diff --git a/packages/app/src/Element/Thread.tsx b/packages/app/src/Element/Thread.tsx
index 143003ea..4a250eae 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/Element/Thread.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/Element/Thread.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import "./Thread.css";
 import { useMemo, useState, ReactNode, useContext } from "react";
 import { useIntl } from "react-intl";
-import { useNavigate, Link, useParams } from "react-router-dom";
+import { useNavigate, useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { TaggedNostrEvent, u256, NostrPrefix, EventExt, parseNostrLink } from "@snort/system";
 
-import { eventLink, getReactions, getAllReactions } from "SnortUtils";
+import { getReactions, getAllReactions } from "SnortUtils";
 import BackButton from "Element/BackButton";
 import Note from "Element/Note";
 import NoteGhost from "Element/NoteGhost";
@@ -154,9 +154,8 @@ const TierThree = ({ active, isLastSubthread, notes, related, chains, onNavigate
   return (
     <>
       <div
-        className={`subthread-container ${hasMultipleNotes ? "subthread-multi" : ""} ${
-          isLast ? "subthread-last" : "subthread-mid"
-        }`}>
+        className={`subthread-container ${hasMultipleNotes ? "subthread-multi" : ""} ${isLast ? "subthread-last" : "subthread-mid"
+          }`}>
         <Divider variant="small" />
         <Note
           highlight={active === first.id}
@@ -185,9 +184,8 @@ const TierThree = ({ active, isLastSubthread, notes, related, chains, onNavigate
         return (
           <div
             key={r.id}
-            className={`subthread-container ${lastReply ? "" : "subthread-multi"} ${
-              lastReply ? "subthread-last" : "subthread-mid"
-            }`}>
+            className={`subthread-container ${lastReply ? "" : "subthread-multi"} ${lastReply ? "subthread-last" : "subthread-mid"
+              }`}>
             <Divider variant="small" />
             <Note
               className={`thread-note ${lastNote ? "is-last-note" : ""}`}
@@ -225,7 +223,7 @@ export function Thread(props: { onBack?: () => void }) {
 
   function navigateThread(e: TaggedNostrEvent) {
     thread.setCurrent(e.id);
-    //const link = encodeTLV(e.id, NostrPrefix.Event, e.relays);
+    //router.navigate(`/e/${NostrLink.fromEvent(e).encode()}`, { replace: true })
   }
 
   const parent = useMemo(() => {
@@ -239,8 +237,6 @@ export function Thread(props: { onBack?: () => void }) {
     }
   }, [thread.root]);
 
-  const brokenChains = Array.from(thread.chains?.keys()).filter(a => !thread.data?.some(b => b.id === a));
-
   function renderRoot(note: TaggedNostrEvent) {
     const className = `thread-root${isSingleNote ? " thread-root-single" : ""}`;
     if (note) {
@@ -307,18 +303,6 @@ export function Thread(props: { onBack?: () => void }) {
       <div className="main-content">
         {thread.root && renderRoot(thread.root)}
         {thread.root && renderChain(thread.root.id)}
-
-        {brokenChains.length > 0 && <h3>Other replies</h3>}
-        {brokenChains.map(a => {
-          return (
-            <div className="mb10">
-              <NoteGhost className={`thread-note thread-root ghost-root`} key={a}>
-                Missing event <Link to={eventLink(a)}>{a.substring(0, 8)}</Link>
-              </NoteGhost>
-              {renderChain(a)}
-            </div>
-          );
-        })}
       </div>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/packages/app/src/Feed/EventFeed.ts b/packages/app/src/Feed/EventFeed.ts
index f96944df..3f8fce44 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/Feed/EventFeed.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/Feed/EventFeed.ts
@@ -1,29 +1,11 @@
 import { useMemo } from "react";
-import { NostrPrefix, RequestBuilder, ReplaceableNoteStore, NostrLink, NoteCollection } from "@snort/system";
+import { RequestBuilder, ReplaceableNoteStore, NostrLink, NoteCollection } from "@snort/system";
 import { useRequestBuilder } from "@snort/system-react";
 
-import { unwrap } from "SnortUtils";
-
 export function useEventFeed(link: NostrLink) {
   const sub = useMemo(() => {
     const b = new RequestBuilder(`event:${link.id.slice(0, 12)}`);
-    if (link.type === NostrPrefix.Address) {
-      const f = b.withFilter().tag("d", [link.id]);
-      if (link.author) {
-        f.authors([unwrap(link.author)]);
-      }
-      if (link.kind) {
-        f.kinds([unwrap(link.kind)]);
-      }
-    } else {
-      const f = b.withFilter().ids([link.id]);
-      if (link.relays) {
-        link.relays.slice(0, 2).forEach(r => f.relay(r));
-      }
-      if (link.author) {
-        f.authors([link.author]);
-      }
-    }
+    b.withFilter().link(link);
     return b;
   }, [link]);
 
@@ -33,25 +15,7 @@ export function useEventFeed(link: NostrLink) {
 export function useEventsFeed(id: string, links: Array<NostrLink>) {
   const sub = useMemo(() => {
     const b = new RequestBuilder(`events:${id}`);
-    for (const l of links) {
-      if (l.type === NostrPrefix.Address) {
-        const f = b.withFilter().tag("d", [l.id]);
-        if (l.author) {
-          f.authors([unwrap(l.author)]);
-        }
-        if (l.kind) {
-          f.kinds([unwrap(l.kind)]);
-        }
-      } else {
-        const f = b.withFilter().ids([l.id]);
-        if (l.relays) {
-          l.relays.slice(0, 2).forEach(r => f.relay(r));
-        }
-        if (l.author) {
-          f.authors([l.author]);
-        }
-      }
-    }
+    links.forEach(v => b.withFilter().link(v));
     return b;
   }, [id, links]);
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/Feed/LiveChatFeed.tsx b/packages/app/src/Feed/LiveChatFeed.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index e4d16e82..00000000
--- a/packages/app/src/Feed/LiveChatFeed.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-import { EventKind, FlatNoteStore, NostrLink, RequestBuilder } from "@snort/system";
-import { useRequestBuilder } from "@snort/system-react";
-import { useMemo } from "react";
-
-export function useLiveChatFeed(link: NostrLink) {
-  const sub = useMemo(() => {
-    const rb = new RequestBuilder(`live:${link.id}:${link.author}`);
-    rb.withOptions({
-      leaveOpen: true,
-    });
-    rb.withFilter()
-      .kinds([EventKind.ZapReceipt, 1311 as EventKind])
-      .tag("a", [`${link.kind}:${link.author}:${link.id}`])
-      .limit(100);
-    return rb;
-  }, [link]);
-
-  return useRequestBuilder(FlatNoteStore, sub);
-}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/Feed/ThreadFeed.ts b/packages/app/src/Feed/ThreadFeed.ts
index cefde939..cee21fbd 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/Feed/ThreadFeed.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/Feed/ThreadFeed.ts
@@ -2,25 +2,26 @@ import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { EventKind, NostrLink, RequestBuilder, NoteCollection } from "@snort/system";
 import { useRequestBuilder } from "@snort/system-react";
 
-import useLogin from "Hooks/useLogin";
 import { useReactions } from "./FeedReactions";
 
 export default function useThreadFeed(link: NostrLink) {
   const [allEvents, setAllEvents] = useState<Array<NostrLink>>([]);
-  const pref = useLogin().preferences;
 
   const sub = useMemo(() => {
-    const sub = new RequestBuilder(`thread:${link.id}`);
+    const sub = new RequestBuilder(`thread:${link.id.slice(0, 12)}`);
     sub.withOptions({
       leaveOpen: true,
     });
-    sub.withFilter().kinds([EventKind.TextNote]).link(link);
-    if (allEvents.length > 0) {
-      const f = sub.withFilter().kinds([EventKind.TextNote]);
-      allEvents.forEach(x => f.replyToLink(x));
-    }
+    sub
+      .withFilter()
+      .kinds([EventKind.TextNote])
+      .link(link)
+      .replyToLink(link);
+    allEvents.forEach(x => {
+      sub.withFilter().kinds([EventKind.TextNote]).link(x).replyToLink(x);
+    });
     return sub;
-  }, [allEvents.length, pref]);
+  }, [allEvents.length]);
 
   const store = useRequestBuilder(NoteCollection, sub);
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export default function useThreadFeed(link: NostrLink) {
     }
   }, [store.data?.length]);
 
-  const reactions = useReactions(`thread:${link.id}:reactions`, allEvents);
+  const reactions = useReactions(`thread:${link.id.slice(0, 12)}:reactions`, allEvents);
 
   return {
     thread: store.data ?? [],
diff --git a/packages/app/src/Feed/ZapsFeed.ts b/packages/app/src/Feed/ZapsFeed.ts
index e82bc188..3026e385 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/Feed/ZapsFeed.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/Feed/ZapsFeed.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useMemo } from "react";
-import { EventKind, RequestBuilder, parseZap, NostrLink, NostrPrefix, NoteCollection } from "@snort/system";
+import { EventKind, RequestBuilder, parseZap, NostrLink, NoteCollection } from "@snort/system";
 import { useRequestBuilder } from "@snort/system-react";
 import { UserCache } from "Cache";
 
@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@ export default function useZapsFeed(link?: NostrLink) {
   const sub = useMemo(() => {
     if (!link) return null;
     const b = new RequestBuilder(`zaps:${link.encode()}`);
-    if (link.type === NostrPrefix.PublicKey) {
-      b.withFilter().tag("p", [link.id]).kinds([EventKind.ZapReceipt]);
-    } else if (link.type === NostrPrefix.Event || link.type === NostrPrefix.Note) {
-      b.withFilter().tag("e", [link.id]).kinds([EventKind.ZapReceipt]);
-    }
+    b.withFilter().kinds([EventKind.ZapReceipt]).replyToLink(link);
     return b;
   }, [link]);
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/Hooks/useThreadContext.tsx b/packages/app/src/Hooks/useThreadContext.tsx
index d719889a..15649b23 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/Hooks/useThreadContext.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/Hooks/useThreadContext.tsx
@@ -27,18 +27,20 @@ export function ThreadContextWrapper({ link, children }: { link: NostrLink; chil
         ?.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at)
         .forEach(v => {
           const t = EventExt.extractThread(v);
-          let replyTo = t?.replyTo?.value ?? t?.root?.value;
-          if (t?.root?.key === "a" && t?.root?.value) {
-            const parsed = t.root.value.split(":");
-            replyTo = feed.thread?.find(
-              a => a.kind === Number(parsed[0]) && a.pubkey === parsed[1] && findTag(a, "d") === parsed[2],
-            )?.id;
-          }
-          if (replyTo) {
-            if (!chains.has(replyTo)) {
-              chains.set(replyTo, [v]);
-            } else {
-              unwrap(chains.get(replyTo)).push(v);
+          if (t) {
+            let replyTo = t.replyTo?.value ?? t.root?.value;
+            if (t.root?.key === "a" && t.root?.value) {
+              const parsed = t.root.value.split(":");
+              replyTo = feed.thread?.find(
+                a => a.kind === Number(parsed[0]) && a.pubkey === parsed[1] && findTag(a, "d") === parsed[2],
+              )?.id;
+            }
+            if (replyTo) {
+              if (!chains.has(replyTo)) {
+                chains.set(replyTo, [v]);
+              } else {
+                unwrap(chains.get(replyTo)).push(v);
+              }
             }
           }
         });
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ export function ThreadContextWrapper({ link, children }: { link: NostrLink; chil
         }
       }
     }
-  }, [feed.thread, currentId, location]);
+  }, [feed.thread.length, currentId, location]);
 
   const ctxValue = useMemo(() => {
     return {
diff --git a/packages/system/src/event-ext.ts b/packages/system/src/event-ext.ts
index 2e8d76d4..2795bf67 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/event-ext.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/event-ext.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export abstract class EventExt {
       value: tag[1],
     } as Tag;
     switch (ret.key) {
+      case "a":
       case "e": {
         ret.relay = tag.length > 2 ? tag[2] : undefined;
         ret.marker = tag.length > 3 ? tag[3] : undefined;
@@ -102,38 +103,38 @@ export abstract class EventExt {
     }
     return ret;
   }
-  static extractThread(ev: NostrEvent) {
-    const isThread = ev.tags.some(a => (a[0] === "e" && a[3] !== "mention") || a[0] == "a");
-    if (!isThread) {
-      return undefined;
-    }
 
+  static extractThread(ev: NostrEvent) {
     const shouldWriteMarkers = ev.kind === EventKind.TextNote;
     const ret = {
       mentions: [],
       pubKeys: [],
     } as Thread;
-    const eTags = ev.tags.filter(a => a[0] === "e" || a[0] === "a").map(a => EventExt.parseTag(a));
-    const marked = eTags.some(a => a.marker);
-    if (!marked) {
-      ret.root = eTags[0];
-      ret.root.marker = shouldWriteMarkers ? "root" : undefined;
-      if (eTags.length > 1) {
-        ret.replyTo = eTags[eTags.length - 1];
-        ret.replyTo.marker = shouldWriteMarkers ? "reply" : undefined;
-      }
-      if (eTags.length > 2) {
-        ret.mentions = eTags.slice(1, -1);
-        if (shouldWriteMarkers) {
-          ret.mentions.forEach(a => (a.marker = "mention"));
+    const replyTags = ev.tags.filter(a => a[0] === "e" || a[0] === "a").map(a => EventExt.parseTag(a));
+    if(replyTags.length > 0) {
+      const marked = replyTags.some(a => a.marker);
+      if (!marked) {
+        ret.root = replyTags[0];
+        ret.root.marker = shouldWriteMarkers ? "root" : undefined;
+        if (replyTags.length > 1) {
+          ret.replyTo = replyTags[replyTags.length - 1];
+          ret.replyTo.marker = shouldWriteMarkers ? "reply" : undefined;
         }
+        if (replyTags.length > 2) {
+          ret.mentions = replyTags.slice(1, -1);
+          if (shouldWriteMarkers) {
+            ret.mentions.forEach(a => (a.marker = "mention"));
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
+        const root = replyTags.find(a => a.marker === "root");
+        const reply = replyTags.find(a => a.marker === "reply");
+        ret.root = root;
+        ret.replyTo = reply;
+        ret.mentions = replyTags.filter(a => a.marker === "mention");
       }
     } else {
-      const root = eTags.find(a => a.marker === "root");
-      const reply = eTags.find(a => a.marker === "reply");
-      ret.root = root;
-      ret.replyTo = reply;
-      ret.mentions = eTags.filter(a => a.marker === "mention");
+      return undefined;
     }
     ret.pubKeys = Array.from(new Set(ev.tags.filter(a => a[0] === "p").map(a => a[1])));
     return ret;
diff --git a/packages/system/src/nostr-system.ts b/packages/system/src/nostr-system.ts
index e07674cc..1439b7b8 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/nostr-system.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/nostr-system.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { NostrEvent, TaggedNostrEvent } from "./nostr";
 import { AuthHandler, Connection, RelaySettings, ConnectionStateSnapshot } from "./connection";
 import { Query } from "./query";
 import { NoteCollection, NoteStore, NoteStoreSnapshotData } from "./note-collection";
-import { BuiltRawReqFilter, RequestBuilder } from "./request-builder";
+import { BuiltRawReqFilter, RequestBuilder, RequestStrategy } from "./request-builder";
 import { RelayMetricHandler } from "./relay-metric-handler";
 import {
   MetadataCache,
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
 import { EventsCache } from "./cache/events";
 import { RelayCache } from "./gossip-model";
 import { QueryOptimizer, DefaultQueryOptimizer } from "./query-optimizer";
+import { trimFilters } from "./request-trim";
 
 /**
  * Manages nostr content retrieval system
@@ -295,20 +296,22 @@ export class NostrSystem extends ExternalStore<SystemSnapshot> implements System
         if (cacheResults.length > 0) {
           const resultIds = new Set(cacheResults.map(a => a.id));
           f.ids = f.ids.filter(a => !resultIds.has(a));
-          q.feed.add(cacheResults as Array<TaggedNostrEvent>);
+          q.insertCompletedTrace({
+            filters:[{...f, ids: [...resultIds]}],
+            strategy: RequestStrategy.ExplicitRelays,
+            relay: ""
+          }, cacheResults as Array<TaggedNostrEvent>);
         }
       }
     }
 
     // check for empty filters
-    qSend.filters = qSend.filters.filter(a =>
-      Object.values(a)
-        .filter(v => Array.isArray(v))
-        .every(b => (b as Array<string | number>).length > 0),
-    );
-    if (qSend.filters.length === 0) {
+    const fNew = trimFilters(qSend.filters);
+    if (fNew.length === 0) {
       return;
     }
+    qSend.filters = fNew;
+
     if (qSend.relay) {
       this.#log("Sending query to %s %O", qSend.relay, qSend);
       const s = this.#sockets.get(qSend.relay);
diff --git a/packages/system/src/profile-cache.ts b/packages/system/src/profile-cache.ts
index 9a350693..16b06af9 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/profile-cache.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/profile-cache.ts
@@ -37,13 +37,11 @@ export class ProfileLoaderService {
    * Request profile metadata for a set of pubkeys
    */
   TrackMetadata(pk: HexKey | Array<HexKey>) {
-    const bufferNow = [];
     for (const p of Array.isArray(pk) ? pk : [pk]) {
-      if (p.length === 64 && this.#wantsMetadata.add(p)) {
-        bufferNow.push(p);
+      if (p.length === 64) {
+        this.#wantsMetadata.add(p)
       }
     }
-    this.#cache.buffer(bufferNow);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/system/src/query.ts b/packages/system/src/query.ts
index 613a0907..076febec 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/query.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/query.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,28 @@ export class Query implements QueryBase {
     this.#stopCheckTraces();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Insert a new trace as a placeholder 
+   */
+  insertCompletedTrace(subq: BuiltRawReqFilter, data: Readonly<Array<TaggedNostrEvent>>) {
+    const qt = new QueryTrace(
+      "",
+      subq.filters,
+      "",
+      () => { 
+        // nothing to close
+      },
+      () => {
+        // nothing to progress
+      },
+    );
+    qt.sentToRelay();
+    qt.gotEose();
+    this.#tracing.push(qt);
+    this.feed.add(data);
+    return qt;
+  }
+
   sendToRelay(c: Connection, subq: BuiltRawReqFilter) {
     if (!this.#canSendQuery(c, subq)) {
       return;
diff --git a/packages/system/src/request-builder.ts b/packages/system/src/request-builder.ts
index 480ed115..d54219c0 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/request-builder.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/request-builder.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export class RequestBuilder {
 
     const diff = system.QueryOptimizer.getDiff(prev, this.buildRaw());
     const ts = unixNowMs() - start;
-    this.#log("buildDiff %s %d ms", this.id, ts);
+    this.#log("buildDiff %s %d ms +%d %O=>%O", this.id, ts, diff.length, prev, this.buildRaw());
     if (diff.length > 0) {
       return splitFlatByWriteRelays(system.RelayCache, diff).map(a => {
         return {
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export class RequestBuilder {
 
     const filtersSquashed = [...relayMerged.values()].map(a => {
       return {
-        filters: system.QueryOptimizer.compress(a.flatMap(b => b.filters)),
+        filters: system.QueryOptimizer.flatMerge(a.flatMap(b => b.filters.flatMap(c => system.QueryOptimizer.expandFilter(c)))),
         relay: a[0].relay,
         strategy: a[0].strategy,
       } as BuiltRawReqFilter;
@@ -234,12 +234,15 @@ export class RequestFilterBuilder {
    */
   link(link: NostrLink) {
     if (link.type === NostrPrefix.Address) {
-      return this.tag("d", [link.id])
+      this.tag("d", [link.id])
         .kinds([unwrap(link.kind)])
         .authors([unwrap(link.author)]);
+      link.relays?.forEach(v => this.relay(v));
     } else {
-      return this.ids([link.id]);
+      this.ids([link.id]);
+      link.relays?.forEach(v => this.relay(v));
     }
+    return this;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -247,10 +250,16 @@ export class RequestFilterBuilder {
    */
   replyToLink(link: NostrLink) {
     if (link.type === NostrPrefix.Address) {
-      return this.tag("a", [`${link.kind}:${link.author}:${link.id}`]);
+      this.tag("a", [`${link.kind}:${link.author}:${link.id}`]);
+      link.relays?.forEach(v => this.relay(v));
+    } else if(link.type === NostrPrefix.PublicKey || link.type === NostrPrefix.Profile) {
+      this.tag("p", [link.id]);
+      link.relays?.forEach(v => this.relay(v));
     } else {
-      return this.tag("e", [link.id]);
+      this.tag("e", [link.id]);
+      link.relays?.forEach(v => this.relay(v));
     }
+    return this;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/system/src/request-trim.ts b/packages/system/src/request-trim.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc3da93d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/system/src/request-trim.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { ReqFilter } from "nostr";
+
+/**
+ * Remove empty filters, filters which would result in no results
+ */
+export function trimFilters(filters: Array<ReqFilter>) {
+     const fNew = [];
+     for(const f of filters) {
+       let arrays = 0;
+       for(const [k, v] of Object.entries(f)) {
+         if(Array.isArray(v)) {
+           arrays++;
+           if(v.length === 0) {
+             delete f[k];
+           }
+         }
+       }
+ 
+       if(arrays > 0 && Object.entries(f).some(v => Array.isArray(v))) {
+         fNew.push(f);
+       } else if(arrays === 0) {
+        fNew.push(f);
+       }
+     }
+     return fNew;
+}
\ No newline at end of file