diff --git a/include/ircd/globular.h b/include/ircd/globular.h
index e0335cb95..8fc86147e 100644
--- a/include/ircd/globular.h
+++ b/include/ircd/globular.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace ircd
 /// and '?' characters and equality of the string expressions will be
 /// determined. Case insensitive.
 struct ircd::globular_iequals
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	using is_transparent = std::true_type;
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ struct ircd::globular_iequals
 	template<class A,
 	         class B>
 	globular_iequals(A&& a, B&& b)
-	:boolean{operator()(std::forward<A>(a), std::forward<B>(b))}
+	:returns<bool>(operator()(std::forward<A>(a), std::forward<B>(b)))
 	{}
 };
 
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/event/append.h b/include/ircd/m/event/append.h
index cc8157293..e1f20ffad 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/event/append.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/event/append.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace ircd::m
 /// find and add the prev_state/prev_content for state events, etc.
 ///
 struct ircd::m::event::append
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	struct opts;
 
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/feds.h b/include/ircd/m/feds.h
index b28f64146..5c62f760b 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/feds.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/feds.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ namespace ircd::m::feds
 /// the user can distinguish different requests in their options vector.
 ///
 struct ircd::m::feds::execute
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	execute(const vector_view<const opts> &, const closure &);
 	execute(const opts &, const closure &);
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/push.h b/include/ircd/m/push.h
index 01b569d80..016416518 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/push.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/push.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ decltype(ircd::m::push::request::list)
 ircd::instance_list<ircd::m::push::request>::list;
 
 struct ircd::m::push::match
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	struct opts;
 	using cond_kind_func = bool (*)(const event &, const cond &, const opts &);
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/redacted.h b/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
index 444c641a8..3edff625f 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ namespace ircd::m
 }
 
 struct ircd::m::redacted
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	redacted(const event::idx &);
 	redacted(const event::id &);
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ ircd::m::redacted::redacted(const event::id &event_id)
 
 inline
 ircd::m::redacted::redacted(const event::idx &event_idx)
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	event_idx?
 		event::refs(event_idx).has(dbs::ref::M_ROOM_REDACTION):
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/room/power.h b/include/ircd/m/room/power.h
index c1923ce1a..2596ae4cd 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/room/power.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/room/power.h
@@ -110,14 +110,14 @@ struct ircd::m::room::power
 };
 
 struct ircd::m::room::power::grant
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	grant(json::stack::object &, const room::power &, const pair<string_view> &, const int64_t &);
 	grant(json::stack::object &, const room::power &, const m::id::user &, const int64_t &);
 };
 
 struct ircd::m::room::power::revoke
-:boolean
+:returns<bool>
 {
 	revoke(json::stack::object &, const room::power &, const pair<string_view> &);
 	revoke(json::stack::object &, const room::power &, const m::id::user &);
diff --git a/include/ircd/util/boolean.h b/include/ircd/util/boolean.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 6de907726..000000000
--- a/include/ircd/util/boolean.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-// Matrix Construct
-//
-// Copyright (C) Matrix Construct Developers, Authors & Contributors
-// Copyright (C) 2016-2019 Jason Volk <jason@zemos.net>
-//
-// Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
-// purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
-// copyright notice and this permission notice is present in all copies. The
-// full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
-
-#pragma once
-#define HAVE_IRCD_UTIL_BOOLEAN_H
-
-namespace ircd
-{
-	inline namespace util
-	{
-		struct boolean;
-	}
-}
-
-/// Simple convenience for cheesers to inherit from a POD boolean, similar to
-/// IRCD_STRONG_TYPEDEF(bool, boolean) but with additional specific features.
-struct ircd::util::boolean
-{
-	bool val;
-
-	operator const bool &() const noexcept
-	{
-		return val;
-	}
-
-	explicit operator bool &() & noexcept
-	{
-		return val;
-	}
-
-	boolean(const bool &val) noexcept
-	:val{val}
-	{}
-
-	boolean(const std::function<bool ()> &func)
-	:val{func()}
-	{}
-};
diff --git a/include/ircd/util/returns.h b/include/ircd/util/returns.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e95aa45a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ircd/util/returns.h
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// Matrix Construct
+//
+// Copyright (C) Matrix Construct Developers, Authors & Contributors
+// Copyright (C) 2016-2023 Jason Volk <jason@zemos.net>
+//
+// Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any
+// purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
+// copyright notice and this permission notice is present in all copies. The
+// full license for this software is available in the LICENSE file.
+
+#pragma once
+#define HAVE_IRCD_UTIL_RETURNS_H
+
+namespace ircd
+{
+	inline namespace util
+	{
+		template<class T>
+		struct returns;
+	}
+}
+
+/// Simple convenience for cheesers to inherit from a POD type, similar to
+/// IRCD_STRONG_TYPEDEF but with additional specific features.
+template<class T>
+struct ircd::util::returns
+{
+	T ret;
+
+	operator const T &() const noexcept
+	{
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	explicit operator T &() & noexcept
+	{
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	returns(const std::function<T ()> &func)
+	:ret{func()}
+	{}
+
+	returns(const T &ret) noexcept
+	:ret{ret}
+	{}
+
+	returns() = default;
+};
diff --git a/include/ircd/util/util.h b/include/ircd/util/util.h
index b2dc675a8..633c2bdd3 100644
--- a/include/ircd/util/util.h
+++ b/include/ircd/util/util.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace ircd
 #include "closure.h"
 #include "env.h"
 #include "test.h"
-#include "boolean.h"
+#include "returns.h"
 #include "maybe.h"
 #include "all.h"
 #include "compare_exchange.h"
diff --git a/matrix/event_append.cc b/matrix/event_append.cc
index 2cc4cb409..5afb55c6d 100644
--- a/matrix/event_append.cc
+++ b/matrix/event_append.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ ircd::m::event_append_default_keys
 ircd::m::event::append::append(json::stack::array &array,
                                const event &event_,
                                const opts &opts)
-:boolean{[&]
+:returns<bool>{[&]
 {
 	assert(array.s);
 	json::stack::checkpoint cp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ ircd::m::event::append::append(json::stack::array &array,
 ircd::m::event::append::append(json::stack::object &object,
                                const event &event,
                                const opts &opts)
-:boolean{[&]
+:returns<bool>{[&]
 {
 	// Assertions that the event being appended has some required fields. This
 	// is a central butt-end test of data coming through the system to here.
diff --git a/matrix/feds.cc b/matrix/feds.cc
index 0dcc93c62..e31c97b78 100644
--- a/matrix/feds.cc
+++ b/matrix/feds.cc
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ noexcept
 
 ircd::m::feds::execute::execute(const vector_view<const opts> &optsv,
                                 const closure &closure)
-:boolean{true}
+:returns<bool>{true}
 {
 	request_list list;
 	for(const auto &opts : optsv) switch(opts.op)
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ ircd::m::feds::execute::execute(const vector_view<const opts> &optsv,
 	for(const auto &opts : optsv)
 		timeout = std::max(opts.timeout, timeout);
 
-	this->boolean::val = handler(list, timeout, closure);
+	ret = handler(list, timeout, closure);
 }
 
 ircd::m::feds::request_list
diff --git a/matrix/push.cc b/matrix/push.cc
index 4a5b3c8c6..bff63b6f7 100644
--- a/matrix/push.cc
+++ b/matrix/push.cc
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ ircd::m::push::match::cond_kind_name
 ircd::m::push::match::match(const event &event,
                             const rule &rule,
                             const match::opts &opts)
-:boolean{[&event, &rule, &opts]
+:returns<bool>{[&event, &rule, &opts]
 {
 	if(json::get<"pattern"_>(rule))
 	{
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ ircd::m::push::match::match(const event &event,
 ircd::m::push::match::match(const event &event,
                             const cond &cond,
                             const match::opts &opts)
-:boolean{[&event, &cond, &opts]
+:returns<bool>{[&event, &cond, &opts]
 {
 	const string_view &kind
 	{
diff --git a/matrix/room_power.cc b/matrix/room_power.cc
index 20a3f5603..939cf6487 100644
--- a/matrix/room_power.cc
+++ b/matrix/room_power.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 ircd::m::room::power::revoke::revoke(json::stack::object &out,
                                      const room::power &power,
                                      const pair<string_view> &prop_key)
-:boolean{false}
+:returns<bool>{false}
 {
 	bool &ret(*this);
 	const auto replace{[&ret]
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ ircd::m::room::power::grant::grant(json::stack::object &out,
                                    const room::power &power,
                                    const pair<string_view> &prop_key,
                                    const int64_t &level)
-:boolean{false}
+:returns<bool>{false}
 {
 	bool &ret(*this);
 	const auto replace{[&ret, &level]