diff --git a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/search.py b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/search.py
index 758358d30..883b7877f 100644
--- a/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/search.py
+++ b/lbry/wallet/server/db/elasticsearch/search.py
@@ -234,54 +234,56 @@ class SearchIndex:
     async def search_ahead(self, **kwargs):
         # 'limit_claims_per_channel' case. Fetch 1000 results, reorder, slice, inflate and return
         per_channel_per_page = kwargs.pop('limit_claims_per_channel')
-        limit = kwargs.pop('limit', 10)
+        page_size = kwargs.pop('limit', 10)
         offset = kwargs.pop('offset', 0)
         kwargs['limit'] = 1000
         cache_item = ResultCacheItem.from_cache(f"ahead{per_channel_per_page}{kwargs}", self.search_cache)
         if cache_item.result is not None:
-            to_inflate = cache_item.result
+            reordered_hits = cache_item.result
         else:
             async with cache_item.lock:
                 if cache_item.result:
-                    to_inflate = cache_item.result
+                    reordered_hits = cache_item.result
                 else:
                     query = expand_query(**kwargs)
-                    to_inflate = await self.__search_ahead(query, limit, per_channel_per_page)
-                    cache_item.result = to_inflate
-        return list(await self.get_many(*(claim_id for claim_id, _ in to_inflate[offset:(offset + limit)])))
+                    reordered_hits = await self.__search_ahead(query, page_size, per_channel_per_page)
+                    cache_item.result = reordered_hits
+        return list(await self.get_many(*(claim_id for claim_id, _ in reordered_hits[offset:(offset + page_size)])))
 
-    async def __search_ahead(self, query, limit, per_channel_per_page):
-        result = deque((await self.search_client.search(
+    async def __search_ahead(self, query: dict, page_size: int, per_channel_per_page: int):
+        search_hits = deque((await self.search_client.search(
             query, index=self.index, track_total_hits=False, _source_includes=['_id', 'channel_id']
         ))['hits']['hits'])
-        to_inflate = []
-        channel_counter = Counter()
-        delayed = deque()
-        while result or delayed:
-            if len(to_inflate) % limit == 0:
-                channel_counter.clear()
+        reordered_hits = []
+        channel_counters = Counter()
+        next_page_hits_maybe_check_later = deque()
+        while search_hits or next_page_hits_maybe_check_later:
+            if reordered_hits and len(reordered_hits) % page_size == 0:
+                channel_counters.clear()
+            elif not reordered_hits:
+                pass
             else:
                 break  # means last page was incomplete and we are left with bad replacements
-            for _ in range(len(delayed)):
-                claim_id, channel_id = delayed.popleft()
-                if channel_counter[channel_id] < per_channel_per_page:
-                    to_inflate.append((claim_id, channel_id))
-                    channel_counter[channel_id] += 1
+            for _ in range(len(next_page_hits_maybe_check_later)):
+                claim_id, channel_id = next_page_hits_maybe_check_later.popleft()
+                if channel_counters[channel_id] < per_channel_per_page:
+                    reordered_hits.append((claim_id, channel_id))
+                    channel_counters[channel_id] += 1
                 else:
-                    delayed.append((claim_id, channel_id))
-            while result:
-                hit = result.popleft()
+                    next_page_hits_maybe_check_later.append((claim_id, channel_id))
+            while search_hits:
+                hit = search_hits.popleft()
                 hit_id, hit_channel_id = hit['_id'], hit['_source']['channel_id']
                 if hit_channel_id is None:
-                    to_inflate.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
-                elif channel_counter[hit_channel_id] < per_channel_per_page:
-                    to_inflate.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
-                    channel_counter[hit_channel_id] += 1
-                    if len(to_inflate) % limit == 0:
+                    reordered_hits.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
+                elif channel_counters[hit_channel_id] < per_channel_per_page:
+                    reordered_hits.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
+                    channel_counters[hit_channel_id] += 1
+                    if len(reordered_hits) % page_size == 0:
                         break
                 else:
-                    delayed.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
-        return to_inflate
+                    next_page_hits_maybe_check_later.append((hit_id, hit_channel_id))
+        return reordered_hits
 
     async def resolve_url(self, raw_url):
         if raw_url not in self.resolution_cache: