diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 68bfbf8..b967cbe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Open http://localhost:3000.
 ## Routes
 
 - `/` - search for a handle, DID, or `at://` URI
-- `/?mode=artist` - the same search, stripped to the player it finds
+- `/?faaah` - the same search, stripped to the player it finds
 - `/player/[actor]` - one player: avatar, name, badges, nothing technical
 - `/at/[actor]` - repo overview
 - `/at/[actor]/[collection]` - records in a collection
diff --git a/src/app/page.tsx b/src/app/page.tsx
index dcea7d7..0b3e34b 100644
--- a/src/app/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/page.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { Wordmark } from "@/components/wordmark";
 import { actorId, normalizeActor, parseAtUri } from "@/lib/atproto/uri";
 import { getFolkLexicons, getFolkRepos, summarize } from "@/lib/folk";
 import { hrefForAtUri, playerHref, repoHref } from "@/lib/links";
-import { parseMode } from "@/lib/mode";
+import { ARTIST_PARAM, parseMode } from "@/lib/mode";
 import { listPlayers } from "@/lib/player";
 import {
   SITE_DESCRIPTION,
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import {
 import styles from "./page.module.css";
 
 export const metadata: Metadata = {
-  // `?invalid=` is a rendering detail of the search form and `?mode=` is a
+  // `?invalid=` is a rendering detail of the search form and `?faaah` is a
   // choice of view, never a distinct page.
   alternates: { canonical: "/" },
   openGraph: {
@@ -62,12 +62,13 @@ async function findPlayer(formData: FormData) {
   const actor = normalizeActor(input);
   if (actor) redirect(playerHref(actorId(actor)));
 
-  redirect(`/?mode=artist&invalid=${encodeURIComponent(input)}`);
+  redirect(`/?${ARTIST_PARAM}&invalid=${encodeURIComponent(input)}`);
 }
 
 export default async function Home({ searchParams }: PageProps<"/">) {
-  const { invalid, mode: modeParam } = await searchParams;
-  const mode = parseMode(modeParam);
+  const params = await searchParams;
+  const { invalid } = params;
+  const mode = parseMode(params);
 
   const header = (
     <div className={styles.header}>
diff --git a/src/components/mode-switch.tsx b/src/components/mode-switch.tsx
index b859a4b..6655422 100644
--- a/src/components/mode-switch.tsx
+++ b/src/components/mode-switch.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import Image from "next/image";
 import Link from "next/link";
-import type { Mode } from "@/lib/mode";
+import { homeHref, type Mode } from "@/lib/mode";
 import styles from "./mode-switch.module.css";
 
 const ICON = 22;
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const OPTIONS = [
 export function ModeSwitch({
   mode,
   nerdHref = "/",
-  artistHref = "/?mode=artist",
+  artistHref = homeHref("artist"),
 }: {
   mode: Mode;
   nerdHref?: string;
diff --git a/src/lib/mode.ts b/src/lib/mode.ts
index 1cdc41a..4fc9ef4 100644
--- a/src/lib/mode.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mode.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,15 @@ export type Mode = "nerd" | "artist";
 
 export const DEFAULT_MODE: Mode = "nerd";
 
-export function parseMode(value: string | string[] | undefined): Mode {
-  return value === "artist" ? "artist" : DEFAULT_MODE;
+/** Valueless flag, so the artist view is just `/?faaah`. */
+export const ARTIST_PARAM = "faaah";
+
+export function parseMode(
+  params: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined>,
+): Mode {
+  return ARTIST_PARAM in params ? "artist" : DEFAULT_MODE;
 }
 
 export function homeHref(mode: Mode): string {
-  return mode === "artist" ? "/?mode=artist" : "/";
+  return mode === "artist" ? `/?${ARTIST_PARAM}` : "/";
 }