diff --git a/include/ircd/db/json.h b/include/ircd/db/json.h
index b1070a1a9..1edb4ea1d 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/json.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/json.h
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ ircd::db::_assign_invalid(tuple &t,
 
 	if(is_integer)
 	{
-		json::set(t, cell.col(), 0L);
+		json::set(t, cell.col(), json::undefined_number);
 		return;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/util.h b/include/ircd/json/util.h
index f122800d8..0591e96b5 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/util.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/util.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ namespace ircd::json
 	extern const string_view empty_string;
 	extern const string_view empty_object;
 	extern const string_view empty_array;
+	extern const int64_t undefined_number;
 
 	size_t serialized(const string_view &);
 	string_view stringify(mutable_buffer &, const string_view &);
diff --git a/ircd/json.cc b/ircd/json.cc
index 517e7ffa1..6f2602590 100644
--- a/ircd/json.cc
+++ b/ircd/json.cc
@@ -1733,6 +1733,12 @@ const ircd::string_view ircd::json::empty_string   { "\"\""   };
 const ircd::string_view ircd::json::empty_object   { "{}"     };
 const ircd::string_view ircd::json::empty_array    { "[]"     };
 
+decltype(ircd::json::undefined_number)
+ircd::json::undefined_number
+{
+	std::numeric_limits<decltype(ircd::json::undefined_number)>::max()
+};
+
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const value &v)
 {
@@ -2411,7 +2417,7 @@ const
 	switch(type)
 	{
 		case NUMBER:
-			return integer == std::numeric_limits<decltype(integer)>::max();
+			return integer == undefined_number;
 
 		case STRING:
 			return string_view{string, len}.undefined();