diff --git a/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/fanout_call.rs b/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/fanout_call.rs
index 4cc2c64f..70813534 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/fanout_call.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/fanout_call.rs
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ where
 
     pub async fn run(
         self: Arc<Self>,
-        opt_init_fanout_queue: Option<Vec<NodeRef>>,
+        init_fanout_queue: Vec<NodeRef>,
     ) -> TimeoutOr<Result<Option<R>, RPCError>> {
         // Get timeout in milliseconds
         let timeout_ms = match us_to_ms(self.timeout_us.as_u64()).map_err(RPCError::internal) {
@@ -232,10 +232,12 @@ where
         };
 
         // Initialize closest nodes list
-        if let Some(init_fanout_queue) = opt_init_fanout_queue {
+        if init_fanout_queue.is_empty() {
+            if let Err(e) = self.clone().init_closest_nodes() {
+                return TimeoutOr::value(Err(e));
+            }
+        } else {
             self.clone().add_to_fanout_queue(&init_fanout_queue);
-        } else if let Err(e) = self.clone().init_closest_nodes() {
-            return TimeoutOr::value(Err(e));
         }
 
         // Do a quick check to see if we're already done
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/mod.rs b/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/mod.rs
index 3448f3ad..6994f2d1 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/mod.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/rpc_processor/mod.rs
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ impl RPCProcessor {
             check_done,
         );
 
-        fanout_call.run(None).await
+        fanout_call.run(vec![]).await
     }
 
     /// Search the DHT for a specific node corresponding to a key unless we have that node in our routing table already, and return the node reference
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/get_value.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/get_value.rs
index e9bdad5a..239fe20f 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/get_value.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/get_value.rs
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
             check_done,
         );
 
-        match fanout_call.run(None).await {
+        match fanout_call.run(vec![]).await {
             // If we don't finish in the timeout (too much time passed checking for consensus)
             TimeoutOr::Timeout => {
                 // Return the best answer we've got
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/set_value.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/set_value.rs
index 43970b9f..50aa8dc7 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/set_value.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/set_value.rs
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
             check_done,
         );
 
-        match fanout_call.run(None).await {
+        match fanout_call.run(vec![]).await {
             // If we don't finish in the timeout (too much time passed checking for consensus)
             TimeoutOr::Timeout => {
                 // Return the best answer we've got
diff --git a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/watch_value.rs b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/watch_value.rs
index b49aef25..c448ebc2 100644
--- a/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/watch_value.rs
+++ b/veilid-core/src/storage_manager/watch_value.rs
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ impl StorageManager {
         };
 
         // Get the nodes we know are caching this value to seed the fanout
-        let opt_init_fanout_queue = if let Some(watch_node) = opt_watch_node {
-            Some(vec![watch_node])
+        let init_fanout_queue = if let Some(watch_node) = opt_watch_node {
+            vec![watch_node]
         } else {
             let inner = self.inner.lock().await;
-            inner.get_value_nodes(key)?
+            inner.get_value_nodes(key)?.unwrap_or_default()
         };
 
         // Get the appropriate watcher key
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ impl StorageManager {
             check_done,
         );
 
-        match fanout_call.run(opt_init_fanout_queue).await {
+        match fanout_call.run(init_fanout_queue).await {
             // If we don't finish in the timeout (too much time passed without a successful watch)
             TimeoutOr::Timeout => {
                 // Return the best answer we've got