diff --git a/vere/http.c b/vere/http.c
index e6e2197af0..8121a993f9 100644
--- a/vere/http.c
+++ b/vere/http.c
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ _http_req_unlink(u3_hreq* req_u)
 static u3_noun
 _http_req_to_duct(u3_hreq* req_u)
 {
-  return u3nt(u3_blip, c3__http,
+  return u3nt(u3_blip, u3i_string("http-server"),
               u3nq(u3dc("scot", c3_s2('u','v'), req_u->hon_u->htp_u->sev_l),
                    u3dc("scot", c3_s2('u','d'), req_u->hon_u->coq_l),
                    u3dc("scot", c3_s2('u','d'), req_u->seq_l),
@@ -304,8 +304,7 @@ _http_req_kill(u3_hreq* req_u)
 {
   u3_noun pox = _http_req_to_duct(req_u);
 
-  u3v_plan(pox, u3nt(u3i_string("http-server"),
-                     u3i_string("cancel-request"),
+  u3v_plan(pox, u3nc(u3i_string("cancel-request"),
                      u3_nul));
 }
 
@@ -383,12 +382,11 @@ _http_req_dispatch(u3_hreq* req_u, u3_noun req)
 
   u3_noun pox = _http_req_to_duct(req_u);
 
-  u3v_plan(pox, u3i_cell(u3i_string("http-server"),
-                         u3nq(u3i_string("request"),
-                              req_u->hon_u->htp_u->sec,
-                              u3nc(c3__ipv4,
-                                   u3i_words(1, &req_u->hon_u->ipf_w)),
-                              req)));
+  u3v_plan(pox, u3nq(u3i_string("request"),
+                     req_u->hon_u->htp_u->sec,
+                     u3nc(c3__ipv4,
+                          u3i_words(1, &req_u->hon_u->ipf_w)),
+                     req));
 }
 
 /* _http_hgen_dispose(): dispose response generator and buffers
@@ -1518,7 +1516,7 @@ u3_http_ef_bake(void)
     u3z(hot);
   }
 
-  u3_noun pax = u3nq(u3_blip, c3__http, u3k(u3A->sen), u3_nul);
+  u3_noun pax = u3nq(u3_blip, u3i_string("http-server"), u3k(u3A->sen), u3_nul);
 
   u3v_plan(pax, u3nc(c3__born, ipf));
 }
@@ -1607,8 +1605,10 @@ u3_http_ef_http_server(c3_l    sev_l,
 
     if (c3y == u3r_sing(u3i_string("start"), u3k(u3h(response)))) {
       // Separate the %start message into its components.
-      u3_noun status, headers, data, complete;
-      if (c3y == u3r_qual(u3t(response), &status, &headers, &data, &complete)) {
+      u3_noun response_header, data, complete;
+      u3_noun status, headers;
+      if (c3y == u3r_trel(u3t(response), &response_header, &data, &complete) &&
+          c3y == u3r_cell(u3t(response_header), &status, &headers)) {
         _http_start_respond(req_u, u3k(status), u3k(headers), u3k(data),
                             u3k(complete));
       } else {
@@ -1704,8 +1704,11 @@ _http_serv_start_all(void)
   {
     c3_assert( u3_none != non );
 
-    u3_noun pax = u3nq(u3_blip, c3__http, u3k(u3A->sen), u3_nul);
-    u3v_plan(pax, u3nq(u3i_string("http-server"), c3__live, non, sec));
+    u3_noun pax = u3nq(u3_blip,
+                       u3i_string("http-server"),
+                       u3k(u3A->sen),
+                       u3_nul);
+    u3v_plan(pax, u3nt(c3__live, non, sec));
   }
 
   _http_write_ports_file(u3_Host.dir_c);
@@ -2573,6 +2576,8 @@ _proxy_ward_plan(u3_ward* rev_u)
     rev_u->non_u = uv_buf_init((c3_c*)non_w, len_w);
   }
 
+  // TODO: all this forwarding stuff doesn't work with %light/http-server.
+  
   // XX confirm duct
   u3_noun pax = u3nq(u3_blip, c3__http, c3__prox,
                      u3nc(u3k(u3A->sen), u3_nul));
diff --git a/vere/reck.c b/vere/reck.c
index 2fed4df3da..6ca9ef7cbd 100644
--- a/vere/reck.c
+++ b/vere/reck.c
@@ -141,13 +141,6 @@ _reck_kick_http(u3_noun  pox,
   if ( c3n == u3du(fav) ) {
     u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
   }
-  else if (c3y == u3r_sing(u3i_string("http-server"), u3k(u3h(fav)))) {
-    p_fav = u3t(fav);
-    u3_http_ef_http_server(sev_l, coq_l, seq_l, u3k(p_fav));
-
-    u3z(pox); u3z(fav);
-    return c3y;
-  }
   else switch ( u3h(fav) ) {
     default: u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
 
@@ -273,43 +266,45 @@ _reck_kick_spec(u3_noun pox, u3_noun fav)
     if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(t_pox, &it_pox, &tt_pox)) ) {
       u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
     }
-    else switch ( it_pox ) {
-      default: u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
+    else if (c3y == u3r_sing(u3i_string("http-server"), u3k(it_pox))) {
+      u3_noun pud = tt_pox;
+      u3_noun p_pud, t_pud, tt_pud, q_pud, r_pud, s_pud;
+      c3_l    sev_l, coq_l, seq_l;
 
-      case c3__http: {
-        u3_noun pud = tt_pox;
-        u3_noun p_pud, t_pud, tt_pud, q_pud, r_pud, s_pud;
-        c3_l    sev_l, coq_l, seq_l;
+      if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(pud, &p_pud, &t_pud)) ||
+           (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__uv, u3k(p_pud), &sev_l)) )
+      {
+        u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
+      }
 
-        if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(pud, &p_pud, &t_pud)) ||
-             (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__uv, u3k(p_pud), &sev_l)) )
+      if ( u3_nul == t_pud ) {
+        coq_l = seq_l = 0;
+      }
+      else {
+        if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(t_pud, &q_pud, &tt_pud)) ||
+             (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__ud, u3k(q_pud), &coq_l)) )
         {
           u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
         }
 
-        if ( u3_nul == t_pud ) {
-          coq_l = seq_l = 0;
-        }
-        else {
-          if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(t_pud, &q_pud, &tt_pud)) ||
-               (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__ud, u3k(q_pud), &coq_l)) )
+        if ( u3_nul == tt_pud ) {
+          seq_l = 0;
+        } else {
+          if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(tt_pud, &r_pud, &s_pud)) ||
+               (u3_nul != s_pud) ||
+               (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__ud, u3k(r_pud), &seq_l)) )
           {
             u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
           }
-
-          if ( u3_nul == tt_pud ) {
-            seq_l = 0;
-          } else {
-            if ( (c3n == u3r_cell(tt_pud, &r_pud, &s_pud)) ||
-                 (u3_nul != s_pud) ||
-                 (c3n == _reck_lily(c3__ud, u3k(r_pud), &seq_l)) )
-            {
-              u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
-            }
-          }
         }
-        return _reck_kick_http(pox, sev_l, coq_l, seq_l, fav);
-      } break;
+      }
+      u3_http_ef_http_server(sev_l, coq_l, seq_l, u3k(fav));
+
+      u3z(pox); u3z(fav);
+      return c3y;
+    }
+    else switch ( it_pox ) {
+      default: u3z(pox); u3z(fav); return c3n;
 
       case c3__behn: {
         return _reck_kick_behn(pox, fav);