diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/lull.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/lull.hoon
index 040624aab7..c1660c5ec5 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/lull.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/lull.hoon
@@ -1365,7 +1365,9 @@
     =+  len=(cut 3 [4 2] hoot)
     =+  pat=(cut 3 [6 len] hoot)
     ~|  pat=pat
-    [(add 6 len) [(stab pat) num]]
+    :-  (add 6 len)
+    :_  num
+    (rash pat ;~(pfix fas (most fas (cook crip (star ;~(less fas prn))))))
   ::
   ++  sift-meow
     |=  =yowl
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
index 00520858df..c07fff37f6 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
@@ -3569,7 +3569,15 @@
             ==  ==
           ::  make the request over remote scry
           ::
-          =/  =mood  [%q uv+tako path]:i.need.sat
+          ::  TODO: switch %x -> %q as soon as practical to improve
+          ::  performance and stop tombstoning some past files.  we
+          ::  can't do it immediately because if you request %q from
+          ::  someone who doesn't understand it, they'll return null and
+          ::  we'll interpret that as a tombstoned file.  once most
+          ::  sponsors and app distributors have updated, we can change
+          ::  this to %q.
+          ::
+          =/  =mood  [%x uv+tako path]:i.need.sat
           =<  [`[%back-index -] +]
           (send-over-scry %back-index hen her inx syd mood)
         ::  otherwise, request over ames