diff --git a/include/ircd/m/room/events.h b/include/ircd/m/room/events.h
index e8b7c13b9..ea4de2b3d 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/room/events.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/room/events.h
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ struct ircd::m::room::events
 	auto &operator--()                 { return ++it;                          }
 
 	// Fetch the actual event data at the iterator's position
-	const m::event &operator*();
-	const m::event *operator->()       { return &operator*();                  }
-	const m::event &fetch(std::nothrow_t);
+	const m::event &fetch(std::nothrow_t, bool *valid = nullptr);
 	const m::event &fetch();
+	const m::event &operator*()        { return fetch(std::nothrow);           }
+	const m::event *operator->()       { return &operator*();                  }
 
 	// Prefetch the actual event data at the iterator's position (async)
 	bool prefetch(const string_view &event_prop);
diff --git a/matrix/room_events.cc b/matrix/room_events.cc
index 56dbede09..d6655981a 100644
--- a/matrix/room_events.cc
+++ b/matrix/room_events.cc
@@ -321,18 +321,20 @@ ircd::m::room::events::fetch()
 }
 
 const ircd::m::event &
-ircd::m::room::events::fetch(std::nothrow_t)
+ircd::m::room::events::fetch(std::nothrow_t,
+                             bool *const valid_)
 {
-	m::seek(std::nothrow, _event, event_idx());
+	const bool valid
+	{
+		m::seek(std::nothrow, _event, event_idx())
+	};
+
+	if(valid_)
+		*valid_ = valid;
+
 	return _event;
 }
 
-const ircd::m::event &
-ircd::m::room::events::operator*()
-{
-	return fetch(std::nothrow);
-};
-
 bool
 ircd::m::room::events::preseek(const uint64_t &depth)
 {