diff --git a/include/jets/q.h b/include/jets/q.h
index 6fd6e21dac..48db0ea5e7 100644
--- a/include/jets/q.h
+++ b/include/jets/q.h
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@
     u3_noun u3qfp_hack(u3_noun, u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qfp_late(u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qfp_open(u3_noun, u3_noun);
+    u3_noun u3qfp_nepo(u3_noun, u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qfp_rake(u3_noun);
 
 #   define u3qfu_van_fan  28
@@ -294,6 +295,7 @@
     u3_noun u3qzp_hack(u3_noun, u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qzp_late(u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qzp_open(u3_noun, u3_noun);
+    u3_noun u3qzp_nepo(u3_noun, u3_noun);
     u3_noun u3qzp_rake(u3_noun);
 
 #   define u3qzu_van_fan  28
diff --git a/jets/f/ap.c b/jets/f/ap.c
index 1ad3180722..953652c936 100644
--- a/jets/f/ap.c
+++ b/jets/f/ap.c
@@ -1039,3 +1039,59 @@
       return u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
     }
   }
+
+/* boilerplate
+ *
+*/
+  static u3_noun
+  _aq_core(u3_noun ter,
+           u3_noun gen)
+  {
+    u3_noun gat = u3j_hook(u3k(ter), "ap");
+
+    return u3i_molt(gat, u3x_sam, u3k(gen), 0);
+  }
+
+/* open
+*/
+  static u3_noun
+  _aq_open_n(u3_noun ter,
+             u3_noun gen)
+  {
+    u3_noun cor = _aq_core(ter, gen);
+
+    return u3j_soft(cor, "open");
+  }
+  static u3_noun
+  _aq_open_l(u3_noun ter,
+             u3_noun gen)
+  {
+    u3_noun pro = _open_in(ter, gen);
+
+    if ( u3_none != pro ) {
+      return pro;
+    } else {
+      return _aq_open_n(ter, gen);
+    }
+  }
+
+  u3_noun
+  u3qfp_nepo(u3_noun ter,
+             u3_noun gen)
+  {
+    return _aq_open_l(ter, gen);
+  }
+
+  u3_noun
+  u3wfp_nepo(u3_noun cor)
+  {
+    u3_noun gen;
+
+    if ( u3_none == (gen = u3r_at(u3x_sam, cor)) ) {
+      return u3m_bail(c3__fail);
+    } else {
+      u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con, cor);
+
+      return u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen);
+    }
+  }
diff --git a/jets/f/ut_mint.c b/jets/f/ut_mint.c
index 5ea4da85e1..c5c0943c57 100644
--- a/jets/f/ut_mint.c
+++ b/jets/f/ut_mint.c
@@ -388,8 +388,10 @@
     }
 
     if ( c3n == u3du(gen) ) {
+      u3_noun fab = u3r_at(u3qfu_van_fab, van);
       u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con_3, van);
-      u3_noun rex = u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
+      u3_noun rex = (c3n == fab) ? u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen)
+                                 : u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
 
       ret = _mint_in(van, sut, gol, rex);
       u3z(rex);
@@ -414,8 +416,10 @@
       }
     } else switch ( u3h(gen) ) {
       default: {
+        u3_noun fab = u3r_at(u3qfu_van_fab, van);
         u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con_3, van);
-        u3_noun rex = u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
+        u3_noun rex = (c3n == fab) ? u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen)
+                                   : u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
 
         if ( c3y == u3r_sing(rex, gen) ) {
 #if 1
@@ -813,7 +817,6 @@
 
       case c3__ktcn: p_gen = u3t(gen);
       _mint_used();
-#if 0
       {
         u3_noun von = u3i_molt(u3k(van), u3qfu_van_fab, c3n, 0);
         u3_noun ret = _mint_in(von, sut, gol, p_gen);
@@ -821,33 +824,9 @@
         u3z(von);
         return ret;
       }
-#else
-      {
-        u3_noun von = u3i_molt(u3k(van), u3x_sam, u3k(sut), 0);
-        u3_noun gat = u3j_hook(von, "blow");
-        u3_noun pro;
-
-        pro = u3n_kick_on(u3i_molt(gat, 
-                          u3x_sam_2, 
-                          u3k(gol), 
-                          u3x_sam_3, 
-                          u3k(p_gen),
-                          0));
-        return pro;
-      } 
-#endif
 
       case c3__cold: p_gen = u3t(gen);
       _mint_used();
-#if 0
-      {
-        u3_noun von = u3i_molt(u3k(van), u3qfu_van_fab, c3n, 0);
-        u3_noun ret = _mint_in(von, sut, gol, p_gen);
-
-        u3z(von);
-        return ret;
-      }
-#else
       {
         u3_noun von = u3i_molt(u3k(van), u3x_sam, u3k(sut), 0);
         u3_noun gat = u3j_hook(von, "blow");
@@ -861,7 +840,6 @@
                           0));
         return pro;
       } 
-#endif
 
       case c3__zpcm: u3x_cell(u3t(gen), &p_gen, &q_gen);
       _mint_used();
diff --git a/jets/f/ut_mull.c b/jets/f/ut_mull.c
index 830eba88bf..203b674e88 100644
--- a/jets/f/ut_mull.c
+++ b/jets/f/ut_mull.c
@@ -340,8 +340,10 @@
     u3_noun ret;
 
     if ( c3n == u3du(gen) ) {
+      u3_noun fab = u3r_at(u3qfu_van_fab, van);
       u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con_3, van);
-      u3_noun rex = u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
+      u3_noun rex = (c3n == fab) ? u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen)
+                                 : u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
 
       ret = _mull_in(van, sut, gol, dox, rex);
       u3z(rex);
@@ -365,8 +367,10 @@
     }
     else switch ( u3h(gen) ) {
       default: {
+        u3_noun fab = u3r_at(u3qfu_van_fab, van);
         u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con_3, van);
-        u3_noun rex = u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
+        u3_noun rex = (c3n == fab) ? u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen)
+                                   : u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
 
         if ( c3y == u3r_sing(rex, gen) ) {
 #if 1
diff --git a/jets/f/ut_play.c b/jets/f/ut_play.c
index b0b59aa054..124d625d2d 100644
--- a/jets/f/ut_play.c
+++ b/jets/f/ut_play.c
@@ -216,8 +216,10 @@
 
     if ( c3n == u3du(gen) ) {
       open: {
+        u3_noun fab = u3r_at(u3qfu_van_fab, van);
         u3_noun ter = u3r_at(u3x_con_3, van);
-        u3_noun rex = u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
+        u3_noun rex = (c3n == fab) ? u3qfp_nepo(ter, gen)
+                                   : u3qfp_open(ter, gen);
         u3_noun ret;
 
         if ( c3y == u3r_sing(rex, gen) ) {