diff --git a/include/ircd/db/column.h b/include/ircd/db/column.h
index fb45b519d..73b82c780 100644
--- a/include/ircd/db/column.h
+++ b/include/ircd/db/column.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ namespace ircd::db
 	// [GET] Tests if key exists
 	bool has(column &, const string_view &key, const gopts & = {});
 	bool cached(column &, const string_view &key, const gopts & = {});
+	void prefetch(column &, const string_view &key, const gopts & = {});
 
 	// [GET] Convenience functions to copy data into your buffer.
 	string_view read(column &, const string_view &key, const mutable_buffer &, const gopts & = {});
diff --git a/ircd/db.cc b/ircd/db.cc
index b1b041534..1ea8145d3 100644
--- a/ircd/db.cc
+++ b/ircd/db.cc
@@ -6988,6 +6988,21 @@ ircd::db::write(column &column,
 	};
 }
 
+void
+ircd::db::prefetch(column &column,
+                   const string_view &key,
+                   const gopts &gopts)
+{
+	if(exists(cache(column), key))
+		return;
+
+	request([column(column), key(std::string(key)), gopts]
+	() mutable
+	{
+		has(column, key, gopts);
+	});
+}
+
 bool
 ircd::db::cached(column &column,
                  const string_view &key,