diff --git a/lib/Database.php b/lib/Database.php
index 82a09e26..963c53bd 100644
--- a/lib/Database.php
+++ b/lib/Database.php
@@ -845,6 +845,11 @@ class Database {
             $q->setCTE("folders(folder)", "SELECT ? union select id from arsse_folders join folders on parent is folder", "int", $context->folder);
             // add another CTE for the subscriptions within the folder
             $q->setCTE("subscribed_feeds(id,sub)", "SELECT feed,id from arsse_subscriptions join user on user is owner join folders on arsse_subscriptions.folder is folders.folder", [], [], "join subscribed_feeds on feed is subscribed_feeds.id");
+        } elseif ($context->folderShallow()) {
+            // if a shallow folder is specified, make sure it exists
+            $this->folderValidateId($user, $context->folderShallow);
+            // if it does exist, add a CTE with only its subscriptions (and not those of its descendents)
+            $q->setCTE("subscribed_feeds(id,sub)", "SELECT feed,id from arsse_subscriptions join user on user is owner and coalesce(folder,0) is ?", "strict int", $context->folderShallow, "join subscribed_feeds on feed is subscribed_feeds.id");
         } else {
             // otherwise add a CTE for all the user's subscriptions
             $q->setCTE("subscribed_feeds(id,sub)", "SELECT feed,id from arsse_subscriptions join user on user is owner", [], [], "join subscribed_feeds on feed is subscribed_feeds.id");
@@ -889,7 +894,11 @@ class Database {
             $q->setCTE("requested_articles(id,edition)", "SELECT 'empty','table' where 1 is 0");
         }
         // filter based on label by ID or name
-        if ($context->label() || $context->labelName()) {
+        if ($context->labelled()) {
+            // any label (true) or no label (false)
+            $q->setWhere((!$context->labelled ? "not " : "")."exists(select article from arsse_label_members where assigned is 1 and article is arsse_articles.id and subscription in (select sub from subscribed_feeds))");
+        } elseif ($context->label() || $context->labelName()) {
+            // specific label ID or name
             if ($context->label()) {
                 $id = $this->labelValidateId($user, $context->label, false)['id'];
             } else {
diff --git a/lib/Misc/Context.php b/lib/Misc/Context.php
index a4fdd8c5..82195df3 100644
--- a/lib/Misc/Context.php
+++ b/lib/Misc/Context.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class Context {
     public $limit = 0;
     public $offset = 0;
     public $folder;
+    public $folderShallow;
     public $subscription;
     public $oldestEdition;
     public $latestEdition;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ class Context {
     public $articles;
     public $label;
     public $labelName;
+    public $labelled = null;
 
     protected $props = [];
 
@@ -64,6 +66,10 @@ class Context {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
     
+    public function folderShallow(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+    
     public function subscription(int $spec = null) {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
@@ -123,4 +129,8 @@ class Context {
     public function labelName(string $spec = null) {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
+
+    public function labelled(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php b/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
index 78eddccf..2260bd89 100644
--- a/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
+++ b/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
@@ -1039,35 +1039,12 @@ class API extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\AbstractHandler {
                     // not valid
                     return $out;
                 case self::CAT_UNCATEGORIZED:
-                    // this is a special case
-                    try {
-                        $tr = Arsse::$db->begin();
-                        // filter the subscription list to return only uncategorized, and get their IDs
-                        $list = array_column(Arsse::$db->subscriptionList(Arsse::$user->id, null, false)->getAll(), "id");
-                        // perform marking for each applicable subscription
-                        foreach ($list as $id) {
-                            Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['read' => true], (new Context)->subscription($id));
-                        }
-                        $tr->commit();
-                    } catch (ExceptionInput $e) { // @codeCoverageIgnore
-                        // ignore errors; none should occur
-                    }
-                    return $out;
+                    // this requires a shallow context since in TTRSS folder zero/null is apart from the tree rather than at the root
+                    $c->folderShallow(0);
+                    break;
                 case self::CAT_LABELS:
-                    // this is also a special case
-                    try {
-                        $tr = Arsse::$db->begin();
-                        // list all non-empty labels
-                        $list = array_column(Arsse::$db->labelList(Arsse::$user->id, false)->getAll(), "id");
-                        // perform marking for each label
-                        foreach ($list as $id) {
-                            Arsse::$db->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, ['read' => true], (new Context)->label($id));
-                        }
-                        $tr->commit();
-                    } catch (ExceptionInput $e) { // @codeCoverageIgnore
-                        // ignore errors; none should occur
-                    }
-                    return $out;
+                    $c->labelled(true);
+                    break;
                 default:
                     // any actual category
                     $c->folder($id);
diff --git a/tests/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestTinyTinyAPI.php b/tests/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestTinyTinyAPI.php
index 1900bc72..c7e2b989 100644
--- a/tests/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestTinyTinyAPI.php
+++ b/tests/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestTinyTinyAPI.php
@@ -941,13 +941,10 @@ class TestTinyTinyAPI extends Test\AbstractTest {
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => -2112],
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => 2112],
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => 42, 'is_cat' => true],
-        ];
-        $in3 = [
-            // complex context
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => 0, 'is_cat' => true],
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => -2, 'is_cat' => true],
         ];
-        $in4 = [
+        $in3 = [
             // this one has a tricky time-based context
             ['op' => "catchupFeed", 'sid' => "PriestsOfSyrinx", 'feed_id' => -3],
         ];
@@ -967,25 +964,12 @@ class TestTinyTinyAPI extends Test\AbstractTest {
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->label(1088));
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->subscription(2112));
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->folder(42));
-        // reset the database mock
-        $this->setUp();
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark->thenReturn(42);
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->subscriptionList->thenReturn(new Result($this->subscriptions));
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->subscriptionList($this->anything(), null, false)->thenReturn(new Result($this->filterSubs(null)));
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->labelList->thenReturn(new Result($this->labels));
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->labelList($this->anything(), false)->thenReturn(new Result($this->usedLabels));
-        // verify the complex contexts
-        for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($in3); $a++) {
-            $this->assertResponse($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("POST", "", json_encode($in3[$a]))), "Test $a failed");
-        }
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->subscription(6));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->label(3));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->label(1));
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db, Phake::times(3))->articleMark;
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->folderShallow(0));
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->labelled(true));
         // verify the time-based mock
         $t = Date::sub("PT24H");
-        for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($in4); $a++) {
-            $this->assertResponse($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("POST", "", json_encode($in4[$a]))), "Test $a failed");
+        for ($a = 0; $a < sizeof($in3); $a++) {
+            $this->assertResponse($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("POST", "", json_encode($in3[$a]))), "Test $a failed");
         }
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark($this->anything(), ['read' => true], (new Context)->modifiedSince($t));
     }
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesArticle.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesArticle.php
index 90c36ea2..65c1569e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesArticle.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesArticle.php
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ trait SeriesArticle {
                 [2,20,5,1],
                 [1, 5,3,0],
                 [2, 5,3,1],
+                [4, 7,4,0],
+                [4, 8,4,1],
             ],
         ],
     ];
@@ -362,11 +364,12 @@ trait SeriesArticle {
         $this->compareIds($exp, new Context);
         $this->compareIds($exp, (new Context)->articles(range(1, Database::LIMIT_ARTICLES * 3)));
         // get items from a folder tree
-        $exp = [5,6,7,8];
-        $this->compareIds($exp, (new Context)->folder(1));
+        $this->compareIds([5,6,7,8], (new Context)->folder(1));
         // get items from a leaf folder
-        $exp = [7,8];
-        $this->compareIds($exp, (new Context)->folder(6));
+        $this->compareIds([7,8], (new Context)->folder(6));
+        // get items from a non-leaf folder without descending
+        $this->compareIds([1,2,3,4], (new Context)->folderShallow(0));
+        $this->compareIds([5,6], (new Context)->folderShallow(1));
         // get items from a single subscription
         $exp = [19,20];
         $this->compareIds($exp, (new Context)->subscription(5));
@@ -405,6 +408,9 @@ trait SeriesArticle {
         // label by name
         $this->compareIds([1,19], (new Context)->labelName("Interesting"));
         $this->compareIds([1,5,20], (new Context)->labelName("Fascinating"));
+        // any or no label
+        $this->compareIds([1,5,8,19,20], (new Context)->labelled(true));
+        $this->compareIds([2,3,4,6,7], (new Context)->labelled(false));
     }
 
     public function testListArticlesOfAMissingFolder() {