diff --git a/historyKeeper.js b/historyKeeper.js
index 48c7f83ea..a2c67bc0e 100644
--- a/historyKeeper.js
+++ b/historyKeeper.js
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg) {
     const computeIndex = function (channelName, cb) {
         const cpIndex = [];
         let messageBuf = [];
-        let metadata; // FIXME METADATA READ
+        let metadata;
         let i = 0;
 
         const ref = {};
@@ -124,19 +124,13 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg) {
                 // keep an eye out for the metadata line if you haven't already seen it
                 // but only check for metadata on the first line
                 if (!i && !metadata && msgObj.buff.indexOf('{') === 0) {
-                    i++; // always increment i
-                    msg = tryParse(msgObj.buff.toString('utf8')); // FIXME METADATA READ
+                    i++; // always increment the message counter
+                    msg = tryParse(msgObj.buff.toString('utf8'));
                     if (typeof msg === "undefined") { return rmcb(); }
 
-                    // XXX metadata should be truthey, an object, and not an array...
+                    // validate that the current line really is metadata before storing it as such
                     if (msg && typeof(msg) === 'object' && !Array.isArray(msg)) {
                         metadata = msg;
-
-                        // metadata can contain:
-                        // validateKey, owners, expiration...
-                        //if (msg.validateKey || msg.owners || msg.expire) {
-                            //metadata_cache[channelName] = msg;
-                        //}
                         return rmcb();
                     }
                 }
@@ -144,14 +138,19 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg) {
                 if (msgObj.buff.indexOf('cp|') > -1) {
                     msg = msg || tryParse(msgObj.buff.toString('utf8'));
                     if (typeof msg === "undefined") { return rmcb(); }
+                    // cache the offsets of checkpoints if they can be parsed
                     if (msg[2] === 'MSG' && msg[4].indexOf('cp|') === 0) {
                         cpIndex.push({
                             offset: msgObj.offset,
                             line: i
                         });
+                        // we only want to store messages since the latest checkpoint
+                        // so clear the buffer every time you see a new one
                         messageBuf = [];
                     }
                 }
+                // if it's not metadata or a checkpoint then it should be a regular message
+                // store it in the buffer
                 messageBuf.push(msgObj);
                 return rmcb();
             }, w((err) => {
@@ -159,6 +158,9 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg) {
                     w.abort();
                     return void CB(err);
                 }
+
+                // once indexing is complete you should have a buffer of messages since the latest checkpoint
+                // map the 'hash' of each message to its byte offset in the log, to be used for reconnecting clients
                 messageBuf.forEach((msgObj) => {
                     const msg = tryParse(msgObj.buff.toString('utf8'));
                     if (typeof msg === "undefined") { return; }
@@ -172,28 +174,29 @@ module.exports.create = function (cfg) {
                 });
             }));
         }).nThen(function (w) {
-            // get amended metadata
+            // create a function which will iterate over amendments to the metadata
             const handler = Meta.createLineHandler(ref, Log.error);
 
-            if (metadata) {
-                handler(void 0, metadata);
-            }
+            // initialize the accumulator in case there was a foundational metadata line in the log content
+            if (metadata) { handler(void 0, metadata); }
 
+            // iterate over the dedicated metadata log (if it exists)
+            // proceed even in the event of a stream error on the metadata log
             store.readDedicatedMetadata(channelName, handler, w(function (err) {
                 if (err) {
                     return void Log.error("DEDICATED_METADATA_ERROR", err);
                 }
-                metadata = metadata_cache[channelName] = ref.meta;
             }));
         }).nThen(function () {
-            // FIXME METADATA READ
-
+            // when all is done, cache the metadata in memory
+            metadata = metadata_cache[channelName] = ref.meta;
+            // and return the computed index
             CB(null, {
                 // Only keep the checkpoints included in the last 100 messages
                 cpIndex: sliceCpIndex(cpIndex, i),
                 offsetByHash: offsetByHash,
                 size: size,
-                metadata: metadata, // FIXME METADATA STORE
+                metadata: metadata,
                 line: i
             });
         });