diff --git a/pkg/arvo/app/chat-cli.hoon b/pkg/arvo/app/chat-cli.hoon
index 4090fd7006..f74c81977e 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/app/chat-cli.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/app/chat-cli.hoon
@@ -365,9 +365,11 @@
         ;~  (glue ace)
           (tag %create)
           security
-          path
-          (punt ;~(pfix ace glyph))
-          (punt ;~(pfix ace ;~(pose (cold %| bar) (cold %& pad))))
+          ;~  plug
+            path
+            (punt ;~(pfix ace glyph))
+            (punt ;~(pfix ace (fuss 'y' 'n')))
+          ==
         ==
         ;~((glue ace) (tag %delete) path)
         ;~((glue ace) (tag %invite) rw path ships)
@@ -375,9 +377,11 @@
       ::
         ;~  (glue ace)
           (tag %join)
-          targ
-          (punt ;~(pfix ace glyph))
-          (punt ;~(pfix ace ;~(pose (cold %| bar) (cold %& pad))))
+          ;~  plug
+            targ
+            (punt ;~(pfix ace glyph))
+            (punt ;~(pfix ace (fuss 'y' 'n')))
+          ==
         ==
         ;~((glue ace) (tag %leave) targ)
       ::
@@ -637,7 +641,7 @@
             ?(%channel %mailbox)  ~
             ?(%village %journal)  [our-self ~ ~]
           ==
-          ?~(allow-history %.y u.allow-history)
+          (fall allow-history %.y)
       ==
     ::  +delete: delete local chats
     ::
@@ -705,7 +709,7 @@
       ::      gives ugly %chat-hook-reap
       %^  act  %do-join  %chat-view
       :-  %chat-view-action
-      [%join ship.target path.target ?~(ask-history %.y u.ask-history)]
+      [%join ship.target path.target (fall ask-history %.y)]
     ::  +leave: unsync & destroy mailbox
     ::
     ::TODO  allow us to "mute" local chats using this
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/app/chat-hook.hoon b/pkg/arvo/app/chat-hook.hoon
index c67a38316b..f40966d3d6 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/app/chat-hook.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/app/chat-hook.hoon
@@ -196,11 +196,7 @@
   ?~  box  !!
   :_  this
   :-  [ost.bol %diff %chat-update [%create (slav %p i.pax) pax]]
-  ?:
-    ?&
-      ?=(^ backlog-start)
-      (~(got by allow-history) pax)
-    ==
+  ?:  ?&(?=(^ backlog-start) (~(got by allow-history) pax))
     (paginate-messages pax u.box u.backlog-start)
   ~
 ::
@@ -215,7 +211,7 @@
   |-  ^-  (list move)
   ?~  envelopes.mailbox
     moves
-  ?:  (lte end 500)
+  ?:  (lte end 5.000)
     =.  moves
       %+  snoc  moves
       %-  messages-move
@@ -225,12 +221,12 @@
     %+  snoc  moves
     %-  messages-move
     :^  path  start
-    (add start 500)
-    (scag 500 `(list envelope)`envelopes.mailbox)
-  =:  start  (add start 500)
-      end    (sub end 500)
+    (add start 5.000)
+    (scag 5.000 `(list envelope)`envelopes.mailbox)
+  =:  start  (add start 5.000)
+      end    (sub end 5.000)
   ==
-  $(envelopes.mailbox (slag 500 `(list envelope)`envelopes.mailbox))
+  $(envelopes.mailbox (slag 5.000 `(list envelope)`envelopes.mailbox))
 ::
 ++  messages-move
   |=  [=path start=@ud end=@ud envelopes=(list envelope)]