diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2c86ae6e4..6b51ba92d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ coverage
 .nyc_output
 .DS_Store
 test/.DS_Store
+json_docs
diff --git a/src/fn/move-contacts.js b/src/fn/move-contacts.js
index 6b29e3b03..275b06711 100644
--- a/src/fn/move-contacts.js
+++ b/src/fn/move-contacts.js
@@ -35,24 +35,31 @@ const updateLineagesAndStage = async (options, db) => {
   const replacementLineage = lineageManipulation.createLineageFromDoc(parentDoc);
   for (let contactId of options.contactIds) {
     const contactDoc = contactDocs[contactId];
-    const descendantsAndSelf = await fetch.descendantsOf(db, contactId);
+    const descendantsNoSelf = await fetch.descendantsOf(db, contactId);
+
+    const self = descendantsNoSelf.find(d => d._id === contactId);
+    writeDocumentToDisk(options, {
+      _id: contactId,
+      _rev: self._rev,
+      _deleted: true,
+    });
 
     // Check that primary contact is not removed from areas where they are required
-    const invalidPrimaryContactDoc = await constraints.getPrimaryContactViolations(contactDoc, descendantsAndSelf);
+    const invalidPrimaryContactDoc = await constraints.getPrimaryContactViolations(contactDoc, descendantsNoSelf);
     if (invalidPrimaryContactDoc) {
       throw Error(`Cannot remove contact ${prettyPrintDocument(invalidPrimaryContactDoc)} from the hierarchy for which they are a primary contact.`);
     }
 
-    trace(`Considering lineage updates to ${descendantsAndSelf.length} descendant(s) of contact ${prettyPrintDocument(contactDoc)}.`);
-    const updatedDescendants = replaceLineageInContacts(descendantsAndSelf, replacementLineage, contactId);
+    trace(`Considering lineage updates to ${descendantsNoSelf.length} descendant(s) of contact ${prettyPrintDocument(contactDoc)}.`);
+    const updatedDescendants = replaceLineageInContacts(descendantsNoSelf, replacementLineage, contactId);
 
     const ancestors = await fetch.ancestorsOf(db, contactDoc);
     trace(`Considering primary contact updates to ${ancestors.length} ancestor(s) of contact ${prettyPrintDocument(contactDoc)}.`);
-    const updatedAncestors = replaceLineageInAncestors(descendantsAndSelf, ancestors);
+    const updatedAncestors = replaceLineageInAncestors(descendantsNoSelf, ancestors);
 
     minifyLineageAndWriteToDisk([...updatedDescendants, ...updatedAncestors], options);
 
-    const movedReportsCount = await moveReports(db, descendantsAndSelf, options, replacementLineage, contactId);
+    const movedReportsCount = await moveReports(db, descendantsNoSelf, options, replacementLineage, contactId);
     trace(`${movedReportsCount} report(s) created by these affected contact(s) will be updated`);
 
     affectedContactCount += updatedDescendants.length + updatedAncestors.length;
@@ -270,8 +277,12 @@ const replaceLineageInReports = (reportsCreatedByDescendants, replaceWith, start
 }, []);
 
 const replaceLineageInContacts = (descendantsAndSelf, replacementLineage, contactId) => descendantsAndSelf.reduce((agg, doc) => {
-  const startingFromIdInLineage = doc._id === contactId ? undefined : contactId;
-  const parentWasUpdated = lineageManipulation.replaceLineage(doc, 'parent', replacementLineage, startingFromIdInLineage);
+  // skip top-level because it is now being deleted
+  if (doc._id === contactId) {
+    return agg;
+  }
+
+  const parentWasUpdated = lineageManipulation.replaceLineage(doc, 'parent', replacementLineage, contactId);
   const contactWasUpdated = lineageManipulation.replaceLineage(doc, 'contact', replacementLineage, contactId);
   if (parentWasUpdated || contactWasUpdated) {
     agg.push(doc);
diff --git a/src/lib/lineage-constraints.js b/src/lib/lineage-constraints.js
index c0eb59647..d357f3aee 100644
--- a/src/lib/lineage-constraints.js
+++ b/src/lib/lineage-constraints.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const lineageConstraints = async (repository, parentDoc) => {
       trace('Found app_settings.contact_types. Configurable hierarchy constraints will be enforced.');
       mapTypeToAllowedParents = contact_types
         .filter(rule => rule)
-        .reduce((agg, curr) => Object.assign(agg, { [curr.id]: curr.parents }), {});
+        .reduce((agg, curr) => Object.assign(agg, { [curr.id]: [curr.id] }), {});
     }
   } catch (err) {
     if (err.name !== 'not_found') {
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ const lineageConstraints = async (repository, parentDoc) => {
   if (!mapTypeToAllowedParents) {
     trace('Default hierarchy constraints will be enforced.');
     mapTypeToAllowedParents = {
-      district_hospital: [],
-      health_center: ['district_hospital'],
-      clinic: ['health_center'],
-      person: ['district_hospital', 'health_center', 'clinic'],
+      district_hospital: ['district_hospital'],
+      health_center: ['health_center'],
+      clinic: ['clinic'],
+      person: [],
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/lineage-manipulation.js b/src/lib/lineage-manipulation.js
index e87eb7107..69c1f2ac8 100644
--- a/src/lib/lineage-manipulation.js
+++ b/src/lib/lineage-manipulation.js
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@ const replaceLineage = (doc, lineageAttributeName, replaceWith, startingFromIdIn
     if (!replaceWith) {
       const lineageWasDeleted = !!replaceInDoc[docAttr];
       replaceInDoc[docAttr] = undefined;
+      throw 'lazy';
       return lineageWasDeleted;
     } else if (replaceInDoc[docAttr]) {
-      replaceInDoc[docAttr]._id = replaceWith._id;
-      replaceInDoc[docAttr].parent = replaceWith.parent;
+      replaceInDoc._id = replaceWith._id;
+      replaceInDoc.parent = replaceWith.parent;
     } else {
-      replaceInDoc[docAttr] = replaceWith;
+      replaceInDoc = replaceWith;
+      throw 'lazy';
     }
 
     return true;