diff --git a/modules/federation/get_missing_events.cc b/modules/federation/get_missing_events.cc
index cadbac5d4..d17a53a21 100644
--- a/modules/federation/get_missing_events.cc
+++ b/modules/federation/get_missing_events.cc
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ method_post
 	}
 };
 
-conf::item<size_t>
+conf::item<ssize_t>
 max_limit
 {
 	{ "name",     "ircd.federation.missing_events.max_limit" },
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ max_limit
 };
 
 conf::item<size_t>
-max_goose
+flush_hiwat
 {
-	{ "name",     "ircd.federation.missing_events.max_goose" },
-	{ "default",  512L                                       }
+	{ "name",     "ircd.federation.missing_events.flush.hiwat" },
+	{ "default",  long(16_KiB)                                 },
 };
 
 resource::response
@@ -75,11 +75,11 @@ get__missing_events(client &client,
 		url::decode(request.parv[0], room_id)
 	};
 
-	const auto limit
+	ssize_t limit
 	{
 		request["limit"]?
-			std::min(lex_cast<size_t>(request["limit"]), size_t(max_limit)):
-			size_t(max_limit)
+			std::min(lex_cast<ssize_t>(request["limit"]), ssize_t(max_limit)):
+			ssize_t(10) // default limit (protocol spec)
 	};
 
 	const auto min_depth
@@ -99,55 +99,88 @@ get__missing_events(client &client,
 		request["latest_events"]
 	};
 
-	const auto in_latest
+	const auto in_earliest{[&earliest](const auto &event_id)
 	{
-		[&latest](const auto &event_id)
+		return end(earliest) != std::find_if(begin(earliest), end(earliest), [&event_id]
+		(const auto &event_id_)
 		{
-			return end(latest) != std::find_if(begin(latest), end(latest), [&event_id]
-			(const auto &latest)
-			{
-				return event_id == unquote(latest);
-			});
-		}
+			return event_id == unquote(event_id_);
+		});
+	}};
+
+	const unique_buffer<mutable_buffer> buf
+	{
+		96_KiB
 	};
 
-	std::vector<std::string> ret;
-	ret.reserve(limit);
-	size_t goose{0};
-	for(const auto &event_id : earliest) try
+	resource::response::chunked response
 	{
-		m::room::messages it
-		{
-			room_id, unquote(event_id)
-		};
+		client, http::OK
+	};
 
-		for(; it && ret.size() < limit && goose < size_t(max_goose); ++it, ++goose)
-		{
-			const m::event &event{*it};
-			if(!visible(event, request.node_id))
-				continue;
+	const auto flush{[&response]
+	(const const_buffer &buf)
+	{
+		response.write(buf);
+		return buf;
+	}};
 
-			ret.emplace_back(json::strung{event});
-			if(in_latest(at<"event_id"_>(event)))
+	json::stack out
+	{
+		buf, flush, size_t(flush_hiwat)
+	};
+
+	json::stack::object top{out};
+	json::stack::member events_m
+	{
+		top, "events"
+	};
+
+	json::stack::array events
+	{
+		events_m
+	};
+
+	std::deque<std::string> queue;
+	const auto add_queue{[&limit, &queue, &in_earliest]
+	(const m::event::id &event_id) -> bool
+	{
+		if(in_earliest(event_id))
+			return true;
+
+		if(end(queue) != std::find(begin(queue), end(queue), event_id))
+			return true;
+
+		if(--limit < 0)
+			return false;
+
+		queue.emplace_back(std::string{event_id});
+		return true;
+	}};
+
+	for(const auto &event_id : latest)
+		add_queue(unquote(event_id));
+
+	m::event::fetch event;
+	while(!queue.empty())
+	{
+		const auto &event_id{queue.front()};
+		const unwind pop{[&queue]
+		{
+			queue.pop_front();
+		}};
+
+		if(!seek(event, event_id, std::nothrow))
+			continue;
+
+		if(!visible(event, request.node_id))
+			continue;
+
+		events.append(event);
+		for(const json::array &prev : json::get<"prev_events"_>(event))
+			if(!add_queue(unquote(prev.at(0))))
 				break;
-		}
-	}
-	catch(const std::exception &e)
-	{
-		log::derror
-		{
-			"Request from %s for earliest missing %s :%s",
-			string(remote(client)),
-			unquote(event_id),
-			e.what()
-		};
 	}
 
-	return resource::response
-	{
-		client, json::members
-		{
-			{ "events", json::strung { ret.data(), ret.data() + ret.size() } }
-		}
-	};
+	return response;
 }