diff --git a/include/ircd/ctx/pool.h b/include/ircd/ctx/pool.h
index c0efe5155..eaf0c5605 100644
--- a/include/ircd/ctx/pool.h
+++ b/include/ircd/ctx/pool.h
@@ -171,3 +171,9 @@ const
 	assert(opt);
 	return *opt;
 }
+
+inline const ircd::string_view &
+ircd::ctx::name(const pool &pool)
+{
+	return pool.name;
+}
diff --git a/ircd/client.cc b/ircd/client.cc
index 7665aa3d4..fbbe8aee1 100644
--- a/ircd/client.cc
+++ b/ircd/client.cc
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ ircd::client::log
 decltype(ircd::client::pool_opts)
 ircd::client::pool_opts
 {
-	size_t(settings.stack_size),
-	size_t(settings.pool_size),
+	.stack_size = size_t(settings.stack_size),
+	.initial_ctxs = size_t(settings.pool_size),
 };
 
 /// The pool of request contexts. When a client makes a request it does so by acquiring
diff --git a/ircd/ctx.cc b/ircd/ctx.cc
index e7da4f41e..e6a2b0e80 100644
--- a/ircd/ctx.cc
+++ b/ircd/ctx.cc
@@ -1404,12 +1404,6 @@ ircd::ctx::context::detach()
 // ctx_pool.h
 //
 
-const ircd::string_view &
-ircd::ctx::name(const pool &pool)
-{
-	return pool.name;
-}
-
 decltype(ircd::ctx::pool::default_name)
 ircd::ctx::pool::default_name
 {
diff --git a/ircd/db.cc b/ircd/db.cc
index aebc7ac0c..68f9beb4f 100644
--- a/ircd/db.cc
+++ b/ircd/db.cc
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@ ircd::db::request_pool_size
 decltype(ircd::db::request_pool_opts)
 ircd::db::request_pool_opts
 {
-	size_t(request_pool_stack_size),
-	size_t(request_pool_size),
-	-1,   // No hard limit
-	0,    // Soft limit at any queued
-	true, // Yield before hitting soft limit
+	.stack_size = size_t(request_pool_stack_size),
+	.initial_ctxs = size_t(request_pool_size),
+	.queue_max_hard = -1,
+	.queue_max_soft = 0,         // Soft limit at any queued
+	.queue_max_blocking = true,  // Yield before hitting soft limit
 };
 
 /// Concurrent request pool. Requests to seek may be executed on this
diff --git a/ircd/db_env.cc b/ircd/db_env.cc
index 39cafd1de..a3d6e87ce 100644
--- a/ircd/db_env.cc
+++ b/ircd/db_env.cc
@@ -4091,14 +4091,14 @@ ircd::db::database::env::state::pool::pool(database &d,
 }
 ,popts
 {
-	size_t(stack_size),    // stack size of worker
-	0,                     // initial workers
-	-1,                    // queue hard limit
-	-1,                    // queue soft limit
-	true,                  // queue_max_blocking
-	true,                  // queue_max_dwarning
-	make_nice(iopri),      // ionice
-	make_nice(this->pri),  // nice
+	.stack_size = size_t(stack_size),
+	.initial_ctxs = 0,
+	.queue_max_hard = -1,
+	.queue_max_soft = -1,
+	.queue_max_blocking = true,
+	.queue_max_dwarning = true,
+	.ionice = make_nice(iopri),
+	.nice = make_nice(this->pri),
 }
 ,p
 {
diff --git a/matrix/init_backfill.cc b/matrix/init_backfill.cc
index fb4434501..32074f73a 100644
--- a/matrix/init_backfill.cc
+++ b/matrix/init_backfill.cc
@@ -254,14 +254,10 @@ try
 	// The context pool lives directly in this frame.
 	static const ctx::pool::opts pool_opts
 	{
-		512_KiB,               // stack sz
-		size_t(pool_size),     // pool sz
-		-1,                    // queue max hard
-		0,                     // queue max soft
-		true,                  // queue max blocking
-		true,                  // queue max warning
-		3,                     // ionice
-		3,                     // nice
+		.stack_size = 512_KiB,
+		.initial_ctxs = size_t(pool_size),
+		.ionice = 3,
+		.nice = 3,
 	};
 
 	ctx::pool pool
diff --git a/matrix/sync.cc b/matrix/sync.cc
index 87ce6cd9d..25a2584e9 100644
--- a/matrix/sync.cc
+++ b/matrix/sync.cc
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ ircd::m::sync::log
 };
 
 decltype(ircd::m::sync::pool_opts)
-ircd::m::sync::pool_opts
-{
-	ctx::DEFAULT_STACK_SIZE, 0, -1, 0
-};
+ircd::m::sync::pool_opts;
 
 decltype(ircd::m::sync::pool)
 ircd::m::sync::pool