diff --git a/include/ircd/json.h b/include/ircd/json.h
index 636e58b35..eac1702fa 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json.h
@@ -65,16 +65,34 @@ namespace ircd::json
 	template<class... T> string_view stringify(const mutable_buffer &&mb, T&&... t);
 	template<class... T> size_t print(char *const &buf, const size_t &max, T&&... t);
 	template<class... T> size_t print(const mutable_buffer &buf, T&&... t);
-	template<class... T> std::string string(T&&... t);
 	template<size_t SIZE> struct buffer;
+	struct strung;
 
 	size_t serialized(const string_view &);
 
+	struct string;
 	using members = std::initializer_list<member>;
 }
 
+/// Strong type representing quoted strings in JSON (which may be unquoted
+/// automatically when this type is encountered in a tuple etc)
+struct ircd::json::string
+:string_view
+{
+	using string_view::string_view;
+};
+
 #include "json/array.h"
 #include "json/object.h"
+
+/// Convenience template to allocate std::string and print() arguments to it.
+///
+struct ircd::json::strung
+:std::string
+{
+	template<class... T> strung(T&&... t);
+};
+
 #include "json/value.h"
 #include "json/member.h"
 #include "json/property.h"
@@ -153,13 +171,9 @@ ircd::json::print(char *const &buf,
 	return sv.size();
 }
 
-///
-/// Convenience template using the syntax string(...) which returns
-/// an std::string of the printed JSON
-///
 template<class... T>
-std::string
-ircd::json::string(T&&... t)
+ircd::json::strung::strung(T&&... t)
+:std::string{[&]() -> std::string
 {
 	const auto size
 	{
@@ -181,6 +195,8 @@ ircd::json::string(T&&... t)
 
 	assert(printed == ret.size());
 	return ret;
+}()}
+{
 }
 
 inline std::ostream &
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/object.h b/include/ircd/json/object.h
index 684d24382..4b47a8a8c 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/object.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/object.h
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ const try
 catch(const bad_lex_cast &e)
 {
 	throw type_error("'%s' must cast to type %s",
-	                 string(path),
+	                 ircd::string(path),
 	                 typeid(T).name());
 }
 
diff --git a/include/ircd/json/tuple.h b/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
index f247ed49c..68fd342ef 100644
--- a/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
+++ b/include/ircd/json/tuple.h
@@ -625,7 +625,21 @@ template<class dst,
          class src>
 typename std::enable_if
 <
-	std::is_convertible<src, dst>::value,
+	std::is_base_of<json::string, dst>() &&
+	std::is_convertible<src, ircd::string_view>(),
+void>::type
+_assign(dst &d,
+        src&& s)
+{
+	d = unquote(string_view{std::forward<src>(s)});
+}
+
+template<class dst,
+         class src>
+typename std::enable_if
+<
+	!std::is_base_of<json::string, dst>() &&
+	std::is_convertible<src, dst>(),
 void>::type
 _assign(dst &d,
         src&& s)
@@ -914,7 +928,7 @@ template<class T>
 typename std::enable_if<serialized_lex_cast<T>(), bool>::type
 defined(T&& t)
 {
-	return t != T{0};
+	return t != typename std::remove_reference<T>::type {0};
 }
 
 template<class... T>
@@ -977,7 +991,7 @@ template<class... T>
 std::ostream &
 operator<<(std::ostream &s, const tuple<T...> &t)
 {
-    s << json::string(t);
+    s << json::strung(t);
     return s;
 }
 
diff --git a/ircd/json.cc b/ircd/json.cc
index dac7fd889..399cb1ca4 100644
--- a/ircd/json.cc
+++ b/ircd/json.cc
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ ircd::json::printer::list_protocol(mutable_buffer &buffer,
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const iov &iov)
 {
-	s << json::string(iov);
+	s << json::strung(iov);
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ ircd::json::serialized(const member &member)
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const object::member &member)
 {
-	s << json::string(member);
+	s << json::strung(member);
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ ircd::json::serialized(const object::member &member)
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const object &object)
 {
-	s << json::string(object);
+	s << json::strung(object);
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ catch(const qi::expectation_failure<const char *> &e)
 ircd::json::object::operator std::string()
 const
 {
-	return json::string(*this);
+	return json::strung(*this);
 }
 
 ircd::json::object::const_iterator
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ ircd::json::array::stringify(mutable_buffer &buf,
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const array &a)
 {
-	s << json::string(a);
+	s << json::strung(a);
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ catch(const qi::expectation_failure<const char *> &e)
 ircd::json::array::operator std::string()
 const
 {
-	return json::string(*this);
+	return json::strung(*this);
 }
 
 ircd::json::array::const_iterator
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ const ircd::string_view ircd::json::value::empty_array {"[]"};
 std::ostream &
 ircd::json::operator<<(std::ostream &s, const value &v)
 {
-	s << json::string(v);
+	s << json::strung(v);
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ noexcept
 ircd::json::value::operator std::string()
 const
 {
-	return json::string(*this);
+	return json::strung(*this);
 }
 
 ircd::json::value::operator string_view()
diff --git a/ircd/matrix.cc b/ircd/matrix.cc
index a8c94a88b..fbeeee253 100644
--- a/ircd/matrix.cc
+++ b/ircd/matrix.cc
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ try
 
 	modules.emplace("root.so"s, "root.so"s);
 
-	const auto options{json::string(json::members
+	const auto options{json::strung(json::members
 	{
 		{ "name", "Chat Matrix" },
 		{ "host", "0.0.0.0" },
diff --git a/modules/client/sync.cc b/modules/client/sync.cc
index ec2ec317e..ca93596f5 100644
--- a/modules/client/sync.cc
+++ b/modules/client/sync.cc
@@ -379,20 +379,20 @@ update_sync_room(client &client,
 {
 	std::vector<std::string> state;
 	if(defined(json::get<"state_key"_>(event)))
-		state.emplace_back(json::string(event));
+		state.emplace_back(json::strung(event));
 
 	const auto state_serial
 	{
-		json::string(state.data(), state.data() + state.size())
+		json::strung(state.data(), state.data() + state.size())
 	};
 
 	std::vector<std::string> timeline;
 	if(!defined(json::get<"state_key"_>(event)))
-		timeline.emplace_back(json::string(event));
+		timeline.emplace_back(json::strung(event));
 
 	const auto timeline_serial
 	{
-		json::string(timeline.data(), timeline.data() + timeline.size())
+		json::strung(timeline.data(), timeline.data() + timeline.size())
 	};
 
 	const json::members body
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ update_sync_room(client &client,
 		{ "timeline",   json::member { "events", timeline_serial }  }
 	};
 
-	return json::string(body);
+	return json::strung(body);
 }
 
 std::string
@@ -417,10 +417,10 @@ update_sync_rooms(client &client,
 	r[0].emplace_back(update_sync_room(client, room, since, event));
 	m[0].emplace_back(room.room_id, r[0].back());
 
-	const std::string join{json::string(m[0].data(), m[0].data() + m[0].size())};
-	const std::string leave{json::string(m[1].data(), m[1].data() + m[1].size())};
-	const std::string invite{json::string(m[2].data(), m[2].data() + m[2].size())};
-	return json::string(json::members
+	const std::string join{json::strung(m[0].data(), m[0].data() + m[0].size())};
+	const std::string leave{json::strung(m[1].data(), m[1].data() + m[1].size())};
+	const std::string invite{json::strung(m[2].data(), m[2].data() + m[2].size())};
+	return json::strung(json::members
 	{
 		{ "join",     join    },
 		{ "leave",    leave   },
@@ -481,19 +481,19 @@ initial_sync_room(client &client,
 	{
 		const m::event::query<m::event::where::equal> state_query
 		{
-			{ "room_id",      room.room_id     },
-			{ "state_key",    ""               },
+			{ "room_id",    room.room_id     },
+			{ "is_state",   true             },
 		};
 
 		m::events::for_each(state_query, [&state](const auto &event)
 		{
-			state.emplace_back(json::string(event));
+			state.emplace_back(json::strung(event));
 		});
 	}
 
 	const auto state_serial
 	{
-		json::string(state.data(), state.data() + state.size())
+		json::strung(state.data(), state.data() + state.size())
 	};
 
 	std::vector<std::string> timeline;
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ initial_sync_room(client &client,
 				return true;
 
 			if(!defined(json::get<"state_key"_>(event)))
-				timeline.emplace_back(json::string(event));
+				timeline.emplace_back(json::strung(event));
 
 			return false;
 		});
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ initial_sync_room(client &client,
 
 	const auto timeline_serial
 	{
-		json::string(timeline.data(), timeline.data() + timeline.size())
+		json::strung(timeline.data(), timeline.data() + timeline.size())
 	};
 
 	const json::members body
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ initial_sync_room(client &client,
 		{ "timeline",   json::member { "events", timeline_serial }  }
 	};
 
-	return json::string(body);
+	return json::strung(body);
 }
 
 std::string
@@ -560,10 +560,10 @@ initial_sync_rooms(client &client,
 		m.at(i).emplace_back(room_id, r.at(i).back());
 	});
 
-	const std::string join{json::string(m[0].data(), m[0].data() + m[0].size())};
-	const std::string leave{json::string(m[1].data(), m[1].data() + m[1].size())};
-	const std::string invite{json::string(m[2].data(), m[2].data() + m[2].size())};
-	return json::string(json::members
+	const std::string join{json::strung(m[0].data(), m[0].data() + m[0].size())};
+	const std::string leave{json::strung(m[1].data(), m[1].data() + m[1].size())};
+	const std::string invite{json::strung(m[2].data(), m[2].data() + m[2].size())};
+	return json::strung(json::members
 	{
 		{ "join",     join    },
 		{ "leave",    leave   },