diff --git a/include/ircd/net/remote.h b/include/ircd/net/remote.h
index 8cb04714c..a478b41ef 100644
--- a/include/ircd/net/remote.h
+++ b/include/ircd/net/remote.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ namespace ircd::net
 struct ircd::net::hostport
 :std::pair<std::string, uint16_t>
 {
+	static const hostport null;
+
 	hostport(std::string s, const uint16_t &port = 8448);
 
 	friend std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &, const hostport &);
@@ -97,8 +99,8 @@ struct ircd::net::ipport
 	ipport(const uint128_t &ip, const uint16_t &port);
 
 	// DNS lookup! May yield ircd::ctx!
-	explicit ipport(const std::string &hostname, const std::string &port);
-	explicit ipport(const std::string &hostname, const uint16_t &port);
+	ipport(const std::string &hostname, const std::string &port);
+	ipport(const std::string &hostname, const uint16_t &port);
 	ipport(const string_view &hostname, const string_view &port = "8448");
 	ipport(const string_view &hostname, const uint16_t &port);
 	ipport(const hostport &);
@@ -120,10 +122,12 @@ struct ircd::net::remote
 	operator bool() const;
 	bool operator!() const             { return !static_cast<bool>(*this);     }
 
-	explicit remote(std::string hostname, const std::string &port = "8448"s);
+	remote(std::string hostname, const std::string &port);
 	remote(std::string hostname, const uint16_t &port);
-	remote(const string_view &hostname, const string_view &port = "8448");
-	remote(const string_view &hostname, const uint16_t &port);
+	remote(std::string hostname);
+	explicit remote(const string_view &hostname, const string_view &port);
+	explicit remote(const string_view &hostname, const uint16_t &port);
+	remote(const string_view &hostname);
 	explicit remote(const ipport &);
 	remote(hostport);
 	remote() = default;
diff --git a/ircd/client.cc b/ircd/client.cc
index a84f1731f..98cb3427e 100644
--- a/ircd/client.cc
+++ b/ircd/client.cc
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ ircd::hostport
 ircd::local(const client &client)
 {
 	if(!client.sock)
-		return { "0.0.0.0"s, 0 };
+		return hostport::null;
 
 	return net::local_hostport(*client.sock);
 }
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ ircd::hostport
 ircd::remote(const client &client)
 {
 	if(!client.sock)
-		return { "0.0.0.0"s, 0 };
+		return hostport::null;
 
 	return net::remote_hostport(*client.sock);
 }
diff --git a/ircd/net.cc b/ircd/net.cc
index 65311a6f8..fb82cf7af 100644
--- a/ircd/net.cc
+++ b/ircd/net.cc
@@ -1643,6 +1643,14 @@ ircd::net::remote::remote(hostport hp)
 {
 }
 
+ircd::net::remote::remote(const string_view &host)
+:remote
+{
+	std::string(host), "8448"s
+}
+{
+}
+
 ircd::net::remote::remote(const string_view &host,
                           const uint16_t &port)
 :remote
@@ -1661,6 +1669,14 @@ ircd::net::remote::remote(const string_view &host,
 {
 }
 
+ircd::net::remote::remote(std::string host)
+:remote
+{
+	std::move(host), "8448"s
+}
+{
+}
+
 ircd::net::remote::remote(std::string host,
                           const uint16_t &port)
 :ipport{host, port}
@@ -1772,6 +1788,12 @@ ircd::net::ipport::ipport(const std::string &host,
 // hostport
 //
 
+const ircd::net::hostport
+ircd::net::hostport::null
+{
+	"0.0.0.0"s, 0
+};
+
 ircd::net::hostport::hostport(std::string s,
                               const uint16_t &port)
 try