diff --git a/appview/db/db.go b/appview/db/db.go
index 0a33de2..a501f14 100644
--- a/appview/db/db.go
+++ b/appview/db/db.go
@@ -504,15 +504,25 @@ func runMigration(d *sql.DB, name string, migrationFn migrationFn) error {
 type filter struct {
 	key string
 	arg any
+	cmp string
 }
 
-func Filter(key string, arg any) filter {
+func FilterEq(key string, arg any) filter {
 	return filter{
 		key: key,
 		arg: arg,
+		cmp: "=",
+	}
+}
+
+func FilterNotEq(key string, arg any) filter {
+	return filter{
+		key: key,
+		arg: arg,
+		cmp: "<>",
 	}
 }
 
 func (f filter) Condition() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s = ?", f.key)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s ?", f.key, f.cmp)
 }
diff --git a/appview/db/pulls.go b/appview/db/pulls.go
index c25841d..637b42f 100644
--- a/appview/db/pulls.go
+++ b/appview/db/pulls.go
@@ -988,7 +988,11 @@ type Stack []*Pull
 //
 // `w` is parent of none, so it is the top of the stack
 func GetStack(e Execer, stackId string) (Stack, error) {
-	unorderedPulls, err := GetPulls(e, Filter("stack_id", stackId))
+	unorderedPulls, err := GetPulls(
+		e,
+		FilterEq("stack_id", stackId),
+		FilterNotEq("state", PullDeleted),
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/appview/ingester.go b/appview/ingester.go
index 6537d2d..38dbfcb 100644
--- a/appview/ingester.go
+++ b/appview/ingester.go
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func ingestArtifact(d *db.DbWrapper, e *models.Event, enforcer *rbac.Enforcer) e
 
 		err = db.AddArtifact(d, artifact)
 	case models.CommitOperationDelete:
-		err = db.DeleteArtifact(d, db.Filter("did", did), db.Filter("rkey", e.Commit.RKey))
+		err = db.DeleteArtifact(d, db.FilterEq("did", did), db.FilterEq("rkey", e.Commit.RKey))
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func ingestProfile(d *db.DbWrapper, e *models.Event) error {
 
 		err = db.UpsertProfile(tx, &profile)
 	case models.CommitOperationDelete:
-		err = db.DeleteArtifact(d, db.Filter("did", did), db.Filter("rkey", e.Commit.RKey))
+		err = db.DeleteArtifact(d, db.FilterEq("did", did), db.FilterEq("rkey", e.Commit.RKey))
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/state/artifact.go b/appview/state/artifact.go
index 0ffe5dc..471a155 100644
--- a/appview/state/artifact.go
+++ b/appview/state/artifact.go
@@ -154,9 +154,9 @@ func (s *State) DownloadArtifact(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	artifacts, err := db.GetArtifact(
 		s.db,
-		db.Filter("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
-		db.Filter("tag", tag.Tag.Hash[:]),
-		db.Filter("name", filename),
+		db.FilterEq("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
+		db.FilterEq("tag", tag.Tag.Hash[:]),
+		db.FilterEq("name", filename),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed to get artifacts", err)
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@ func (s *State) DeleteArtifact(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	artifacts, err := db.GetArtifact(
 		s.db,
-		db.Filter("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
-		db.Filter("tag", tag[:]),
-		db.Filter("name", filename),
+		db.FilterEq("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
+		db.FilterEq("tag", tag[:]),
+		db.FilterEq("name", filename),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed to get artifacts", err)
@@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ func (s *State) DeleteArtifact(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	defer tx.Rollback()
 
 	err = db.DeleteArtifact(tx,
-		db.Filter("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
-		db.Filter("tag", artifact.Tag[:]),
-		db.Filter("name", filename),
+		db.FilterEq("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
+		db.FilterEq("tag", artifact.Tag[:]),
+		db.FilterEq("name", filename),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed to remove artifact record from db", err)
diff --git a/appview/state/pull.go b/appview/state/pull.go
index 87b2053..037af84 100644
--- a/appview/state/pull.go
+++ b/appview/state/pull.go
@@ -455,8 +455,8 @@ func (s *State) RepoPulls(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	pulls, err := db.GetPulls(
 		s.db,
-		db.Filter("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
-		db.Filter("state", state),
+		db.FilterEq("repo_at", f.RepoAt),
+		db.FilterEq("state", state),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed to get pulls", err)
@@ -1745,9 +1745,9 @@ func (s *State) resubmitStackedPullHelper(
 			tx,
 			p.ParentChangeId,
 			// these should be enough filters to be unique per-stack
-			db.Filter("repo_at", p.RepoAt.String()),
-			db.Filter("owner_did", p.OwnerDid),
-			db.Filter("change_id", p.ChangeId),
+			db.FilterEq("repo_at", p.RepoAt.String()),
+			db.FilterEq("owner_did", p.OwnerDid),
+			db.FilterEq("change_id", p.ChangeId),
 		)
 
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/state/repo.go b/appview/state/repo.go
index f2a78dd..5db1828 100644
--- a/appview/state/repo.go
+++ b/appview/state/repo.go
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ func (s *State) RepoTags(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	artifacts, err := db.GetArtifact(s.db, db.Filter("repo_at", f.RepoAt))
+	artifacts, err := db.GetArtifact(s.db, db.FilterEq("repo_at", f.RepoAt))
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("failed grab artifacts", err)
 		return