diff --git a/include/ircd/m/room.h b/include/ircd/m/room.h
index 97356c2e4..aa026b9c0 100644
--- a/include/ircd/m/room.h
+++ b/include/ircd/m/room.h
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ namespace ircd::m
 	// [GET] Util
 	bool exists(const id::room &);
 
+	id::room room_id(const mutable_buffer &, const id::room_alias &);
+	id::room::buf room_id(const id::room_alias &);
+
 	// [GET] Current Event suite (non-locking) (one)
 	id::event::buf head(std::nothrow_t, const id::room &, int64_t &);
 	id::event::buf head(const id::room &, uint64_t &);
@@ -105,7 +108,6 @@ struct ircd::m::room
 	// misc
 	bool membership(const m::id::user &, const string_view &membership = "join") const;
 
-	room(const alias &, const event::id &event_id = {});
 	room(const id &room_id, const event::id &event_id = {})
 	:room_id{room_id}
 	,event_id{event_id}
diff --git a/ircd/m/m.cc b/ircd/m/m.cc
index a90bcacbb..8971a3b8e 100644
--- a/ircd/m/m.cc
+++ b/ircd/m/m.cc
@@ -460,6 +460,28 @@ ircd::m::commit(const room &room,
 	return function(room, event, contents);
 }
 
+ircd::m::id::room::buf
+ircd::m::room_id(const id::room_alias &room_alias)
+{
+	id::room::buf buf;
+	room_id(buf, room_alias);
+	return buf;
+}
+
+ircd::m::id::room
+ircd::m::room_id(const mutable_buffer &out,
+                 const id::room_alias &room_alias)
+{
+	using prototype = id::room (const mutable_buffer &, const id::room_alias &);
+
+	static import<prototype> function
+	{
+		"client_directory_room", "room_id__room_alias"
+	};
+
+	return function(out, room_alias);
+}
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // m/hook.h
diff --git a/ircd/m/room.cc b/ircd/m/room.cc
index 176555c5f..743581562 100644
--- a/ircd/m/room.cc
+++ b/ircd/m/room.cc
@@ -104,14 +104,6 @@ ircd::m::my(const room &room)
 // room
 //
 
-ircd::m::room::room(const alias &alias,
-                    const event::id &event_id)
-:room_id{}
-,event_id{event_id}
-{
-	assert(0); //TODO: translate
-}
-
 bool
 ircd::m::room::membership(const m::id::user &user_id,
                           const string_view &membership)
diff --git a/modules/client/directory/room.cc b/modules/client/directory/room.cc
index de641e1c9..3f29c7949 100644
--- a/modules/client/directory/room.cc
+++ b/modules/client/directory/room.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ directory_room_resource
 	}
 };
 
+extern "C" m::id::room
+room_id__room_alias(const mutable_buffer &out,
+                    const m::id::room_alias &);
+
 resource::response
 get__directory_room(client &client,
                     const resource::request &request)
@@ -35,49 +39,18 @@ get__directory_room(client &client,
 		url::decode(request.parv[0], room_alias)
 	};
 
-	//TODO: XXX cache strat
-
-	const unique_buffer<mutable_buffer> buf
+	char buf[256];
+	const auto room_id
 	{
-		16_KiB
+		m::room_id(buf, room_alias)
 	};
 
-	m::v1::query::directory federation_request
-	{
-		room_alias, buf
-	};
-
-	//TODO: conf
-	if(federation_request.wait(seconds(8)) == ctx::future_status::timeout)
-	{
-		cancel(federation_request);
-		return resource::response
-		{
-			client, http::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-		};
-	}
-
-	const http::code &code
-	{
-		federation_request.get()
-	};
-
-	const json::object &response
-	{
-		federation_request
-	};
-
-	if(empty(response["room_id"]))
-		throw m::NOT_FOUND{};
-
-	if(empty(response["servers"]))
-		throw m::NOT_FOUND{};
-
-	//TODO: XXX cache strat
-
 	return resource::response
 	{
-		client, response
+		client, json::members
+		{
+			{ "room_id", room_id }
+		}
 	};
 }
 
@@ -120,3 +93,58 @@ directory_room_put
 {
 	directory_room_resource, "PUT", put__directory_room
 };
+
+m::id::room
+room_id__room_alias(const mutable_buffer &out,
+                    const m::id::room_alias &alias)
+{
+	//TODO: XXX cache strat
+
+	const unique_buffer<mutable_buffer> buf
+	{
+		8_KiB //TODO: XXX
+	};
+
+	m::v1::query::directory federation_request
+	{
+		alias, buf
+	};
+
+	//TODO: conf
+	if(federation_request.wait(seconds(8)) == ctx::future_status::timeout)
+		throw http::error
+		{
+			http::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+		};
+
+	const http::code &code
+	{
+		federation_request.get()
+	};
+
+	const json::object &response
+	{
+		federation_request
+	};
+
+	if(empty(response["room_id"]))
+		throw m::NOT_FOUND{};
+
+	if(empty(response["servers"]))
+		throw m::NOT_FOUND{};
+
+	const auto &room_id
+	{
+		unquote(response.at("room_id"))
+	};
+
+	//TODO: XXX cache strat
+
+	return m::room::id
+	{
+		string_view
+		{
+			data(out), copy(out, room_id)
+		}
+	};
+}
diff --git a/modules/client/join.cc b/modules/client/join.cc
index 8f85e785d..b39e18a72 100644
--- a/modules/client/join.cc
+++ b/modules/client/join.cc
@@ -81,11 +81,9 @@ _post__join(client &client,
             const resource::request &request,
             const m::room::alias &room_alias)
 {
-	throw m::NOT_FOUND{}; //TODO: X
-
-	const m::room::id room_id
+	const m::room::id::buf room_id
 	{
-
+		m::room_id(room_alias)
 	};
 
 	return resource::response