diff --git a/scripts-dev/nuke-room-from-db.sh b/scripts-dev/nuke-room-from-db.sh
index 1201d176c2..c62928afdb 100755
--- a/scripts-dev/nuke-room-from-db.sh
+++ b/scripts-dev/nuke-room-from-db.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,19 @@
 
 ## Do not run it lightly.
 
+set -e
+
+if [ "$1" == "-h" ] || [ "$1" == "" ]; then
+  echo "Call with ROOM_ID as first option and then pipe it into the database. So for instance you might run"
+  echo " nuke-room-from-db.sh <room_id> | sqlite3 homeserver.db"
+  echo "or"
+  echo " nuke-room-from-db.sh <room_id> | psql --dbname=synapse"
+  exit
+fi
+
 ROOMID="$1"
 
-sqlite3 homeserver.db <<EOF
+cat <<EOF
 DELETE FROM event_forward_extremities WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM event_backward_extremities WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM event_edges WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
@@ -29,7 +39,7 @@ DELETE FROM state_groups WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM state_groups_state WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM receipts_graph WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM receipts_linearized WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
-DELETE FROM event_search_content WHERE c1room_id = '$ROOMID';
+DELETE FROM event_search WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID'; 
 DELETE FROM guest_access WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM history_visibility WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
 DELETE FROM room_tags WHERE room_id = '$ROOMID';
diff --git a/synapse/metrics/metric.py b/synapse/metrics/metric.py
index fbba94e633..f421e7a93f 100644
--- a/synapse/metrics/metric.py
+++ b/synapse/metrics/metric.py
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ class BaseMetric(object):
         """Render this metric for a single set of labels
 
         Args:
-            label_values (list[str]): values for each of the labels
+            label_values (list[object]): values for each of the labels,
+                (which get stringified).
             value: value of the metric at with these labels
 
         Returns:
@@ -324,4 +325,4 @@ def _escape_character(m):
 def _escape_label_value(value):
     """Takes a label value and escapes quotes, newlines and backslashes
     """
-    return re.sub(r"([\n\"\\])", _escape_character, value)
+    return re.sub(r"([\n\"\\])", _escape_character, str(value))
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/notifications.py b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/notifications.py
index ec170109fe..66583d6778 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/notifications.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/notifications.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class NotificationsServlet(RestServlet):
                     pa["topological_ordering"], pa["stream_ordering"]
                 )
             returned_push_actions.append(returned_pa)
-            next_token = pa["stream_ordering"]
+            next_token = str(pa["stream_ordering"])
 
         defer.returnValue((200, {
             "notifications": returned_push_actions,
diff --git a/synapse/storage/stream.py b/synapse/storage/stream.py
index 25aef32551..0e313ec8f2 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/stream.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/stream.py
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ class StreamWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore, SQLBaseStore):
 
         Returns:
             Deferred[tuple[list[_EventDictReturn],  str]]: Returns a list of
-            _EventDictReturn and a token pointint to the start of the returned
+            _EventDictReturn and a token pointing to the start of the returned
             events.
             The events returned are in ascending order.
         """
@@ -500,7 +500,8 @@ class StreamWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore, SQLBaseStore):
             events (list[FrozenEvent])
             rows (list[_EventDictReturn])
             topo_order (bool): Whether the events were ordered topologically
-                or by stream ordering
+                or by stream ordering. If true then all rows should have a non
+                null topological_ordering.
         """
         for event, row in zip(events, rows):
             stream = row.stream_ordering
@@ -678,9 +679,9 @@ class StreamWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore, SQLBaseStore):
                 those that match the filter.
 
         Returns:
-            tuple[list[_EventDictReturn], str]: Returns the results as a list
-            of _EventDictReturn and a token that points to the end of the
-            result set.
+            Deferred[tuple[list[_EventDictReturn], str]]: Returns the results
+            as a list of _EventDictReturn and a token that points to the end
+            of the result set.
         """
         # Tokens really represent positions between elements, but we use
         # the convention of pointing to the event before the gap. Hence