diff --git a/include/ircd/util.h b/include/ircd/util.h
index 09bfa8e74..5ff691de0 100644
--- a/include/ircd/util.h
+++ b/include/ircd/util.h
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ end(const const_iterators<T> &ci)
 // For objects using the pattern of adding their own instance to a container
 // in their constructor, storing an iterator as a member, and then removing
 // themselves using the iterator in their destructor. It is unsafe to do that.
-// Use this instead.
+// Use this instead; or better, use ircd::instance_list<>
 //
 template<class container,
          class iterator = typename container::iterator>
@@ -1090,6 +1090,58 @@ struct unique_const_iterator
 };
 
 
+/// The instance_list pattern is where every instance of a class registers
+/// itself in a static list of all instances and removes itself on dtor.
+/// IRCd Ex. All clients use instance_list so all clients can be listed for
+/// an administrator or be interrupted and disconnected on server shutdown.
+///
+/// `struct myobj : ircd::instance_list<myobj> {};`
+///
+/// * The creator of the class no longer has to manually specify what is
+/// defined here using unique_iterator; however, one still must provide
+/// linkage for the static list.
+///
+/// * The container pointer used by unique_iterator is eliminated here
+/// because of the static list.
+///
+template<class T>
+struct instance_list
+{
+	static std::list<T *> list;
+
+  protected:
+	typename decltype(list)::iterator it;
+
+	instance_list(typename decltype(list)::iterator it)
+	:it{std::move(it)}
+	{}
+
+	instance_list()
+	:it{list.emplace(end(list), static_cast<T *>(this))}
+	{}
+
+	instance_list(const instance_list &) = delete;
+	instance_list(instance_list &&o) noexcept
+	:it{std::move(o.it)}
+	{
+		o.it = end(list);
+	}
+
+	instance_list &operator=(const instance_list &) = delete;
+	instance_list &operator=(instance_list &&o) noexcept
+	{
+		std::swap(it, o.it);
+		return *this;
+	}
+
+	~instance_list() noexcept
+	{
+		if(it != end(list))
+			list.erase(it);
+	}
+};
+
+
 //
 // Get the index of a tuple element by address at runtime
 //