.get_owned_ids(user_vk)[:2]
+    tx1 = b.get_transaction(tx_input1['txid'])
+    tx2 = b.get_transaction(tx_input2['txid'])
 
     with pytest.raises(AssetIdMismatch):
-        get_asset_id([tx_input1['txid'], tx_input2['txid']], bigchain=b)
+        get_asset_id([tx1, tx2])
 
 
 def test_get_asset_id_transaction_does_not_exist(b, user_vk):
diff --git a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
index 6874f3db..b35d5c48 100644
--- a/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
+++ b/tests/db/test_bigchain_api.py
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ class TestBigchainApi(object):
         with pytest.raises(exceptions.TransactionDoesNotExist) as excinfo:
             b.create_transaction(user_vk, user_vk, {'txid': 'c', 'cid': 0}, 'TRANSFER')
 
-        assert excinfo.value.args[0] == 'Transaction with txid `c` does not exist in the bigchain'
+        assert excinfo.value.args[0] == 'input with txid `c` does not exist in the bigchain'
 
         # Create transaction does not let you create a malformed transaction.
         # Create a custom malformed transaction and check if validate catches the error