diff --git a/include/ircd/stringops.h b/include/ircd/stringops.h
index c55885532..c3e2bae75 100644
--- a/include/ircd/stringops.h
+++ b/include/ircd/stringops.h
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ namespace ircd
 	struct igreater;
 	struct iequals;
 
+	// Globular ('*' and '?') expression utils.
+	struct gmatch;
+	struct gequals;
+
 	// Vintage
 	struct strlcpy;
 	struct strlcat;
@@ -296,6 +300,60 @@ const
 	});
 }
 
+/// Globular equals. This allows either side of the comparison to include '*'
+/// and '?' characters and equality of the string expressions will be
+/// determined.
+struct ircd::gequals
+{
+	using is_transparent = std::true_type;
+
+	bool s;
+
+	operator const bool &() const
+	{
+		return s;
+	}
+
+	bool operator()(const string_view &a, const string_view &b) const;
+
+	template<class A,
+	         class B>
+	gequals(A&& a, B&& b)
+	:s{operator()(std::forward<A>(a), std::forward<B>(b))}
+	{}
+
+	gequals() = default;
+};
+
+/// Globular match. Similar to gequals but only one side of the comparison is
+/// considered to be the expression with '*' and '?' characters. The expression
+/// string is passed at construction. The comparison inputs are treated as
+/// non-expression strings. This allows for greater optimization than gequals.
+struct ircd::gmatch
+{
+	string_view expr;
+	bool s;
+
+	operator const bool &() const
+	{
+		return s;
+	}
+
+	bool operator()(const string_view &a) const;
+
+	gmatch(const string_view &expr)
+	:expr{expr}
+	{}
+
+	template<class A>
+	gmatch(const string_view &expr, A&& a)
+	:expr{expr}
+	,s{operator()(std::forward<A>(a))}
+	{}
+
+	gmatch() = default;
+};
+
 inline ircd::string_view
 ircd::trunc(const string_view &s,
             const size_t &max)
diff --git a/ircd/lexical.cc b/ircd/lexical.cc
index ddd4ae9fa..fec7efbcf 100644
--- a/ircd/lexical.cc
+++ b/ircd/lexical.cc
@@ -452,3 +452,62 @@ ircd::replace(const string_view &s,
 		return std::distance(begin(buf), p);
 	});
 }
+
+//
+// gequals
+//
+
+bool
+ircd::gequals::operator()(const string_view &a, const string_view &b)
+const
+{
+	size_t ap(0), bp(0);
+	while(ap < a.size() && bp < b.size())
+	{
+		const auto ca(tolower(a.at(ap))),  cb(tolower(b.at(bp)));
+		const auto globa(ca == '*'),       globb(cb == '*');
+		const auto wilda(ca == '?'),       wildb(cb == '?');
+
+		if(!globa && !globb && !wilda && !wildb && ca != cb)
+			return false;
+
+		if((globa && ap + 1 >= a.size()) || (globb && bp + 1 >= b.size()))
+			break;
+
+		if(globa && cb == tolower(a.at(ap + 1)))
+			ap += 2;
+
+		if(globb && ca == tolower(b.at(bp + 1)))
+			bp += 2;
+
+		if(globa && globb)
+			++ap, ++bp;
+
+		if(!globa)
+			++ap;
+
+		if(!globb)
+			++bp;
+	}
+
+	if(ap < a.size() && !b.empty() && b.back() == '*')
+		return true;
+
+	if(bp < b.size() && !a.empty() && a.back() == '*')
+		return true;
+
+	return std::equal(a.begin() + ap, a.end(), b.begin() + bp, b.end());
+}
+
+//
+// gmatch
+//
+
+bool
+ircd::gmatch::operator()(const string_view &a)
+const
+{
+	//TODO: optimize.
+	const gequals gequals(expr, a);
+	return bool(gequals);
+}