diff --git a/irc/client.go b/irc/client.go
index 53488bc2..7cf2d0e9 100644
--- a/irc/client.go
+++ b/irc/client.go
@@ -989,16 +989,6 @@ func (session *Session) playResume() {
 			oldestLostMessage = lastDiscarded
 		}
 	}
-	_, privmsgSeq, _ := server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, "*")
-	if privmsgSeq != nil {
-		privmsgs, _ := privmsgSeq.Between(history.Selector{}, history.Selector{}, config.History.ClientLength)
-		for _, item := range privmsgs {
-			sender := server.clients.Get(NUHToNick(item.Nick))
-			if sender != nil {
-				friends.Add(sender)
-			}
-		}
-	}
 
 	timestamp := session.resumeDetails.Timestamp
 	gap := oldestLostMessage.Sub(timestamp)
@@ -1054,7 +1044,8 @@ func (session *Session) playResume() {
 	}
 
 	// replay direct PRIVSMG history
-	if !timestamp.IsZero() && privmsgSeq != nil {
+	_, privmsgSeq, err := server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, "")
+	if !timestamp.IsZero() && err == nil && privmsgSeq != nil {
 		after := history.Selector{Time: timestamp}
 		items, _ := privmsgSeq.Between(after, history.Selector{}, config.History.ZNCMax)
 		if len(items) != 0 {
@@ -1957,7 +1948,7 @@ func (client *Client) listTargets(start, end history.Selector, limit int) (resul
 		extras = append(extras, persistentExtras...)
 	}
 
-	_, cSeq, err := client.server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, "*")
+	_, cSeq, err := client.server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, "")
 	if err == nil && cSeq != nil {
 		correspondents, err := cSeq.ListCorrespondents(start, end, limit)
 		if err == nil {
@@ -1969,6 +1960,31 @@ func (client *Client) listTargets(start, end history.Selector, limit int) (resul
 	return results, nil
 }
 
+// latest PRIVMSG from all DM targets
+func (client *Client) privmsgsBetween(startTime, endTime time.Time, targetLimit, messageLimit int) (results []history.Item, err error) {
+	start := history.Selector{Time: startTime}
+	end := history.Selector{Time: endTime}
+	targets, err := client.listTargets(start, end, targetLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, target := range targets {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(target.CfName, "#") {
+			continue
+		}
+		_, seq, err := client.server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, target.CfName)
+		if err == nil && seq != nil {
+			items, err := seq.Between(start, end, messageLimit)
+			if err == nil {
+				results = append(results, items...)
+			} else {
+				client.server.logger.Error("internal", "error querying privmsg history", client.Nick(), target.CfName, err.Error())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func (client *Client) handleRegisterTimeout() {
 	client.Quit(fmt.Sprintf("Registration timeout: %v", RegisterTimeout), nil)
 	client.destroy(nil)
diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index 80a8cf44..a644abc2 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -1080,7 +1080,7 @@ Get an explanation of <argument>, or "index" for a list of help topics.`), rb)
 
 // HISTORY <target> [<limit>]
 // e.g., HISTORY #ubuntu 10
-// HISTORY me 15
+// HISTORY alice 15
 // HISTORY #darwin 1h
 func historyHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.Message, rb *ResponseBuffer) bool {
 	config := server.Config()
diff --git a/irc/histserv.go b/irc/histserv.go
index 3497463c..653e6822 100644
--- a/irc/histserv.go
+++ b/irc/histserv.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/history"
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ the request of the account holder.`,
 			help: `Syntax: $bPLAY <target> [limit]$b
 
 PLAY plays back history messages, rendering them into direct messages from
-HistServ. 'target' is a channel name (or 'me' for direct messages), and 'limit'
+HistServ. 'target' is a channel name or nickname to query, and 'limit'
 is a message count or a time duration. Note that message playback may be
 incomplete or degraded, relative to direct playback from /HISTORY or
 CHATHISTORY.`,
@@ -206,11 +205,7 @@ func histservPlayHandler(service *ircService, server *Server, client *Client, co
 
 // handles parameter parsing and history queries for /HISTORY and /HISTSERV PLAY
 func easySelectHistory(server *Server, client *Client, params []string) (items []history.Item, channel *Channel, err error) {
-	target := params[0]
-	if strings.ToLower(target) == "me" {
-		target = "*"
-	}
-	channel, sequence, err := server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, target)
+	channel, sequence, err := server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, params[0])
 
 	if sequence == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, errNoSuchChannel
diff --git a/irc/mysql/history.go b/irc/mysql/history.go
index 0e24cf36..c8ec2e5f 100644
--- a/irc/mysql/history.go
+++ b/irc/mysql/history.go
@@ -193,16 +193,25 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) createTables() (err error) {
 	}
 
 	_, err = mysql.db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf(`CREATE TABLE sequence (
+		history_id BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
+		target VARBINARY(%[1]d) NOT NULL,
+		nanotime BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
+		KEY (target, nanotime)
+	) CHARSET=ascii COLLATE=ascii_bin;`, MaxTargetLength))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	/* XXX: this table used to be:
+	CREATE TABLE sequence (
 		id BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
 		target VARBINARY(%[1]d) NOT NULL,
 		nanotime BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
 		history_id BIGINT NOT NULL,
 		KEY (target, nanotime),
 		KEY (history_id)
-	) CHARSET=ascii COLLATE=ascii_bin;`, MaxTargetLength))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	) CHARSET=ascii COLLATE=ascii_bin;
+	Some users may still be using the old schema.
+	*/
 
 	_, err = mysql.db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf(`CREATE TABLE conversations (
 		id BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -352,31 +361,32 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) deleteHistoryIDs(ctx context.Context, ids []uint64) (err err
 
 func (mysql *MySQL) selectCleanupIDs(ctx context.Context, age time.Duration) (ids []uint64, maxNanotime int64, err error) {
 	rows, err := mysql.db.QueryContext(ctx, `
-		SELECT history.id, sequence.nanotime
+		SELECT history.id, sequence.nanotime, conversations.nanotime
 		FROM history
 		LEFT JOIN sequence ON history.id = sequence.history_id
+		LEFT JOIN conversations on history.id = conversations.history_id
 		ORDER BY history.id LIMIT ?;`, cleanupRowLimit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 	defer rows.Close()
 
-	// a history ID may have 0-2 rows in sequence: 1 for a channel entry,
-	// 2 for a DM, 0 if the data is inconsistent. therefore, deduplicate
-	// and delete anything that doesn't have a sequence entry:
 	idset := make(map[uint64]struct{}, cleanupRowLimit)
 	threshold := time.Now().Add(-age).UnixNano()
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var id uint64
-		var nanotime sql.NullInt64
-		err = rows.Scan(&id, &nanotime)
+		var seqNano, convNano sql.NullInt64
+		err = rows.Scan(&id, &seqNano, &convNano)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
-		if !nanotime.Valid || nanotime.Int64 < threshold {
+		nanotime := extractNanotime(seqNano, convNano)
+		// returns 0 if not found; in that case the data is inconsistent
+		// and we should delete the entry
+		if nanotime < threshold {
 			idset[id] = struct{}{}
-			if nanotime.Valid && nanotime.Int64 > maxNanotime {
-				maxNanotime = nanotime.Int64
+			if nanotime > maxNanotime {
+				maxNanotime = nanotime
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -675,10 +685,6 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) AddDirectMessage(sender, senderAccount, recipient, recipient
 	nanotime := item.Message.Time.UnixNano()
 
 	if senderAccount != "" {
-		err = mysql.insertSequenceEntry(ctx, senderAccount, nanotime, id)
-		if err != nil {
-			return
-		}
 		err = mysql.insertConversationEntry(ctx, senderAccount, recipient, nanotime, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
@@ -690,10 +696,6 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) AddDirectMessage(sender, senderAccount, recipient, recipient
 	}
 
 	if recipientAccount != "" && sender != recipient {
-		err = mysql.insertSequenceEntry(ctx, recipientAccount, nanotime, id)
-		if err != nil {
-			return
-		}
 		err = mysql.insertConversationEntry(ctx, recipientAccount, sender, nanotime, id)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
@@ -800,31 +802,24 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) Export(account string, writer io.Writer) {
 }
 
 func (mysql *MySQL) lookupMsgid(ctx context.Context, msgid string, includeData bool) (result time.Time, id uint64, data []byte, err error) {
-	// in theory, we could optimize out a roundtrip to the database by using a subquery instead:
-	// sequence.nanotime > (
-	//     SELECT sequence.nanotime FROM sequence, history
-	//     WHERE sequence.history_id = history.id AND history.msgid = ?
-	//     LIMIT 1)
-	// however, this doesn't handle the BETWEEN case with one or two msgids, where we
-	// don't initially know whether the interval is going forwards or backwards. to simplify
-	// the logic,  resolve msgids to timestamps "manually" in all cases, using a separate query.
 	decoded, err := decodeMsgid(msgid)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	cols := `sequence.nanotime`
+	cols := `sequence.nanotime, conversations.nanotime`
 	if includeData {
-		cols = `sequence.nanotime, sequence.history_id, history.data`
+		cols = `sequence.nanotime, conversations.nanotime, history.id, history.data`
 	}
 	row := mysql.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
-		SELECT %s FROM sequence
-		INNER JOIN history ON history.id = sequence.history_id
+		SELECT %s FROM history
+		LEFT JOIN sequence ON history.id = sequence.history_id
+		LEFT JOIN conversations ON history.id = conversations.history_id
 		WHERE history.msgid = ? LIMIT 1;`, cols), decoded)
-	var nanotime int64
+	var nanoSeq, nanoConv sql.NullInt64
 	if !includeData {
-		err = row.Scan(&nanotime)
+		err = row.Scan(&nanoSeq, &nanoConv)
 	} else {
-		err = row.Scan(&nanotime, &id, &data)
+		err = row.Scan(&nanoSeq, &nanoConv, &id, &data)
 	}
 	if err != sql.ErrNoRows {
 		mysql.logError("could not resolve msgid to time", err)
@@ -832,11 +827,24 @@ func (mysql *MySQL) lookupMsgid(ctx context.Context, msgid string, includeData b
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-
+	nanotime := extractNanotime(nanoSeq, nanoConv)
+	if nanotime == 0 {
+		err = sql.ErrNoRows
+		return
+	}
 	result = time.Unix(0, nanotime).UTC()
 	return
 }
 
+func extractNanotime(seq, conv sql.NullInt64) (result int64) {
+	if seq.Valid {
+		return seq.Int64
+	} else if conv.Valid {
+		return conv.Int64
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func (mysql *MySQL) selectItems(ctx context.Context, query string, args ...interface{}) (results []history.Item, err error) {
 	rows, err := mysql.db.QueryContext(ctx, query, args...)
 	if mysql.logError("could not select history items", err) {
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index c35ed1a6..448f0a41 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -862,6 +862,10 @@ func (server *Server) setupListeners(config *Config) (err error) {
 // we may already know the channel we're querying, or we may have
 // to look it up via a string query. This function is responsible for
 // privilege checking.
+// XXX: call this with providedChannel==nil and query=="" to get a sequence
+// suitable for ListCorrespondents (i.e., this function is still used to
+// decide whether the ringbuf or mysql is authoritative about the client's
+// message history).
 func (server *Server) GetHistorySequence(providedChannel *Channel, client *Client, query string) (channel *Channel, sequence history.Sequence, err error) {
 	config := server.Config()
 	// 4 cases: {persistent, ephemeral} x {normal, conversation}
@@ -901,7 +905,7 @@ func (server *Server) GetHistorySequence(providedChannel *Channel, client *Clien
 		}
 	} else {
 		status, target = client.historyStatus(config)
-		if query != "*" {
+		if query != "" {
 			correspondent, err = CasefoldName(query)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
diff --git a/irc/znc.go b/irc/znc.go
index 6f3ceae8..a9d22d7c 100644
--- a/irc/znc.go
+++ b/irc/znc.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ const (
 	zncPlaybackCommandExpiration = time.Second * 30
 
 	zncPrefix = "*playback!znc@znc.in"
+
+	maxDMTargetsForAutoplay = 128
 )
 
 type zncCommandHandler func(client *Client, command string, params []string, rb *ResponseBuffer)
@@ -150,9 +152,7 @@ func zncPlaybackPlayHandler(client *Client, command string, params []string, rb
 	} else {
 		targets = make(utils.StringSet)
 		for _, targetName := range strings.Split(targetString, ",") {
-			if targetName == "*self" {
-				playPrivmsgs = true
-			} else if strings.HasPrefix(targetName, "#") {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(targetName, "#") {
 				if cfTarget, err := CasefoldChannel(targetName); err == nil {
 					targets.Add(cfTarget)
 				}
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func zncPlaybackPlayHandler(client *Client, command string, params []string, rb
 	}
 
 	if playPrivmsgs {
-		zncPlayPrivmsgs(client, rb, "*", start, end)
+		zncPlayPrivmsgs(client, rb, "", start, end)
 	}
 
 	rb.session.zncPlaybackTimes = &zncPlaybackTimes{
@@ -188,13 +188,13 @@ func zncPlaybackPlayHandler(client *Client, command string, params []string, rb
 	}
 }
 
-func zncPlayPrivmsgs(client *Client, rb *ResponseBuffer, target string, after, before time.Time) {
+func zncPlayPrivmsgs(client *Client, rb *ResponseBuffer, target string, start, end time.Time) {
 	_, sequence, _ := client.server.GetHistorySequence(nil, client, target)
 	if sequence == nil {
 		return
 	}
 	zncMax := client.server.Config().History.ZNCMax
-	items, err := sequence.Between(history.Selector{Time: after}, history.Selector{Time: before}, zncMax)
+	items, err := client.privmsgsBetween(start, end, maxDMTargetsForAutoplay, zncMax)
 	if err == nil && len(items) != 0 {
 		client.replayPrivmsgHistory(rb, items, "")
 	}