diff --git a/db/schema.sql b/db/schema.sql
index 5e2e727..1a7aa7d 100644
--- a/db/schema.sql
+++ b/db/schema.sql
@@ -32,21 +32,21 @@ DECLARE
     criteria jsonb[] := ARRAY (
         SELECT
             jsonb_array_elements(COALESCE(append_condition -> 'fail_if_events_match', '[]'::jsonb)));
-    AFTER bigint := (append_condition ->> 'after')::bigint;
 BEGIN
     IF cardinality(criteria) > 0 AND EXISTS (
         SELECT
             1
         FROM
             events AS e
-        WHERE (AFTER IS NULL OR e.position > AFTER) AND EXISTS (
-    SELECT
-        1
-    FROM
-        unnest(criteria) AS c
-    WHERE (c -> 'types' IS NULL OR e.type IN (
-    SELECT
-        jsonb_array_elements_text(c -> 'types'))) AND NOT EXISTS (
+        WHERE
+            EXISTS (
+            SELECT
+                1
+            FROM
+                unnest(criteria) AS c
+            WHERE ((c ->> 'after')::bigint IS NULL OR e.position > (c ->> 'after')::bigint) AND (c -> 'types' IS NULL OR e.type IN (
+SELECT
+    jsonb_array_elements_text(c -> 'types'))) AND NOT EXISTS (
 SELECT
     1
 FROM
diff --git a/lib/en57/event_store.rb b/lib/en57/event_store.rb
index a5e07cf..b29238e 100644
--- a/lib/en57/event_store.rb
+++ b/lib/en57/event_store.rb
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ module En57
       @repository = repository
     end
 
-    def append(events, fail_if: EmptyScope.new, after: nil)
-      @repository.append(events, fail_if: fail_if.to_query, after:)
+    def append(events, fail_if: EmptyScope.new)
+      @repository.append(events, fail_if: fail_if.to_query)
       self
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/en57/pg_repository.rb b/lib/en57/pg_repository.rb
index e55c8b2..9f1c65c 100644
--- a/lib/en57/pg_repository.rb
+++ b/lib/en57/pg_repository.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module En57
       @array_decoder = PG::TextDecoder::Array.new
     end
 
-    def append(events, fail_if:, after:)
+    def append(events, fail_if:)
       event_records =
         events.map do |event|
           serialized, description = @serializer.dump(event.data)
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ module En57
       append_condition[
         :fail_if_events_match
       ] = fail_if_events_match unless fail_if_events_match.empty?
-      append_condition[:after] = after unless after.nil?
 
       with_serializable_transaction do |connection|
         connection.exec_params(
diff --git a/test/pg_regress/expected/001_schema.out b/test/pg_regress/expected/001_schema.out
index f7025e6..50f4172 100644
--- a/test/pg_regress/expected/001_schema.out
+++ b/test/pg_regress/expected/001_schema.out
@@ -27,19 +27,18 @@ DECLARE
     criteria jsonb[] := ARRAY (
         SELECT
             jsonb_array_elements(COALESCE(append_condition -> 'fail_if_events_match', '[]'::jsonb)));
-    AFTER bigint := (append_condition ->> 'after')::bigint;
 BEGIN
     IF cardinality(criteria) > 0 AND EXISTS (
         SELECT
             1
         FROM
             events AS e
-        WHERE (AFTER IS NULL OR e.position > AFTER) AND EXISTS (
+        WHERE EXISTS (
     SELECT
         1
     FROM
         unnest(criteria) AS c
-    WHERE (c -> 'types' IS NULL OR e.type IN (
+    WHERE ((c ->> 'after')::bigint IS NULL OR e.position > (c ->> 'after')::bigint) AND (c -> 'types' IS NULL OR e.type IN (
     SELECT
         jsonb_array_elements_text(c -> 'types'))) AND NOT EXISTS (
 SELECT
diff --git a/test/test_event_store.rb b/test/test_event_store.rb
index 1b833b8..7cef1b4 100644
--- a/test/test_event_store.rb
+++ b/test/test_event_store.rb
@@ -10,13 +10,7 @@ module En57
       event = Event.new(type: "CreditsToppedUp")
 
       with_repository do |repository|
-        repository.expect(
-          :append,
-          nil,
-          [[event]],
-          fail_if: Query.all,
-          after: nil,
-        )
+        repository.expect(:append, nil, [[event]], fail_if: Query.all)
 
         EventStore.new(repository).append([event])
       end
@@ -39,13 +33,7 @@ module En57
       event = Event.new(type: "CreditsToppedUp")
 
       with_repository do |repository|
-        repository.expect(
-          :append,
-          nil,
-          [[event]],
-          fail_if: Query.all,
-          after: nil,
-        )
+        repository.expect(:append, nil, [[event]], fail_if: Query.all)
 
         event_store = EventStore.new(repository)
 
@@ -53,35 +41,13 @@ module En57
       end
     end
 
-    def test_append_forwards_options
-      event = Event.new(type: "CreditsToppedUp")
-
-      with_repository do |repository|
-        repository.expect(
-          :append,
-          nil,
-          [[event]],
-          fail_if: Query.all,
-          after: 42,
-        )
-
-        EventStore.new(repository).append([event], after: 42)
-      end
-    end
-
     def test_append_accepts_scope_for_fail_if
       event = Event.new(type: "CreditsToppedUp")
 
       with_repository do |repository|
         event_store = EventStore.new(repository)
         fail_if = event_store.read.with_tag("order_id:123")
-        repository.expect(
-          :append,
-          nil,
-          [[event]],
-          fail_if: fail_if.to_query,
-          after: nil,
-        )
+        repository.expect(:append, nil, [[event]], fail_if: fail_if.to_query)
 
         event_store.append([event], fail_if:)
       end
@@ -95,7 +61,7 @@ module En57
           Query.new(
             criteria: [Query::Criteria.new(types: ["OrderPlaced"], tags: [])],
           )
-        repository.expect(:append, nil, [[event]], fail_if:, after: nil)
+        repository.expect(:append, nil, [[event]], fail_if:)
 
         EventStore.new(repository).append([event], fail_if:)
       end
diff --git a/test/test_integration.rb b/test/test_integration.rb
index db04b21..211b2bb 100644
--- a/test/test_integration.rb
+++ b/test/test_integration.rb
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ module En57
         event_store.append([existing_event])
         event_store.append(
           [Event.new(id: ids[1], type: "ShipmentScheduled")],
-          fail_if: event_store.read.of_type("OrderPlaced"),
-          after: 1,
+          fail_if: event_store.read.of_type("OrderPlaced").after(1),
         )
 
         assert_equal(
@@ -68,8 +67,7 @@ module En57
         assert_raises(AppendConditionViolated) do
           event_store.append(
             [Event.new(id: ids[1], type: "ShipmentScheduled")],
-            fail_if: event_store.read.of_type("OrderPlaced"),
-            after: 0,
+            fail_if: event_store.read.of_type("OrderPlaced").after(0),
           )
         end
 
diff --git a/test/test_pg_repository.rb b/test/test_pg_repository.rb
index 1e7a603..4646134 100644
--- a/test/test_pg_repository.rb
+++ b/test/test_pg_repository.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ module En57
             ),
           ],
           fail_if: Query.all,
-          after: nil,
         )
       end
     end
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ module En57
             "SELECT append_events($1::event_with_tags[], $2::jsonb)",
             [
               array_encoder.encode([]),
-              '{"fail_if_events_match":[{"types":["OrderPlaced"]}],"after":42}',
+              '{"fail_if_events_match":[{"types":["OrderPlaced"],"after":42}]}',
             ],
           ],
         )
@@ -87,9 +86,14 @@ module En57
           [],
           fail_if:
             Query.new(
-              criteria: [Query::Criteria.new(types: ["OrderPlaced"], tags: [])],
+              criteria: [
+                Query::Criteria.new(
+                  types: ["OrderPlaced"],
+                  tags: [],
+                  after: 42,
+                ),
+              ],
             ),
-          after: 42,
         )
       end
     end
@@ -111,7 +115,6 @@ module En57
           PgRepository.new(connection_uri, JsonSerializer.new).append(
             [],
             fail_if: Query.all,
-            after: nil,
           )
         end
       end
@@ -129,7 +132,6 @@ module En57
           PgRepository.new(connection_uri, JsonSerializer.new).append(
             [],
             fail_if: Query.all,
-            after: nil,
           )
         end
       end
@@ -147,7 +149,6 @@ module En57
           PgRepository.new(connection_uri, JsonSerializer.new).append(
             [],
             fail_if: Query.all,
-            after: nil,
           )
         end
       end
@@ -165,7 +166,6 @@ module En57
           PgRepository.new(connection_uri, JsonSerializer.new).append(
             [],
             fail_if: Query.all,
-            after: nil,
           )
         end
       end
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ module En57
           PgRepository.new(connection_uri, JsonSerializer.new).append(
             [],
             fail_if: Query.all,
-            after: nil,
           )
         end
       end