diff --git a/desk/app/activity.hoon b/desk/app/activity.hoon
index ca29a5d9e4..b9aa83977b 100644
--- a/desk/app/activity.hoon
+++ b/desk/app/activity.hoon
@@ -144,13 +144,13 @@
   =?  old  ?=(%7 -.old)  [%8 +.old]
   ?>  ?=(%8 -.old)
   =.  state  old
-  :: ::  insert missing volume defaults to %base
-  :: ::
-  :: =/  base-volume
-  ::   (~(gut by volume-settings.state) [%base ~] *volume-map:a)
-  :: =.  volume-settings.state
-  ::   %+  ~(put by volume-settings.state)  [%base ~]
-  ::   (~(uni by base-volume) *volume-map:a)
+  ::  insert missing volume defaults to %base
+  ::
+  =/  base-volume
+    (~(gut by volume-settings.state) [%base ~] *volume-map:a)
+  =.  volume-settings.state
+    %+  ~(put by volume-settings.state)  [%base ~]
+    (~(uni by base-volume) *volume-map:a)
   =.  allowed  %all
   (emit %pass /fix-init-unreads %agent [our.bowl dap.bowl] %poke noun+!>(%fix-init-unreads))
   +$  versioned-state