diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/account.go b/internal/db/bundb/account.go
index d8aee80f..17339732 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/account.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/account.go
@@ -388,8 +388,8 @@ func (a *accountDB) GetAccountLastPosted(ctx context.Context, accountID string,
 
 	if webOnly {
 		q = q.
-			WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("status.in_reply_to_uri")).
-			WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("status.boost_of_id")).
+			Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("status.in_reply_to_uri")).
+			Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("status.boost_of_id")).
 			Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("status.visibility"), gtsmodel.VisibilityPublic).
 			Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("status.federated"), true)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/admin.go b/internal/db/bundb/admin.go
index 1b4c9876..ed595a95 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/admin.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/admin.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (a *adminDB) NewSignup(ctx context.Context, username string, reason string,
 		NewSelect().
 		Model(acct).
 		Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("account.username"), username).
-		WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("account.domain")).
+		Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("account.domain")).
 		Scan(ctx); err != nil {
 		err = a.conn.ProcessError(err)
 		if err != db.ErrNoEntries {
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ func (a *adminDB) CreateInstanceAccount(ctx context.Context) db.Error {
 		TableExpr("? AS ?", bun.Ident("accounts"), bun.Ident("account")).
 		Column("account.id").
 		Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("account.username"), username).
-		WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("account.domain"))
+		Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("account.domain"))
 
 	exists, err := a.conn.Exists(ctx, q)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/instance.go b/internal/db/bundb/instance.go
index 4fa89863..95f6ad5b 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/instance.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/instance.go
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ func (i *instanceDB) CountInstanceUsers(ctx context.Context, domain string) (int
 		Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("account.suspended_at"))
 
 	if domain == config.GetHost() || domain == config.GetAccountDomain() {
-		// if the domain is *this* domain, just count where the domain field is null
-		q = q.WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("account.domain"))
+		// If the domain is *this* domain, just
+		// count where the domain field is null.
+		q = q.Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("account.domain"))
 	} else {
 		q = q.Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("account.domain"), domain)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/media.go b/internal/db/bundb/media.go
index a9b60e3a..80a4f8bb 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/media.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/media.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func (m *mediaDB) GetRemoteOlderThan(ctx context.Context, olderThan time.Time, l
 		Column("media_attachment.id").
 		Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("media_attachment.cached"), true).
 		Where("? < ?", bun.Ident("media_attachment.created_at"), olderThan).
-		WhereGroup(" AND ", whereNotEmptyAndNotNull("media_attachment.remote_url")).
+		Where("? IS NOT NULL", bun.Ident("media_attachment.remote_url")).
 		Order("media_attachment.created_at DESC")
 
 	if limit != 0 {
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ func (m *mediaDB) CountRemoteOlderThan(ctx context.Context, olderThan time.Time)
 		TableExpr("? AS ?", bun.Ident("media_attachments"), bun.Ident("media_attachment")).
 		Column("media_attachment.id").
 		Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("media_attachment.cached"), true).
-		Where("? < ?", bun.Ident("media_attachment.created_at"), olderThan).
-		WhereGroup(" AND ", whereNotEmptyAndNotNull("media_attachment.remote_url"))
+		Where("? IS NOT NULL", bun.Ident("media_attachment.remote_url")).
+		Where("? < ?", bun.Ident("media_attachment.created_at"), olderThan)
 
 	count, err := q.Count(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/timeline.go b/internal/db/bundb/timeline.go
index d492c958..0859f3ff 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/timeline.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/timeline.go
@@ -164,8 +164,10 @@ func (t *timelineDB) GetPublicTimeline(ctx context.Context, maxID string, sinceI
 		NewSelect().
 		TableExpr("? AS ?", bun.Ident("statuses"), bun.Ident("status")).
 		Column("status.id").
+		// Public only.
 		Where("? = ?", bun.Ident("status.visibility"), gtsmodel.VisibilityPublic).
-		WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("status.boost_of_id")).
+		// Ignore boosts.
+		Where("? IS NULL", bun.Ident("status.boost_of_id")).
 		Order("status.id DESC")
 
 	if maxID == "" {
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/util.go b/internal/db/bundb/util.go
index a656a41c..06bb289d 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/util.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/util.go
@@ -22,34 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/uptrace/bun"
 )
 
-// whereEmptyOrNull is a convenience function to return a bun WhereGroup that specifies
-// that the given column should be EITHER an empty string OR null.
-//
-// Use it as follows:
-//
-//	q = q.WhereGroup(" AND ", whereEmptyOrNull("whatever_column"))
-func whereEmptyOrNull(column string) func(*bun.SelectQuery) *bun.SelectQuery {
-	return func(q *bun.SelectQuery) *bun.SelectQuery {
-		return q.
-			WhereOr("? IS NULL", bun.Ident(column)).
-			WhereOr("? = ''", bun.Ident(column))
-	}
-}
-
-// whereNotEmptyAndNotNull is a convenience function to return a bun WhereGroup that specifies
-// that the given column should be NEITHER an empty string NOR null.
-//
-// Use it as follows:
-//
-//	q = q.WhereGroup(" AND ", whereNotEmptyAndNotNull("whatever_column"))
-func whereNotEmptyAndNotNull(column string) func(*bun.SelectQuery) *bun.SelectQuery {
-	return func(q *bun.SelectQuery) *bun.SelectQuery {
-		return q.
-			Where("? IS NOT NULL", bun.Ident(column)).
-			Where("? != ''", bun.Ident(column))
-	}
-}
-
 // updateWhere parses []db.Where and adds it to the given update query.
 func updateWhere(q *bun.UpdateQuery, where []db.Where) {
 	for _, w := range where {