diff --git a/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/Latest.cshtml b/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/Latest.cshtml
index 4d1f6c9c..06402aae 100644
--- a/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/Latest.cshtml
+++ b/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/Latest.cshtml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 }
 
 <ul>
-    @foreach (var topic in topics.Items)
+    @foreach (var topic in topics)
     {
         <li>
             @topic.Title
diff --git a/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/LatestActivity.cshtml b/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/LatestActivity.cshtml
index 60357378..385a6872 100644
--- a/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/LatestActivity.cshtml
+++ b/OurUmbraco.Site/Views/MacroPartials/Forum/LatestActivity.cshtml
@@ -6,16 +6,16 @@
 }
 
 <div class="col-md-6">
-    @Column(ts.GetLatestTopics(3, 1).Items)
+    @Column(ts.GetLatestTopics(3, 1))
 </div>
 <div class="col-md-6">
-    @Column(ts.GetLatestTopics(3, 2).Items)
+    @Column(ts.GetLatestTopics(3, 2))
 </div>
 
-@helper Column(List<uForum.Models.ReadOnlyTopic> topics)
+@helper Column(IEnumerable<uForum.Models.ReadOnlyTopic> topics)
 {
     <ul>
-        @foreach (var topic in topics)
+        @foreach (var topic in topics.ToArray())
         {
             var cat = Umbraco.TypedContent(topic.ParentId);
             var mem = Members.GetById(topic.LatestReplyAuthor);
diff --git a/uForum/Api/PublicForumController.cs b/uForum/Api/PublicForumController.cs
index 33715e24..2ac699c3 100644
--- a/uForum/Api/PublicForumController.cs
+++ b/uForum/Api/PublicForumController.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace uForum.Api
         public IEnumerable<ExpandoObject> LatestPaged(int page, int cat)
         {
             var l = new List<ExpandoObject>();
-            foreach (var topic in TopicService.GetLatestTopics(50, page, true, cat).Items)
+            foreach (var topic in TopicService.GetLatestTopics(50, page, true, cat))
             {
                 dynamic o = new ExpandoObject();
 
diff --git a/uForum/Services/TopicService.cs b/uForum/Services/TopicService.cs
index c04400a2..6255a1f3 100644
--- a/uForum/Services/TopicService.cs
+++ b/uForum/Services/TopicService.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Data.SqlTypes;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
@@ -28,24 +29,34 @@ namespace uForum.Services
         /// <param name="ignoreSpam"></param>
         /// <param name="category"></param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        public Page<ReadOnlyTopic> GetLatestTopics(long take = 50, long page = 1, bool ignoreSpam = true, int category = -1)
+        public IEnumerable<ReadOnlyTopic> GetLatestTopics(long take = 50, long page = 1, bool ignoreSpam = true, int category = -1)
         {
-            var sql = new Sql().Select(@"forumTopics.*, u1.[text] as LastReplyAuthorName, u2.[text] as AuthorName")
-                .From("forumTopics")
-                .LeftOuterJoin("umbracoNode u1").On("(forumTopics.latestReplyAuthor = u1.id AND u1.nodeObjectType = '39EB0F98-B348-42A1-8662-E7EB18487560')")
-                .LeftOuterJoin("umbracoNode u2").On("(forumTopics.memberId = u2.id AND u2.nodeObjectType = '39EB0F98-B348-42A1-8662-E7EB18487560')");
+            const string sql1 = @"SELECT forumTopics.*, u1.[text] as LastReplyAuthorName, u2.[text] as AuthorName
+FROM forumTopics
+LEFT OUTER JOIN umbracoNode u1 ON (forumTopics.latestReplyAuthor = u1.id AND u1.nodeObjectType = '39EB0F98-B348-42A1-8662-E7EB18487560')
+LEFT OUTER JOIN umbracoNode u2 ON (forumTopics.memberId = u2.id AND u2.nodeObjectType = '39EB0F98-B348-42A1-8662-E7EB18487560')
+";
+            const string sql2 = @"
+ORDER BY updated
+OFFSET @offset ROWS
+FETCH NEXT @count ROWS ONLY";
 
-            if (ignoreSpam)
+            const string sqlxx = sql1 + sql2;
+            const string sqlix = sql1 + "WHERE isSpam=0" + sql2;
+            const string sqlxc = sql1 + "WHERE forumTopics.parentId=@category" + sql2;
+            const string sqlic = sql1 + "WHERE isSpam=0 AND forumTopics.parentId=@category" + sql2;
+
+            var sql = ignoreSpam
+                ? (category > 0 ? sqlic : sqlix)
+                : (category > 0 ? sqlxc : sqlxx);
+            
+            // probably as fast as PetaPoco can be...
+            return _databaseContext.Database.Fetch<ReadOnlyTopic>(sql, new
             {
-                sql.Where<Topic>(x => x.IsSpam != true);
-            }
-
-            if (category > 0)
-                sql.Where<Topic>(x => x.ParentId == category);
-
-
-            sql.OrderByDescending("updated");
-            return _databaseContext.Database.Page<ReadOnlyTopic>(page, take, sql);
+                offset = (page - 1) * take,
+                count = take,
+                category = category
+            }).OrderByDescending(x => x.Updated);
         }
 
         /// <summary>