diff --git a/src/snmalloc/ds_core/ptrwrap.h b/src/snmalloc/ds_core/ptrwrap.h
index 612adbd..ae8fef9 100644
--- a/src/snmalloc/ds_core/ptrwrap.h
+++ b/src/snmalloc/ds_core/ptrwrap.h
@@ -470,6 +470,11 @@ namespace snmalloc
     : unsafe_capptr(n)
     {}
 
+    /**
+     * default to nullptr
+     */
+    constexpr SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH AtomicCapPtr() : AtomicCapPtr(nullptr) {}
+
     /**
      * Interconversion with CapPtr
      */
diff --git a/src/snmalloc/mem/corealloc.h b/src/snmalloc/mem/corealloc.h
index 534fb60..15167f2 100644
--- a/src/snmalloc/mem/corealloc.h
+++ b/src/snmalloc/mem/corealloc.h
@@ -170,41 +170,11 @@ namespace snmalloc
 
     /**
      * The message queue has non-trivial initialisation as it needs to
-     * be non-empty, so we prime it with a single allocation.
+     * be non-empty, so we prime it with a fake allocation.
      */
     void init_message_queue()
     {
-      // Manufacture an allocation to prime the queue
-      // Using an actual allocation removes a conditional from a critical path.
-      auto dummy = capptr::Alloc<void>(small_alloc_one(MIN_ALLOC_SIZE))
-                     .template as_static<freelist::Object::T<>>();
-      if (dummy == nullptr)
-      {
-        error("Critical error: Out-of-memory during initialisation.");
-      }
-      message_queue().init(dummy);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * There are a few internal corner cases where we need to allocate
-     * a small object.  These are not on the fast path,
-     *   - Allocating stub in the message queue
-     * Note this is not performance critical as very infrequently called.
-     */
-    capptr::Alloc<void> small_alloc_one(size_t size)
-    {
-      SNMALLOC_ASSERT(attached_cache != nullptr);
-      auto domesticate =
-        [this](freelist::QueuePtr p) SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH_LAMBDA {
-          return capptr_domesticate<Config>(backend_state_ptr(), p);
-        };
-      // Use attached cache, and fill it if it is empty.
-      return attached_cache->template alloc<NoZero, Config>(
-        domesticate,
-        size,
-        [&](smallsizeclass_t sizeclass, freelist::Iter<>* fl) {
-          return small_alloc<NoZero>(sizeclass, *fl);
-        });
+      message_queue().init();
     }
 
     static SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH void alloc_new_list(
@@ -480,7 +450,19 @@ namespace snmalloc
      */
     SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH bool has_messages()
     {
-      return !(message_queue().is_empty());
+      auto domesticate = [local_state = backend_state_ptr()](
+                           freelist::QueuePtr p) SNMALLOC_FAST_PATH_LAMBDA {
+        if constexpr (Config::Options.QueueHeadsAreTame)
+        {
+          return freelist::HeadPtr::unsafe_from(p.unsafe_ptr());
+        }
+        else
+        {
+          return capptr_domesticate<Config>(local_state, p);
+        }
+      };
+
+      return !(message_queue().can_dequeue(key_global, domesticate));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/snmalloc/mem/freelist.h b/src/snmalloc/mem/freelist.h
index 1841a5a..de0134a 100644
--- a/src/snmalloc/mem/freelist.h
+++ b/src/snmalloc/mem/freelist.h
@@ -162,9 +162,11 @@ namespace snmalloc
 
         SNMALLOC_NO_UNIQUE_ADDRESS
         std::conditional_t<mitigations(freelist_backward_edge), Prev, Empty>
-          prev;
+          prev{};
 
       public:
+        constexpr T() : next_object(){};
+
         template<
           SNMALLOC_CONCEPT(capptr::IsBound) BView = typename BQueue::
             template with_wildness<capptr::dimension::Wildness::Tame>,
diff --git a/src/snmalloc/mem/remoteallocator.h b/src/snmalloc/mem/remoteallocator.h
index 2b92e9f..69fbd44 100644
--- a/src/snmalloc/mem/remoteallocator.h
+++ b/src/snmalloc/mem/remoteallocator.h
@@ -51,36 +51,43 @@ namespace snmalloc
     alignas(CACHELINE_SIZE) freelist::AtomicQueuePtr back{nullptr};
     // Store the two ends on different cache lines as access by different
     // threads.
-    alignas(CACHELINE_SIZE) freelist::QueuePtr front{nullptr};
+    alignas(CACHELINE_SIZE) freelist::AtomicQueuePtr front{nullptr};
+    // Fake first entry
+    freelist::Object::T<capptr::bounds::AllocWild> stub{};
 
     constexpr RemoteAllocator() = default;
 
     void invariant()
     {
-      SNMALLOC_ASSERT(back != nullptr);
+      SNMALLOC_ASSERT(
+        (back != nullptr) ||
+        (address_cast(front.load()) == address_cast(&stub)));
     }
 
-    void init(freelist::HeadPtr stub)
+    void init()
     {
-      freelist::Object::atomic_store_null(stub, key_global);
-      front = capptr_rewild(stub);
-      back.store(front, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+      freelist::HeadPtr stub_ptr = freelist::HeadPtr::unsafe_from(&stub);
+      freelist::Object::atomic_store_null(stub_ptr, key_global);
+      front.store(freelist::QueuePtr::unsafe_from(&stub));
+      back.store(nullptr, std::memory_order_relaxed);
       invariant();
     }
 
     freelist::QueuePtr destroy()
     {
-      freelist::QueuePtr fnt = front;
+      freelist::QueuePtr fnt = front.load();
       back.store(nullptr, std::memory_order_relaxed);
-      front = nullptr;
+      if (address_cast(front.load()) == address_cast(&stub))
+        return nullptr;
       return fnt;
     }
 
-    inline bool is_empty()
+    template<typename Domesticator_head>
+    inline bool
+    can_dequeue(const FreeListKey& key, Domesticator_head domesticate_head)
     {
-      freelist::QueuePtr bk = back.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
-
-      return bk == front;
+      return domesticate_head(front.load())
+               ->atomic_read_next(key, domesticate_head) == nullptr;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -107,12 +114,13 @@ namespace snmalloc
       freelist::QueuePtr prev =
         back.exchange(capptr_rewild(last), std::memory_order_acq_rel);
 
-      freelist::Object::atomic_store_next(domesticate_head(prev), first, key);
-    }
+      if (SNMALLOC_LIKELY(prev != nullptr))
+      {
+        freelist::Object::atomic_store_next(domesticate_head(prev), first, key);
+        return;
+      }
 
-    freelist::QueuePtr peek()
-    {
-      return front;
+      front.store(capptr_rewild(first));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -134,11 +142,11 @@ namespace snmalloc
       Cb cb)
     {
       invariant();
-      SNMALLOC_ASSERT(front != nullptr);
+      SNMALLOC_ASSERT(front.load() != nullptr);
 
       // Use back to bound, so we don't handle new entries.
       auto b = back.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
-      freelist::HeadPtr curr = domesticate_head(front);
+      freelist::HeadPtr curr = domesticate_head(front.load());
 
       while (address_cast(curr) != address_cast(b))
       {