diff --git a/db/migrations/11_event_levels.sql b/db/migrations/11_event_levels.sql
index ef76631..49fbe60 100644
--- a/db/migrations/11_event_levels.sql
+++ b/db/migrations/11_event_levels.sql
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ CREATE TABLE daily_queue (
 CREATE TABLE daily_levels (
   level_id    INTEGER  NOT NULL  references levels(id),
   idx         SERIAL   NOT NULL  PRIMARY KEY,
-  expires_at  TEXT     NOT NULL
+  expires_at  TEXT     NOT NULL,
+  queue_idx   INTEGER  NOT NULL  references daily_queue(idx)
 );
 
 CREATE TABLE weekly_queue (
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ CREATE TABLE weekly_queue (
 CREATE TABLE weekly_levels (
   level_id    INTEGER  NOT NULL  references levels(id),
   idx         SERIAL   NOT NULL  PRIMARY KEY,
-  expires_at  TEXT     NOT NULL
+  expires_at  TEXT     NOT NULL,
+  queue_idx   INTEGER  NOT NULL  references weekly_queue(idx)
 );
 
 -- +migrate down
diff --git a/src/lib/dailies.cr b/src/lib/dailies.cr
index da986de..b25a08d 100644
--- a/src/lib/dailies.cr
+++ b/src/lib/dailies.cr
@@ -7,28 +7,35 @@ module CrystalGauntlet::Dailies
 
   WEEKLY_OFFSET = 100001
 
-  def grab_new_level(weekly : Bool, prev = Time.utc) : {Int32 | Nil, Int32 | Nil, Int32 | Nil}
-    LOG.debug { "grabbing new event level, weekly: #{weekly}" }
+  def grab_new_level(weekly : Bool, prev = Time.utc, prev_idx = 0) : {Int32?, Int32?, Int32?}
+    LOG.debug { "grabbing new event level, weekly: #{weekly} (previous queue index #{prev_idx})" }
+
     begin
-      level_id = DATABASE.query_one("select level_id from #{weekly ? "weekly_queue" : "daily_queue"} order by idx desc limit 1", as: {Int32})
+      level_id, new_idx = DATABASE.query_one("select level_id, idx from #{weekly ? "weekly_queue" : "daily_queue"} where idx > #{prev_idx} order by idx limit 1", as: {Int32, Int32})
     rescue
-      LOG.debug { "can't find anything in queue" }
-      return {nil, nil, nil}
-    else
-      next_id = IDs.get_next_id(weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels")
-      # todo: configurable?
-      timespan = weekly ? 1.weeks : 1.days
-      LOG.debug { "#{level_id} for #{timespan}" }
-      expires_at = prev + timespan
-      DATABASE.exec("insert into #{weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels"} (level_id, idx, expires_at) values (?, ?, ?)", level_id, next_id, expires_at.to_s(Format::TIME_FORMAT))
-      return {level_id, timespan.total_seconds.to_i, next_id}
+      LOG.debug { "can't find new level in queue, attempting reuse" }
+      begin
+        level_id, new_idx = DATABASE.query_one("select level_id, idx from #{weekly ? "weekly_queue" : "daily_queue"} order by idx desc limit 1", as: {Int32, Int32})
+      rescue
+        LOG.debug { "no levels in queue; quitting out" }
+        return {nil, nil, nil}
+      end
     end
+
+    next_id = IDs.get_next_id(weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels")
+    # todo: configurable?
+    timespan = weekly ? 1.weeks : 1.days
+    LOG.debug { "#{level_id} for #{timespan}" }
+    expires_at = prev + timespan
+    DATABASE.exec("insert into #{weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels"} (level_id, idx, expires_at, queue_idx) values (?, ?, ?, ?)", level_id, next_id, expires_at.to_s(Format::TIME_FORMAT), new_idx)
+
+    return {level_id, timespan.total_seconds.to_i, next_id}
   end
 
   def fetch_current_level(weekly : Bool) : {Int32 | Nil, Int32 | Nil, Int32 | Nil}
     LOG.debug { "getting current event level, weekly: #{weekly}" }
     begin
-      level_id, expires_at, idx = DATABASE.query_one("select level_id, expires_at, idx from #{weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels"} order by idx desc limit 1", as: {Int32, String, Int32})
+      level_id, expires_at, idx, queue_idx = DATABASE.query_one("select level_id, expires_at, idx, queue_idx from #{weekly ? "weekly_levels" : "daily_levels"} order by idx desc limit 1", as: {Int32, String, Int32, Int32})
       LOG.debug { "#{level_id} (#{idx}), expiring at #{expires_at}" }
     rescue
       # make up a brand new daily; using current time because no previous ones have existed
@@ -39,7 +46,7 @@ module CrystalGauntlet::Dailies
       expires = (Time.parse(expires_at, Format::TIME_FORMAT, Time::Location::UTC) - Time.utc).total_seconds.to_i
       if expires <= 0
         LOG.debug { "expired!!" }
-        level_id, expires, idx = grab_new_level(weekly, Time.parse(expires_at, Format::TIME_FORMAT, Time::Location::UTC))
+        level_id, expires, idx = grab_new_level(weekly, Time.parse(expires_at, Format::TIME_FORMAT, Time::Location::UTC), queue_idx)
       end
     end