diff --git a/include/ircd/m/vm.h b/include/ircd/m/vm.h
index d82d13275..bf2e62b92 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/vm.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/vm.h
@@ -22,23 +22,25 @@ namespace ircd::m::vm
 	enum fault :uint;
 	using fault_t = std::underlying_type<fault>::type;
 
-	extern log::log log;
-	extern const opts default_opts;
-	extern const copts default_copts;
-
 	string_view reflect(const fault &);
 	http::code http_code(const fault &);
-
 	string_view loghead(const mutable_buffer &, const eval &);
 	string_view loghead(const eval &);    // single tls buffer
+
+	extern const opts default_opts;
+	extern const copts default_copts;
+	extern log::log log;
+	extern ctx::dock dock;
+	extern bool ready;
 }
 
 namespace ircd::m::vm::sequence
 {
+	extern ctx::dock dock;
 	extern uint64_t retired;      // already written; always monotonic
 	extern uint64_t committed;    // pending write; usually monotonic
 	extern uint64_t uncommitted;  // evaluating; not monotonic
-	extern ctx::dock dock;
+	static uint pending;
 
 	const uint64_t &get(const eval &);
 	uint64_t get(id::event::buf &); // [GET]
@@ -58,11 +60,13 @@ struct ircd::m::vm::eval
 :instance_list<eval>
 {
 	static uint64_t id_ctr;
+	static uint executing;
+	static uint injecting;
+	static uint injecting_room;
 
 	const vm::opts *opts {&default_opts};
 	const vm::copts *copts {nullptr};
 	ctx::ctx *ctx {ctx::current};
-
 	uint64_t id {++id_ctr};
 	uint64_t sequence {0};
 	uint64_t sequence_shared[2] {0}; // min, max
@@ -256,7 +260,7 @@ struct ircd::m::vm::opts
 
 /// Extension structure to vm::opts which includes additional options for
 /// commissioning events originating from this server which are then passed
-/// through eval (this process is committing).
+/// through eval (this process is also known as issuing).
 struct ircd::m::vm::copts
 :opts
 {
diff --git a/ircd/m.cc b/ircd/m.cc
index 1d5aec23a..55539fd2e 100644
--- a/ircd/m.cc
+++ b/ircd/m.cc
@@ -1038,19 +1038,23 @@ ircd::m::feds::head::head(const m::room::id &room_id,
 // m/vm.h
 //
 
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::default_opts)
+ircd::m::vm::default_opts;
+
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::default_copts)
+ircd::m::vm::default_copts;
+
 decltype(ircd::m::vm::log)
 ircd::m::vm::log
 {
 	"vm", 'v'
 };
 
-decltype(ircd::m::vm::default_opts)
-ircd::m::vm::default_opts
-{};
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::dock)
+ircd::m::vm::dock;
 
-decltype(ircd::m::vm::default_copts)
-ircd::m::vm::default_copts
-{};
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::ready)
+ircd::m::vm::ready;
 
 ircd::string_view
 ircd::m::vm::loghead(const eval &eval)
@@ -1121,8 +1125,16 @@ ircd::util::instance_list<ircd::m::vm::eval>::list
 {};
 
 decltype(ircd::m::vm::eval::id_ctr)
-ircd::m::vm::eval::id_ctr
-{};
+ircd::m::vm::eval::id_ctr;
+
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::eval::executing)
+ircd::m::vm::eval::executing;
+
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::eval::injecting)
+ircd::m::vm::eval::injecting;
+
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::eval::injecting_room)
+ircd::m::vm::eval::injecting_room;
 
 void
 ircd::m::vm::eval::seqsort()
@@ -1394,6 +1406,11 @@ ircd::m::vm::eval::operator()(const room &room,
 		"vm", "ircd::m::vm::inject"
 	};
 
+	vm::dock.wait([]
+	{
+		return vm::ready;
+	});
+
 	return call(*this, room, event, contents);
 }
 
@@ -1410,6 +1427,11 @@ ircd::m::vm::eval::operator()(json::iov &event,
 		"vm", "ircd::m::vm::inject"
 	};
 
+	vm::dock.wait([]
+	{
+		return vm::ready;
+	});
+
 	return call(*this, event, contents);
 }
 
@@ -1423,6 +1445,11 @@ ircd::m::vm::eval::operator()(const event &event)
 		"vm", "ircd::m::vm::execute"
 	};
 
+	vm::dock.wait([]
+	{
+		return vm::ready;
+	});
+
 	return call(*this, event);
 }
 
@@ -1430,6 +1457,9 @@ ircd::m::vm::eval::operator()(const event &event)
 // sequence
 //
 
+decltype(ircd::m::vm::sequence::dock)
+ircd::m::vm::sequence::dock;
+
 decltype(ircd::m::vm::sequence::retired)
 ircd::m::vm::sequence::retired;
 
@@ -1439,9 +1469,6 @@ ircd::m::vm::sequence::committed;
 decltype(ircd::m::vm::sequence::uncommitted)
 ircd::m::vm::sequence::uncommitted;
 
-decltype(ircd::m::vm::sequence::dock)
-ircd::m::vm::sequence::dock;
-
 uint64_t
 ircd::m::vm::sequence::min()
 {
diff --git a/modules/vm.cc b/modules/vm.cc
index 58743a3fc..94acb4a47 100644
--- a/modules/vm.cc
+++ b/modules/vm.cc
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ ircd::m::vm::init()
 	sequence::committed = sequence::retired;
 	sequence::uncommitted = sequence::committed;
 
+	//pool.min(size_t(pool_size));
+	vm::ready = true;
+	vm::dock.notify_all();
+
 	log::info
 	{
 		log, "BOOT %s @%lu [%s]",
@@ -155,17 +159,32 @@ ircd::m::vm::init()
 		sequence::retired,
 		sequence::retired? string_view{event_id} : "NO EVENTS"_sv
 	};
-
-	//pool.min(size_t(pool_size));
 }
 
 void
 ircd::m::vm::fini()
 {
+	vm::ready = false;
 	pool.terminate();
-	pool.join();
 
-	assert(eval::list.empty());
+	if(!eval::list.empty())
+		log::warning
+		{
+			log, "Waiting for %zu evals (exec:%zu inject:%zu room:%zu pending:%zu)",
+			eval::list.size(),
+			eval::executing,
+			eval::injecting,
+			eval::injecting_room,
+			sequence::pending,
+		};
+
+	vm::dock.wait([]
+	{
+		return !eval::executing && !eval::injecting && !eval::injecting_room;
+	});
+
+	pool.join();
+	assert(!sequence::pending);
 
 	event::id::buf event_id;
 	const auto retired
@@ -183,6 +202,8 @@ ircd::m::vm::fini()
 		sequence::committed,
 		sequence::uncommitted
 	};
+
+	assert(retired == sequence::retired);
 }
 
 //
@@ -196,6 +217,10 @@ ircd::m::vm::inject(eval &eval,
                     json::iov &event,
                     const json::iov &contents)
 {
+	// m::vm bookkeeping that someone entered this function
+	const scope_count injecting_room{eval::injecting_room};
+	const scope_notify notify{vm::dock};
+
 	// This eval entry point is only used for commits. We try to find the
 	// commit opts the user supplied directly to this eval or with the room.
 	if(!eval.copts)
@@ -335,6 +360,10 @@ ircd::m::vm::inject(eval &eval,
                     json::iov &event,
                     const json::iov &contents)
 {
+	// m::vm bookkeeping that someone entered this function
+	const scope_count injecting{eval::injecting};
+	const scope_notify notify{vm::dock};
+
 	// This eval entry point is only used for commits. If the user did not
 	// supply commit opts we supply the default ones here.
 	if(!eval.copts)
@@ -488,6 +517,10 @@ ircd::m::vm::execute(eval &eval,
                      const event &event)
 try
 {
+	// m::vm bookkeeping that someone entered this function
+	const scope_count executing{eval::executing};
+	const scope_notify notify{vm::dock};
+
 	// Set a member pointer to the event currently being evaluated. This
 	// allows other parallel evals to have deep access to exactly what this
 	// eval is working on.
@@ -637,6 +670,11 @@ enum ircd::m::vm::fault
 ircd::m::vm::execute_pdu(eval &eval,
                           const event &event)
 {
+	const scope_count pending
+	{
+		sequence::pending
+	};
+
 	assert(eval.opts);
 	const auto &opts
 	{