diff --git a/include/ircd/db/cell.h b/include/ircd/db/cell.h
index 3f8e454c7..16f869d81 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/cell.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/cell.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ struct ircd::db::cell
 	cell(column, const string_view &index = {}, const gopts & = {});
 	cell(database &, const string_view &column, const string_view &index, const gopts & = {});
 	cell(database &, const string_view &column, const gopts & = {});
-	cell();
+	cell() noexcept;
 	cell(cell &&) noexcept;
 	cell(const cell &) = delete;
 	cell &operator=(cell &&) noexcept;
@@ -146,3 +146,10 @@ const
 {
     return val();
 }
+
+inline bool
+ircd::db::cell::valid()
+const
+{
+	return it && db::valid(*it);
+}
diff --git a/include/ircd/db/column_iterator.h b/include/ircd/db/column_iterator.h
index 46d2c02e6..8f8feb8b2 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/column_iterator.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/column_iterator.h
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ struct ircd::db::column::const_iterator_base
 	explicit operator database::snapshot &();
 	explicit operator gopts &();
 
-	operator bool() const noexcept;
-	bool operator!() const noexcept;
+	operator bool() const;
+	bool operator!() const;
 
 	const value_type *operator->() const;
 	const value_type &operator*() const;
@@ -101,11 +101,18 @@ const
 
 inline bool
 ircd::db::column::const_iterator_base::operator!()
-const noexcept
+const
 {
 	return !static_cast<bool>(*this);
 }
 
+inline ircd::db::column::const_iterator_base::operator
+bool()
+const
+{
+	return it && valid(*it);
+}
+
 inline ircd::db::column::const_iterator_base::operator
 gopts &()
 {
diff --git a/ircd/db.cc b/ircd/db.cc
index c05acfd82..aebc7ac0c 100644
--- a/ircd/db.cc
+++ b/ircd/db.cc
@@ -2146,7 +2146,9 @@ template bool ircd::db::seek<ircd::db::pos>(cell &, const pos &, gopts);
 template bool ircd::db::seek<ircd::string_view>(cell &, const string_view &, gopts);
 
 // Linkage for incomplete rocksdb::Iterator
+[[gnu::hot]]
 ircd::db::cell::cell()
+noexcept
 {
 }
 
@@ -2235,6 +2237,7 @@ noexcept
 }
 
 // Linkage for incomplete rocksdb::Iterator
+[[gnu::hot]]
 ircd::db::cell::~cell()
 noexcept
 {
@@ -2334,13 +2337,6 @@ const
 	return valid() && db::valid_lte(*it, s);
 }
 
-bool
-ircd::db::cell::valid()
-const
-{
-	return bool(it) && db::valid(*it);
-}
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // db/domain.h
@@ -3681,18 +3677,6 @@ const
 	return val;
 }
 
-ircd::db::column::const_iterator_base::operator bool()
-const noexcept
-{
-	if(!it)
-		return false;
-
-	if(!valid(*it))
-		return false;
-
-	return true;
-}
-
 bool
 ircd::db::operator!=(const column::const_iterator_base &a, const column::const_iterator_base &b)
 noexcept
@@ -5316,7 +5300,6 @@ namespace ircd::db
 }
 
 /// Convert our options structure into RocksDB's options structure.
-[[gnu::hot]]
 rocksdb::ReadOptions
 ircd::db::make_opts(const gopts &opts)
 noexcept