diff --git a/include/ircd/m/event/index.h b/include/ircd/m/event/index.h
index 1932e76fa..d4795392c 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/event/index.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/event/index.h
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 
 namespace ircd::m
 {
-	bool index(const event::id &, std::nothrow_t, const event::closure_idx &);
+	bool index(std::nothrow_t, const event::id &, const event::closure_idx &);
 
-	event::idx index(const event::id &, std::nothrow_t);
+	event::idx index(std::nothrow_t, const event::id &);
 	event::idx index(const event::id &);
 
-	event::idx index(const event &, std::nothrow_t);
+	event::idx index(std::nothrow_t, const event &);
 	event::idx index(const event &);
 }
diff --git a/include/ircd/m/redacted.h b/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
index d4f832c83..444c641a8 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/redacted.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ inline
 ircd::m::redacted::redacted(const event::id &event_id)
 :redacted
 {
-    index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+    index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 }
 {}
 
diff --git a/matrix/dbs.cc b/matrix/dbs.cc
index ef374755e..f056eb205 100644
--- a/matrix/dbs.cc
+++ b/matrix/dbs.cc
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ ircd::m::dbs::find_event_idx(const event::id &event_id,
 		ret = wopts.interpose->val(db::op::SET, "_event_idx", event_id, 0UL);
 
 	if(wopts.allow_queries && !ret)
-		ret = m::index(event_id, std::nothrow); // query
+		ret = m::index(std::nothrow, event_id); // query
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/matrix/event.cc b/matrix/event.cc
index 541e18c8c..f852b5fb6 100644
--- a/matrix/event.cc
+++ b/matrix/event.cc
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ bool
 ircd::m::bad(const id::event &event_id)
 {
 	bool ret {false};
-	index(event_id, std::nothrow, [&ret]
+	index(std::nothrow, event_id, [&ret]
 	(const event::idx &event_idx)
 	{
 		ret = event_idx == 0;
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ ircd::m::count(const event::prev &prev)
 bool
 ircd::m::good(const id::event &event_id)
 {
-	return bool(event_id) && index(event_id, std::nothrow) != 0;
+	return bool(event_id) && index(std::nothrow, event_id) != 0;
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/matrix/event_cached.cc b/matrix/event_cached.cc
index 8a2c02a53..5f90c3c74 100644
--- a/matrix/event_cached.cc
+++ b/matrix/event_cached.cc
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ ircd::m::cached(const id::event &event_id,
 
 	const event::idx event_idx
 	{
-		index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	return event_idx?
diff --git a/matrix/event_fetch.cc b/matrix/event_fetch.cc
index 92a285792..90601b7f0 100644
--- a/matrix/event_fetch.cc
+++ b/matrix/event_fetch.cc
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ ircd::m::seek(event::fetch &fetch,
 {
 	const auto &event_idx
 	{
-		index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	return seek(fetch, event_idx, event_id, std::nothrow);
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ ircd::m::event::fetch::fetch(const event::id &event_id,
                              const opts &opts)
 :fetch
 {
-	index(event_id, std::nothrow), event_id, std::nothrow, opts
+	index(std::nothrow, event_id), event_id, std::nothrow, opts
 }
 {
 }
diff --git a/matrix/event_get.cc b/matrix/event_get.cc
index b2cd62330..a8f0d8b92 100644
--- a/matrix/event_get.cc
+++ b/matrix/event_get.cc
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ ircd::m::get(std::nothrow_t,
              const string_view &key,
              const mutable_buffer &buf)
 {
-	return get(std::nothrow, index(event_id, std::nothrow), key, buf);
+	return get(std::nothrow, index(std::nothrow, event_id), key, buf);
 }
 
 ircd::const_buffer
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ ircd::m::get(std::nothrow_t,
              const string_view &key,
              const event::fetch::view_closure &closure)
 {
-	return get(std::nothrow, index(event_id, std::nothrow), key, closure);
+	return get(std::nothrow, index(std::nothrow, event_id), key, closure);
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/matrix/event_index.cc b/matrix/event_index.cc
index a0fd4ba6c..014191f52 100644
--- a/matrix/event_index.cc
+++ b/matrix/event_index.cc
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ catch(const json::not_found &)
 }
 
 ircd::m::event::idx
-ircd::m::index(const event &event,
-               std::nothrow_t)
+ircd::m::index(std::nothrow_t,
+               const event &event)
 {
-	return index(event.event_id, std::nothrow);
+	return index(std::nothrow, event.event_id);
 }
 
 ircd::m::event::idx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ ircd::m::index(const event::id &event_id)
 	assert(event_id);
 	const auto ret
 	{
-		index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	if(!ret)
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ ircd::m::index(const event::id &event_id)
 }
 
 ircd::m::event::idx
-ircd::m::index(const event::id &event_id,
-               std::nothrow_t)
+ircd::m::index(std::nothrow_t,
+               const event::id &event_id)
 {
 	event::idx ret{0};
-	index(event_id, std::nothrow, [&ret]
+	index(std::nothrow, event_id, [&ret]
 	(const event::idx &event_idx)
 	{
 		ret = event_idx;
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ ircd::m::index(const event::id &event_id,
 }
 
 bool
-ircd::m::index(const event::id &event_id,
-               std::nothrow_t,
+ircd::m::index(std::nothrow_t,
+               const event::id &event_id,
                const event::closure_idx &closure)
 {
 	auto &column
diff --git a/matrix/init_backfill.cc b/matrix/init_backfill.cc
index fee5e14ca..193361d98 100644
--- a/matrix/init_backfill.cc
+++ b/matrix/init_backfill.cc
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ ircd::m::init::backfill::gossip(const room::id &room_id,
 	size_t ret{0};
 	const m::event::refs refs
 	{
-		m::index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		m::index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	static const size_t max{48};
diff --git a/matrix/room_auth.cc b/matrix/room_auth.cc
index 38b6a3578..f551dadb5 100644
--- a/matrix/room_auth.cc
+++ b/matrix/room_auth.cc
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ const
 
 			const auto &auth_event_idx
 			{
-				m::index(auth_event_id, std::nothrow)
+				m::index(std::nothrow, auth_event_id)
 			};
 
 			if(!auth_event_idx)
diff --git a/matrix/room_events.cc b/matrix/room_events.cc
index 57e8bc4b1..6026a9310 100644
--- a/matrix/room_events.cc
+++ b/matrix/room_events.cc
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ ircd::m::room::events::seek(const event::id &event_id)
 {
 	const event::idx &event_idx
 	{
-		m::index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		m::index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	return event_idx?
diff --git a/matrix/sync.cc b/matrix/sync.cc
index c88539e7d..678512665 100644
--- a/matrix/sync.cc
+++ b/matrix/sync.cc
@@ -107,14 +107,14 @@ bool
 ircd::m::sync::apropos(const data &d,
                        const event &event)
 {
-	return apropos(d, index(event, std::nothrow));
+	return apropos(d, index(std::nothrow, event));
 }
 
 bool
 ircd::m::sync::apropos(const data &d,
                        const event::id &event_id)
 {
-	return apropos(d, index(event_id, std::nothrow));
+	return apropos(d, index(std::nothrow, event_id));
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/modules/client/notifications.cc b/modules/client/notifications.cc
index 83cf8cdf3..e78bcc6e2 100644
--- a/modules/client/notifications.cc
+++ b/modules/client/notifications.cc
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ ircd::m::get_notifications(client &client,
 			{
 				object, "read", json::value
 				{
-					last_read && index(last_read, std::nothrow) >= event_idx
+					last_read && index(std::nothrow, last_read) >= event_idx
 				}
 			};
 
diff --git a/modules/client/rooms/relations.cc b/modules/client/rooms/relations.cc
index 303bd83d3..55873ac9d 100644
--- a/modules/client/rooms/relations.cc
+++ b/modules/client/rooms/relations.cc
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ try
 
 	m::event::idx event_idx
 	{
-		index(event_id, std::nothrow)
+		index(std::nothrow, event_id)
 	};
 
 	m::event::fetch event
diff --git a/modules/m_room_redaction.cc b/modules/m_room_redaction.cc
index b12f5b147..209761e86 100644
--- a/modules/m_room_redaction.cc
+++ b/modules/m_room_redaction.cc
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ ircd::m::auth_room_redaction(const m::event &event,
 	// the power levels.
 	const auto redact_target_idx
 	{
-		m::index(at<"redacts"_>(event), std::nothrow)
+		m::index(std::nothrow, at<"redacts"_>(event))
 	};
 
 	if(!redact_target_idx)