diff --git a/pkg/urbit/include/vere/db/lmdb.h b/pkg/urbit/include/vere/db/lmdb.h
index 573a68fa44..a3ca6a414b 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/include/vere/db/lmdb.h
+++ b/pkg/urbit/include/vere/db/lmdb.h
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@
   /* lmdb api wrapper
   */
 
+    /* u3_lmdb_iter: event iterator
+    */
+    typedef struct _u3_lmdb_walk {
+      MDB_txn*    txn_u;  //  transaction handle
+      MDB_dbi     mdb_u;  //  db handle
+      MDB_cursor* cur_u;  //  db cursor
+      c3_o        red_o;  //  have we read from this yet?
+      c3_d        nex_d;  //  next event number
+      c3_d        las_d;  //  final event number, inclusive
+    } u3_lmdb_walk;
+
     /* u3_lmdb_init(): open lmdb at [pax_c], mmap up to [siz_i].
     */
       MDB_env*
@@ -61,4 +72,22 @@
                         size_t      val_i,
                         void*       val_p);
 
+    /* u3_lmdb_walk_init(): initialize db iterator.
+    */
+      c3_o
+      u3_lmdb_walk_init(MDB_env*      env_u,
+                        u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u,
+                        c3_d          nex_d,
+                        c3_d          las_d);
+
+    /* u3_lmdb_walk_next(): synchronously read next event from iterator.
+    */
+      c3_o
+      u3_lmdb_walk_next(u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u, size_t* len_i, void** buf_v);
+
+    /* u3_lmdb_walk_done(): close iterator.
+    */
+      void
+      u3_lmdb_walk_done(u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u);
+
 #endif /* ifndef U3_VERE_DB_LMDB_H */
diff --git a/pkg/urbit/vere/db/lmdb.c b/pkg/urbit/vere/db/lmdb.c
index 443f11525d..c95cf38c1a 100644
--- a/pkg/urbit/vere/db/lmdb.c
+++ b/pkg/urbit/vere/db/lmdb.c
@@ -225,6 +225,112 @@ u3_lmdb_gulf(MDB_env* env_u, c3_d* low_d, c3_d* hig_d)
   }
 }
 
+/* u3_lmdb_walk_init(): initialize db iterator.
+*/
+c3_o
+u3_lmdb_walk_init(MDB_env*      env_u,
+                  u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u,
+                  c3_d          nex_d,
+                  c3_d          las_d)
+{
+  //  XX assumes little-endian
+  //
+  MDB_val key_u = { .mv_size = sizeof(c3_d), .mv_data = &nex_d };
+  MDB_val val_u;
+  c3_w    ops_w, ret_w;
+
+  itr_u->red_o = c3n;
+  itr_u->nex_d = nex_d;
+  itr_u->las_d = las_d;
+
+  //  create a read-only transaction.
+  //
+  ops_w = MDB_RDONLY;
+  if ( (ret_w = mdb_txn_begin(env_u, 0, ops_w, &itr_u->txn_u)) ) {
+    mdb_logerror(stderr, ret_w, "lmdb: read txn_begin fail");
+    return c3n;
+  }
+  //  open the database in the transaction
+  //
+  ops_w = MDB_CREATE | MDB_INTEGERKEY;
+  if ( (ret_w = mdb_dbi_open(itr_u->txn_u, "EVENTS", ops_w, &itr_u->mdb_u)) ) {
+    mdb_logerror(stderr, ret_w, "lmdb: read: dbi_open fail");
+    //  XX confirm
+    //
+    mdb_txn_abort(itr_u->txn_u);
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  //  creates a cursor to iterate over keys starting at [eve_d]
+  //
+  if ( (ret_w = mdb_cursor_open(itr_u->txn_u, itr_u->mdb_u, &itr_u->cur_u)) ) {
+    mdb_logerror(stderr, ret_w, "lmdb: read: cursor_open fail");
+    //  XX confirm
+    //
+    mdb_txn_abort(itr_u->txn_u);
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  //  set the cursor to the position of [eve_d]
+  //
+  ops_w = MDB_SET_KEY;
+  if ( (ret_w = mdb_cursor_get(itr_u->cur_u, &key_u, &val_u, ops_w)) ) {
+    mdb_logerror(stderr, ret_w, "lmdb: read: initial cursor_get failed");
+    fprintf(stderr, "    at %" PRIu64 "\r\n", nex_d);
+    mdb_cursor_close(itr_u->cur_u);
+    //  XX confirm
+    //
+    mdb_txn_abort(itr_u->txn_u);
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  return c3y;
+}
+
+/* u3_lmdb_walk_next(): synchronously read next event from iterator.
+*/
+c3_o
+u3_lmdb_walk_next(u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u, size_t* len_i, void** buf_v)
+{
+  MDB_val key_u, val_u;
+  c3_w    ret_w, ops_w;
+
+  c3_assert( itr_u->nex_d <= itr_u->las_d );
+
+  ops_w = ( c3y == itr_u->red_o ) ? MDB_NEXT : MDB_GET_CURRENT;
+  if ( (ret_w = mdb_cursor_get(itr_u->cur_u, &key_u, &val_u, ops_w)) ) {
+    mdb_logerror(stderr, ret_w, "lmdb: walk error");
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  //  sanity check: ensure contiguous event numbers
+  //
+  if ( *(c3_d*)key_u.mv_data != itr_u->nex_d ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "lmdb: read gap: expected %" PRIu64
+                    ", received %" PRIu64 "\r\n",
+                    itr_u->nex_d,
+                    *(c3_d*)key_u.mv_data);
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  *len_i = val_u.mv_size;
+  *buf_v = val_u.mv_data;
+
+  itr_u->nex_d++;
+  itr_u->red_o = c3y;
+
+  return c3y;
+}
+
+/* u3_lmdb_walk_done(): close iterator.
+*/
+void
+u3_lmdb_walk_done(u3_lmdb_walk* itr_u)
+{
+  mdb_cursor_close(itr_u->cur_u);
+  mdb_txn_abort(itr_u->txn_u);
+}
+
 /* u3_lmdb_read(): read [len_d] events starting at [eve_d].
 */
 c3_o