diff --git a/strata.js b/strata.js
index bff257d9..5cb8a38c 100644
--- a/strata.js
+++ b/strata.js
@@ -1498,7 +1498,7 @@ Sheaf.prototype.writeDelete = function (queue, page, index, callback) {
 }
 
 Sheaf.prototype.writeHeader = function (queue, page) {
-    var header = [ 0, ++page.entries, page.right ]
+    var header = [ ++page.entries, 0, page.right ]
     return this.writeEntry({ queue: queue, page: page, header: header, type: 'header' })
 }
 
@@ -1594,7 +1594,10 @@ prototype(Sheaf, 'replay', cadence(function (async, fd, stat, read, page, positi
                     page.position += length
                     var entry = this.readEntry(slice.slice(offset, offset + length), !leaf)
                     var header = this.readHeader(entry)
-                    if (entry.header[0]) {
+                    if (entry.header[1] == 0) {
+                        page.right = entry.header[2]
+                        page.entries++
+                    } else {
                         ok(header.entry == ++page.entries, 'entry count is off')
                         var index = header.index
                         if (leaf) {
@@ -1621,9 +1624,6 @@ prototype(Sheaf, 'replay', cadence(function (async, fd, stat, read, page, positi
                                 key: key, address: address, heft: heft
                             })
                         }
-                    } else {
-                        page.right = entry.header[2]
-                        page.entries++
                     }
                     i = offset = offset + length
                 }
diff --git a/t/basics/create.t.js b/t/basics/create.t.js
index 6dc19821..c2e36493 100755
--- a/t/basics/create.t.js
+++ b/t/basics/create.t.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ function prove (async, assert) {
         vivify(tmp, async())
         load(__dirname + '/fixtures/create.after.json', async())
     }, function (actual, expected) {
-        assert.say(actual)
+        assert.say(actual[1])
         assert.say(expected)
 
         assert(actual, expected, 'written')
diff --git a/t/proof.js b/t/proof.js
index 80a1b723..80ada3ef 100644
--- a/t/proof.js
+++ b/t/proof.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ function abstracted (dir) {
             position = 0
             dir[file].forEach(function (line, index) {
                 var json = line.header
-                if (json[0]) {
+                if (json[1]) {
                     ok(index + 1 == json[0], 'entry record is wrong')
                     if (json[1] > 0) {
                         record.log.push({ type: 'add', value: line.body })
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function abstracted (dir) {
                     }
                 } else {
                     ok(index == 0, 'header not first entry')
-                    ok(json[1] == 1, 'header not first entry')
+                    ok(json[0] == 1, 'header not first entry')
                     if (json[2]) record.right = Math.abs(json[2])
                 }
             })
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ function directivize (json) {
                 position += length
                 return record
             })
-            directory[address].unshift({ header: [ 0, 1, object.right || 0 ]})
+            directory[address].unshift({ header: [ 1, 0, object.right || 0 ]})
         }
     }