diff --git a/app/hall.hoon b/app/hall.hoon
index c6f731db64..ca5a663f04 100644
--- a/app/hall.hoon
+++ b/app/hall.hoon
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@
       ~/  %hall-action-create
       |=  {nom/name des/cord typ/security}
       ^+  ..ta-action
-      ?.  (~(has in stories) nom)
+      ?.  (~(has by stories) nom)
         %^  impact  nom  %new
         :*  [[[our.bol nom] ~] ~ ~]
             des
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@
       ::
       ~/  %hall-action-design
       |=  {nom/name cof/config}
-      ?.  (~(has in stories) nom)
+      ?.  (~(has by stories) nom)
         (impact nom %new cof)
       (ta-evil (crip "{(trip nom)}: already exists"))
     ::
@@ -2654,15 +2654,16 @@
     ==
   ::
     ?:  =(wat ~)  &
-    %-  ~(has in wat)
-    ?+  -.det  %hasnot
-      $gram     %grams
-      $new      %config-l
-      $remove   %config-l
+    ?+  -.det   |
+      $gram     (~(has in wat) %grams)
+      $new      (~(has in wat) %config-l)
+      $remove   (~(has in wat) %config-l)
       $config   ?:  =(cir.det [our.bol nom])
-                %config-l  %config-r
+                  (~(has in wat) %config-l)
+                (~(has in wat) %config-r)
       $status   ?:  =(cir.det [our.bol nom])
-                %group-l  %group-r
+                  (~(has in wat) %group-l)
+                (~(has in wat) %group-r)
     ==
   ==
 ::
diff --git a/sys/hoon.hoon b/sys/hoon.hoon
index 3c726a9b5b..3897857ba3 100644
--- a/sys/hoon.hoon
+++ b/sys/hoon.hoon
@@ -1335,10 +1335,26 @@
     ?~  b
       a
     $(b t.b, a (put i.b))
+  ::  +has: does :b exist in :a?
   ::
-  ++  has                                               ::  b exists in a check
+  ++  has
     ~/  %has
-    |*  b/*
+    |*  b=*
+    ^-  ?
+    ::  wrap extracted item type in a unit because bunting fails
+    ::
+    ::    If we used the real item type of _?^(a n.a !!) as the sample type,
+    ::    then hoon would bunt it to create the default sample for the gate.
+    ::
+    ::    However, bunting that expression fails if :a is ~. If we wrap it
+    ::    in a unit, the bunted unit doesn't include the bunted item type.
+    ::
+    ::    This way we can ensure type safety of :b without needing to perform
+    ::    this failing bunt. It's a hack.
+    ::
+    %.  [~ b]
+    |=  b=(unit _?>(?=(^ a) n.a))
+    =>  .(b ?>(?=(^ b) u.b))
     |-  ^-  ?
     ?~  a
       |
@@ -12114,7 +12130,7 @@
       |=  [acc=_map [ty=type k=xkey]]
       =/  dest  (~(get by refs.tbl) k)
       ?^  dest  (~(put by acc) ty u.dest)
-      ?.  (~(has in live.tbl))  acc
+      ?.  (~(has in live.tbl) k)  acc
       (~(put in acc) ty k)
     ::
     ::  Rebuild the `xrays` table.
diff --git a/sys/zuse.hoon b/sys/zuse.hoon
index 722f1efeeb..d7c49a17a6 100644
--- a/sys/zuse.hoon
+++ b/sys/zuse.hoon
@@ -5932,7 +5932,7 @@
       %+  welp  tam
       =-  ?~(att rez [' ' (attr att rez)])
       ^-  rez/tape
-      ?:  &(?=(~ c.mex) |(cot (clot man)))
+      ?:  &(?=(~ c.mex) |(cot ?^(man | (clot man))))
         [' ' '/' '>' rez]
       :-  '>'
       (many c.mex :(weld "</" tam ">" rez))