diff --git a/src/exchangedb/exchange-0001.sql b/src/exchangedb/exchange-0001.sql
index 4a6c9afb5..7acd67244 100644
--- a/src/exchangedb/exchange-0001.sql
+++ b/src/exchangedb/exchange-0001.sql
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ COMMENT ON COLUMN extension_details.extension_options
 
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS deposits
   (deposit_serial_id BIGSERIAL PRIMARY KEY
-  ,shard INT8 NOT NULL DEFAULT 0
+  ,shard INT8 NOT NULL
   ,known_coin_id INT8 NOT NULL REFERENCES known_coins (known_coin_id) ON DELETE CASCADE
   ,amount_with_fee_val INT8 NOT NULL
   ,amount_with_fee_frac INT4 NOT NULL
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS deposits
 COMMENT ON TABLE deposits
   IS 'Deposits we have received and for which we need to make (aggregate) wire transfers (and manage refunds).';
 COMMENT ON COLUMN deposits.shard
-  IS 'Used for load sharding. Should be set based on h_payto and merchant_pub. Default of 0 onlyapplies for columns migrated from a previous version without sharding support. 64-bit value because we need an *unsigned* 32-bit value.';
+  IS 'Used for load sharding. Should be set based on h_payto and merchant_pub. 64-bit value because we need an *unsigned* 32-bit value.';
 COMMENT ON COLUMN deposits.wire_target_serial_id
   IS 'Identifies the target bank account and KYC status';COMMENT ON COLUMN deposits.wire_salt
   IS 'Salt used when hashing the payto://-URI to get the h_wire';
@@ -423,12 +423,11 @@ COMMENT ON INDEX deposits_coin_pub_merchant_contract_index
   IS 'for get_deposit_for_wtid and test_deposit_done';
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS deposits_get_ready_index
   ON deposits
-  (shard
-  ,wire_deadline
-  ,refund_deadline
-  ,tiny
+  (shard ASC
   ,done
   ,extension_blocked
+  ,tiny
+  ,wire_deadline ASC
   );
 COMMENT ON INDEX deposits_coin_pub_merchant_contract_index
   IS 'for deposits_get_ready';
@@ -438,7 +437,7 @@ CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS deposits_iterate_matching_index
   ,wire_target_serial_id
   ,done
   ,extension_blocked
-  ,wire_deadline
+  ,refund_deadline ASC
   );
 COMMENT ON INDEX deposits_iterate_matching_index
   IS 'for deposits_iterate_matching';
diff --git a/src/exchangedb/plugin_exchangedb_postgres.c b/src/exchangedb/plugin_exchangedb_postgres.c
index 3591470e7..004516c51 100644
--- a/src/exchangedb/plugin_exchangedb_postgres.c
+++ b/src/exchangedb/plugin_exchangedb_postgres.c
@@ -1105,10 +1105,10 @@ prepare_statements (struct PostgresClosure *pg)
       " WHERE "
       "       shard >= $2"
       "   AND shard <= $3"
-      "   AND wire_deadline<=$1"
-      "   AND refund_deadline<$1"
-      "   AND tiny=FALSE"
       "   AND done=FALSE"
+      "   AND extension_blocked=FALSE"
+      "   AND tiny=FALSE"
+      "   AND wire_deadline<=$1"
       "   AND (kyc_ok OR $4)"
       " ORDER BY "
       "   shard ASC"
@@ -1130,14 +1130,16 @@ prepare_statements (struct PostgresClosure *pg)
       "    JOIN known_coins kc USING (known_coin_id)"
       "    JOIN denominations denom USING (denominations_serial)"
       " WHERE"
-      "     merchant_pub=$1 AND"
-      "     wire_target_serial_id=$2 AND"
-      "     done=FALSE"
-      " ORDER BY wire_deadline ASC"
+      "      merchant_pub=$1"
+      "  AND wire_target_serial_id=$2"
+      "  AND done=FALSE"
+      "  AND extension_blocked=FALSE"
+      "  AND refund_deadline<$3"
+      " ORDER BY refund_deadline ASC"
       " LIMIT "
       TALER_QUOTE (
         TALER_EXCHANGEDB_MATCHING_DEPOSITS_LIMIT) ";",
-      2),
+      3),
     /* Used in #postgres_mark_deposit_tiny() */
     GNUNET_PQ_make_prepare (
       "mark_deposit_tiny",
@@ -5505,9 +5507,11 @@ postgres_iterate_matching_deposits (
   uint32_t limit)
 {
   struct PostgresClosure *pg = cls;
+  struct GNUNET_TIME_Absolute now;
   struct GNUNET_PQ_QueryParam params[] = {
     GNUNET_PQ_query_param_auto_from_type (merchant_pub),
     GNUNET_PQ_query_param_uint64 (&wire_target),
+    GNUNET_PQ_query_param_absolute_time (&now),
     GNUNET_PQ_query_param_end
   };
   struct MatchingDepositContext mdc = {
@@ -5520,6 +5524,8 @@ postgres_iterate_matching_deposits (
   };
   enum GNUNET_DB_QueryStatus qs;
 
+  now = GNUNET_TIME_absolute_get ();
+  (void) GNUNET_TIME_round_abs (&now);
   qs = GNUNET_PQ_eval_prepared_multi_select (pg->conn,
                                              "deposits_iterate_matching",
                                              params,
diff --git a/src/lib/exchange_api_deposits_get.c b/src/lib/exchange_api_deposits_get.c
index 843b00ff3..3c334d760 100644
--- a/src/lib/exchange_api_deposits_get.c
+++ b/src/lib/exchange_api_deposits_get.c
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ struct TALER_EXCHANGE_DepositGetHandle
  * from the exchange is valid.
  *
  * @param dwh deposit wtid handle
- * @param json json reply with the signature
  * @param exchange_pub the exchange's public key
  * @param exchange_sig the exchange's signature
  * @return #GNUNET_OK if the signature is valid, #GNUNET_SYSERR if not
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ struct TALER_EXCHANGE_DepositGetHandle
 static enum GNUNET_GenericReturnValue
 verify_deposit_wtid_signature_ok (
   const struct TALER_EXCHANGE_DepositGetHandle *dwh,
-  const json_t *json,
   const struct TALER_ExchangePublicKeyP *exchange_pub,
   const struct TALER_ExchangeSignatureP *exchange_sig)
 {
@@ -177,7 +175,6 @@ handle_deposit_wtid_finished (void *cls,
                          &dr.details.success.coin_contribution);
       if (GNUNET_OK !=
           verify_deposit_wtid_signature_ok (dwh,
-                                            j,
                                             &dr.details.success.exchange_pub,
                                             &dr.details.success.exchange_sig))
       {