diff --git a/db/btree.h b/db/btree.h
index c2652b2614019..e82b38b6ce04f 100644
--- a/db/btree.h
+++ b/db/btree.h
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ namespace mongo {
         BSONObj endKey;
 //    BSONObj query; // the query we are working on in association with the cursor -- see noMoreMatches()
     public:
-        BtreeCursor(IndexDetails&, const BSONObj& startKey, int direction, const BSONObj& query);
+        BtreeCursor(const IndexDetails&, const BSONObj& startKey, int direction, const BSONObj& query);
         virtual bool ok() {
             return !bucket.isNull();
         }
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
         static string simpleRegexEnd( string regex );
 
-        IndexDetails& indexDetails;
+        const IndexDetails& indexDetails;
         BSONObj order;
         DiskLoc bucket;
         int keyOfs;
diff --git a/db/btreecursor.cpp b/db/btreecursor.cpp
index 62b73aa30cfa7..4e0c575dcd64e 100644
--- a/db/btreecursor.cpp
+++ b/db/btreecursor.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace mongo {
     DiskLoc maxDiskLoc(0x7fffffff, 0x7fffffff);
     DiskLoc minDiskLoc(0, 1);
 
-    BtreeCursor::BtreeCursor(IndexDetails& _id, const BSONObj& k, int _direction, const BSONObj& _query) :
+    BtreeCursor::BtreeCursor(const IndexDetails& _id, const BSONObj& k, int _direction, const BSONObj& _query) :
 //    query(_query),
             indexDetails(_id),
             order(_id.keyPattern()),
diff --git a/db/dbcommands.cpp b/db/dbcommands.cpp
index ba4437bd75c82..3c937e19ebe0e 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands.cpp
@@ -663,6 +663,9 @@ namespace mongo {
         virtual bool slaveOk() {
             return true;
         }
+        virtual bool slaveOverrideOk() {
+            return true;
+        }
         virtual bool adminOnly() {
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/db/namespace.h b/db/namespace.h
index 94af22cd94d4f..ea99c21a00caa 100644
--- a/db/namespace.h
+++ b/db/namespace.h
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                  { x : 70, y : 3 } -> { x : 70 }
            handles our embedded dot notation too.
         */
-        BSONObj getKeyFromQuery(const BSONObj& query) {
+        BSONObj getKeyFromQuery(const BSONObj& query) const {
             BSONObj k = keyPattern();
             BSONObj res = query.extractFieldsUnDotted(k);
             assert(res.objsize() != 0); // guard against a seg fault if details is 0
diff --git a/db/query.cpp b/db/query.cpp
index b88ae8436925e..33def1372eca1 100644
--- a/db/query.cpp
+++ b/db/query.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,19 @@ namespace mongo {
         }
     }
 
+    auto_ptr< Cursor > getHintCursor( const IndexDetails &ii, BSONObj query, BSONObj order, bool *simpleKeyMatch, bool *isSorted ) {
+        int direction = matchDirection( ii.keyPattern(), order );
+        if ( isSorted ) *isSorted = ( direction != 0 );
+        if ( direction == 0 )
+            direction = 1;
+        // NOTE This startKey is incorrect, preserving for the moment so
+        // we can preserve simpleKeyMatch behavior.
+        BSONObj startKey = ii.getKeyFromQuery(query);
+        if ( simpleKeyMatch )
+            *simpleKeyMatch = query.nFields() == startKey.nFields();
+        return auto_ptr<Cursor>(new BtreeCursor(ii, emptyObj, direction, query));        
+    }
+    
     /* todo: _ use index on partial match with the query
 
        parameters
@@ -95,17 +108,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                 for (int i = 0; i < d->nIndexes; i++ ) {
                     IndexDetails& ii = d->indexes[i];
                     if ( ii.indexName() == hintstr ) {
-                        int direction = matchDirection( ii.keyPattern(), order );
-                        if ( isSorted ) *isSorted = ( direction != 0 );
-                        if ( direction == 0 )
-                            direction = 1;
-                        // NOTE This startKey is incorrect, preserving for the moment so
-                        // we can preserve simpleKeyMatch behavior.
-                        BSONObj startKey = ii.getKeyFromQuery(query);
-                        if ( simpleKeyMatch )
-                            *simpleKeyMatch = query.nFields() == startKey.nFields();
-                        return auto_ptr<Cursor>(
-                            new BtreeCursor(ii, emptyObj, direction, query));
+                        return getHintCursor( ii, query, order, simpleKeyMatch, isSorted );
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -114,17 +117,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                 for (int i = 0; i < d->nIndexes; i++ ) {
                     IndexDetails& ii = d->indexes[i];
                     if( ii.keyPattern().woCompare(hintobj) == 0 ) {
-                        int direction = matchDirection( ii.keyPattern(), order );
-                        if ( isSorted ) *isSorted = ( direction != 0 );
-                        if ( direction == 0 )
-                            direction = 1;
-                        // NOTE This startKey is incorrect, preserving for the moment so
-                        // we can preserve simpleKeyMatch behavior.
-                        BSONObj startKey = ii.getKeyFromQuery(query);
-                        if ( simpleKeyMatch )
-                            *simpleKeyMatch = query.nFields() == startKey.nFields();
-                        return auto_ptr<Cursor>(
-                            new BtreeCursor(ii, emptyObj, direction, query));
+                        return getHintCursor( ii, query, order, simpleKeyMatch, isSorted );
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/jstests/hint1.js b/jstests/hint1.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..19d1dd40cb78f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jstests/hint1.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+p = db.jstests_hint1;
+
+p.save( { ts: new Date( 1 ), cls: "entry", verticals: "alleyinsider", live: true } );
+p.ensureIndex( { ts: 1 } );
+
+e = p.find( { live: true, ts: { $lt: new Date( 1234119308272 ) }, cls: "entry", verticals: " alleyinsider" } ).sort( { ts: -1 } ).hint( { ts: 1 } ).explain();
+assert.eq( e.startKey.ts.getTime(), new Date( 1234119308272 ).getTime() );
+assert.eq( 1, e.endKey.ts.$minElement );
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mongo.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/mongo.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 75bd5c82c2764..a4b610e622c9b 100644
--- a/mongo.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/mongo.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@
 		93D0C1FB0EF1E267005253B7 /* namespacetests.cpp */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; fileEncoding = 4; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.cpp.cpp; path = namespacetests.cpp; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		93D6BBF70F265E1100FE5722 /* matchertests.cpp */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; fileEncoding = 4; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.cpp.cpp; path = matchertests.cpp; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		93D6BC9B0F266FC300FE5722 /* querytests.cpp */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; fileEncoding = 4; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.cpp.cpp; path = querytests.cpp; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
+		93F386400F40E27800967EFA /* hint1.js */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; fileEncoding = 4; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.javascript; path = hint1.js; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		C6859E8B029090EE04C91782 /* mongo.1 */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = text.man; path = mongo.1; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 /* End PBXFileReference section */
 
@@ -403,6 +404,7 @@
 		93A8D1D10F37544800C92B85 /* jstests */ = {
 			isa = PBXGroup;
 			children = (
+				93F386400F40E27800967EFA /* hint1.js */,
 				936ABBAA0F3CBE5400D5015F /* recovery */,
 				936AB9350F3C8AB800D5015F /* _lodeRunner.js */,
 				936AB4BB0F3A5B0300D5015F /* update3.js */,