diff --git a/include/ircd/json/json.h b/include/ircd/json/json.h
index e1284fe65..b98bfa739 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/json.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/json.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ namespace ircd::json
 	struct strung;
 
 	size_t serialized(const string_view &);
+	string_view stringify(mutable_buffer &, const string_view &);
 
 	struct string;
 	using members = std::initializer_list<member>;
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/tuple.h b/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
index 6309d6cde..eaa100570 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
@@ -659,6 +659,28 @@ runtil(tuple &t,
 	       false;
 }
 
+template<class T>
+constexpr bool
+serialized_lex_cast()
+{
+	using type = typename std::remove_reference<T>::type;
+	return std::is_arithmetic<type>::value;
+}
+
+template<class T>
+typename std::enable_if<serialized_lex_cast<T>(), size_t>::type
+serialized(T&& t)
+{
+	return lex_cast(t).size();
+}
+
+template<class T>
+typename std::enable_if<serialized_lex_cast<T>(), bool>::type
+defined(T&& t)
+{
+	return t != typename std::remove_reference<T>::type {0};
+}
+
 template<class dst,
          class src>
 typename std::enable_if
@@ -959,28 +981,6 @@ _member_transform(const tuple<T...> &tuple,
 	});
 }
 
-template<class T>
-constexpr bool
-serialized_lex_cast()
-{
-	using type = typename std::remove_reference<T>::type;
-	return std::is_arithmetic<type>::value;
-}
-
-template<class T>
-typename std::enable_if<serialized_lex_cast<T>(), size_t>::type
-serialized(T&& t)
-{
-	return lex_cast(t).size();
-}
-
-template<class T>
-typename std::enable_if<serialized_lex_cast<T>(), bool>::type
-defined(T&& t)
-{
-	return t != typename std::remove_reference<T>::type {0};
-}
-
 template<class... T>
 size_t
 serialized(const tuple<T...> &t)
diff --git a/ircd/json.cc b/ircd/json.cc
index 7bdba3d28..ec1c99f85 100644
--- a/ircd/json.cc
+++ b/ircd/json.cc
@@ -1486,6 +1486,20 @@ ircd::json::operator==(const value &a, const value &b)
 // json.h
 //
 
+ircd::string_view
+ircd::json::stringify(mutable_buffer &buf,
+                      const string_view &v)
+{
+	if(v.empty() && defined(v))
+	{
+		consume(buf, copy(buf, value::empty_string));
+		return value::empty_string;
+	}
+
+	consume(buf, copy(buf, string_view{v}));
+	return string_view{v};
+}
+
 size_t
 ircd::json::serialized(const string_view &s)
 {