diff --git a/src/qtgui/advshist.cpp b/src/qtgui/advshist.cpp
index 4666913d..b3517804 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/advshist.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/advshist.cpp
@@ -79,10 +79,12 @@ bool AdvSearchHist::read()
 {
     if (!g_dynconf)
 	return false;
-    list<string> lxml = g_dynconf->getStringList(advSearchHistSk);
-    
-    for (list<string>::const_iterator it = lxml.begin(); it != lxml.end();
-	 it++) {
+
+    // getStringEntries() return the entries in order (lower key
+    // first), but we want most recent first, so revert
+    vector<string> lxml =
+        g_dynconf->getStringEntries<vector>(advSearchHistSk);
+    for (auto it = lxml.rbegin(); it != lxml.rend(); it++) {
         std::shared_ptr<SearchData> sd = xmlToSearchData(*it);
         if (sd)
             m_entries.push_back(sd);
diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
index bf395127..d5b0a12b 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
@@ -316,19 +316,17 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
     // as they are likely to depend on RECOLL_CONFDIR.
     if (writing) {
 	g_dynconf->eraseAll(allEdbsSk);
-	for (list<string>::const_iterator it = prefs.allExtraDbs.begin();
-	     it != prefs.allExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
-	    g_dynconf->enterString(allEdbsSk, *it);
+	for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.allExtraDbs) {
+	    g_dynconf->enterString(allEdbsSk, dbdir);
 	}
 
 	g_dynconf->eraseAll(actEdbsSk);
-	for (list<string>::const_iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
-	     it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
-	    g_dynconf->enterString(actEdbsSk, *it);
+	for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.activeExtraDbs) {
+	    g_dynconf->enterString(actEdbsSk, dbdir);
 
 	}
     } else {
-	prefs.allExtraDbs = g_dynconf->getStringList(allEdbsSk);
+	prefs.allExtraDbs = g_dynconf->getStringEntries<vector>(allEdbsSk);
 	const char *cp;
 	if ((cp = getenv("RECOLL_EXTRA_DBS")) != 0) {
 	    vector<string> dbl;
@@ -337,17 +335,18 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 		 dit++) {
 		string dbdir = path_canon(*dit);
 		path_catslash(dbdir);
-		if (std::find(prefs.allExtraDbs.begin(), 
-			      prefs.allExtraDbs.end(), dbdir) != 
+		if (std::find(prefs.allExtraDbs.begin(),
+                              prefs.allExtraDbs.end(), dbdir) != 
 		    prefs.allExtraDbs.end())
 		    continue;
 		bool stripped;
 		if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir, &stripped)) {
-		    LOGERR("Not a xapian index: ["  << (dbdir) << "]\n" );
+		    LOGERR("Not a xapian index: [" << dbdir << "]\n");
 		    continue;
 		}
 		if (stripped != o_index_stripchars) {
-		    LOGERR("Incompatible character stripping: ["  << (dbdir) << "]\n" );
+		    LOGERR("Incompatible character stripping: [" << dbdir <<
+                           "]\n");
 		    continue;
 		}
 		prefs.allExtraDbs.push_back(dbdir);
@@ -355,16 +354,17 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 	}
 
         // Get the remembered "active external indexes":
-        prefs.activeExtraDbs = g_dynconf->getStringList(actEdbsSk);
+        prefs.activeExtraDbs = g_dynconf->getStringEntries<vector>(actEdbsSk);
 
 	// Clean up the list: remove directories which are not
 	// actually there: useful for removable volumes.
-	for (list<string>::iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
-	     it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end();) {
+	for (auto it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
+             it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end();) {
 	    bool stripped;
 	    if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(*it, &stripped) || 
 		stripped != o_index_stripchars) {
-		LOGINFO("Not a Xapian index or char stripping differs: ["  << *it << "]\n" );
+		LOGINFO("Not a Xapian index or char stripping differs: ["  <<
+                        *it << "]\n");
 		it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.erase(it);
 	    } else {
 		it++;
@@ -418,14 +418,14 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 	while (prefs.asearchSubdirHist.size() > 20)
 	    prefs.asearchSubdirHist.pop_back();
 	g_dynconf->eraseAll(asbdSk);
-	for (QStringList::iterator it = prefs.asearchSubdirHist.begin();
-	     it != prefs.asearchSubdirHist.end(); it++) {
-	    g_dynconf->enterString(asbdSk, (const char *)((*it).toUtf8()));
+	for (const auto& qdbd : prefs.asearchSubdirHist) {
+	    g_dynconf->enterString(asbdSk, qs2utf8s(qdbd));
 	}
     } else {
-	list<string> tl = g_dynconf->getStringList(asbdSk);
-	for (list<string>::iterator it = tl.begin(); it != tl.end(); it++)
-	    prefs.asearchSubdirHist.push_front(QString::fromUtf8(it->c_str()));
+	vector<string> tl = g_dynconf->getStringEntries<vector>(asbdSk);
+	for (const auto& dbd: tl) {
+	    prefs.asearchSubdirHist.push_back(u8s2qs(dbd.c_str()));
+        }
     }
     if (!writing)
         havereadsettings = true;
diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.h b/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
index cdb5453f..93b38b5b 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.h
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ class PrefsPack {
     bool showResultsAsTable;
 
     // Extra query indexes. This are stored in the history file, not qt prefs
-    list<string> allExtraDbs;
-    list<string> activeExtraDbs;
+    vector<string> allExtraDbs;
+    vector<string> activeExtraDbs;
     // Advanced search subdir restriction: we don't activate the last value
     // but just remember previously entered values
     QStringList asearchSubdirHist;
diff --git a/src/qtgui/main.cpp b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
index e30c3ac9..86d976f0 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/main.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
@@ -101,10 +101,9 @@ bool maybeOpenDb(string &reason, bool force, bool *maindberror)
     if (force)
         rcldb->close();
     rcldb->rmQueryDb("");
-    for (list<string>::const_iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
-         it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
-        LOGDEB("main: adding ["  << *it << "]\n" );
-        rcldb->addQueryDb(*it);
+    for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.activeExtraDbs) {
+        LOGDEB("main: adding [" << dbdir << "]\n");
+        rcldb->addQueryDb(dbdir);
     }
     Rcl::Db::OpenError error;
     if (!rcldb->isopen() && !rcldb->open(Rcl::Db::DbRO, &error)) {
diff --git a/src/qtgui/ssearch_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/ssearch_w.cpp
index 2d0c97c2..145e7c27 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/ssearch_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/ssearch_w.cpp
@@ -300,9 +300,8 @@ bool SSearch::startSimpleSearch(const string& u8, int maxexp)
 	sdata->setMaxExpand(maxexp);
     }
 
-    for (list<string>::const_iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
-	 it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
-        xml << "  <EX>" << base64_encode(*it) << "</EX>";
+    for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.activeExtraDbs) {
+        xml << "  <EX>" << base64_encode(dbdir) << "</EX>";
     }
 
     xml << "</SD>\n";
diff --git a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
index 1669c4d0..e090b5f7 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
@@ -231,22 +231,18 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::setFromPrefs()
 
     // Initialize the extra indexes listboxes
     idxLV->clear();
-    for (list<string>::iterator it = prefs.allExtraDbs.begin(); 
-	 it != prefs.allExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
+    for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.allExtraDbs) {
 	QListWidgetItem *item = 
-	    new QListWidgetItem(QString::fromLocal8Bit(it->c_str()), 
-				idxLV);
+	    new QListWidgetItem(QString::fromLocal8Bit(dbdir.c_str()), idxLV);
 	if (item) 
 	    item->setCheckState(Qt::Unchecked);
     }
-    for (list<string>::iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin(); 
-	 it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end(); it++) {
-	QList<QListWidgetItem *>items =
-	     idxLV->findItems (QString::fromLocal8Bit(it->c_str()), 
-			       Qt::MatchFixedString|Qt::MatchCaseSensitive);
-	for (QList<QListWidgetItem *>::iterator it = items.begin(); 
-	     it != items.end(); it++) {
-	    (*it)->setCheckState(Qt::Checked);
+    for (const auto& dbdir : prefs.activeExtraDbs) {
+	auto items =
+            idxLV->findItems (QString::fromLocal8Bit(dbdir.c_str()), 
+                              Qt::MatchFixedString|Qt::MatchCaseSensitive);
+	for (auto& entry : items) {
+	    entry->setCheckState(Qt::Checked);
 	}
     }
     idxLV->sortItems();
diff --git a/src/query/docseqhist.cpp b/src/query/docseqhist.cpp
index 4a3d40e6..fda4ded2 100644
--- a/src/query/docseqhist.cpp
+++ b/src/query/docseqhist.cpp
@@ -14,15 +14,15 @@
  *   Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
  *   59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
  */
+#include "docseqhist.h"
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include <cmath>
-#include <list>
-using std::list;
+using std::vector;
 
-#include "docseqhist.h"
 #include "rcldb.h"
 #include "fileudi.h"
 #include "base64.h"
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ bool RclDHistoryEntry::decode(const string &value)
         // Old style entry found, make an udi, using the fs udi maker
         make_udi(fn, ipath, udi);
     }
-    LOGDEB1("RclDHistoryEntry::decode: udi ["  << (udi) << "]\n" );
+    LOGDEB1("RclDHistoryEntry::decode: udi ["  << udi << "]\n");
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -89,54 +89,46 @@ bool RclDHistoryEntry::equal(const DynConfEntry& other)
 
 bool historyEnterDoc(RclDynConf *dncf, const string& udi)
 {
-    LOGDEB1("historyEnterDoc: ["  << (udi) << "] into "  << (dncf->getFilename()) << "\n" );
+    LOGDEB1("historyEnterDoc: [" << udi << "] into " << dncf->getFilename() <<
+            "\n");
     RclDHistoryEntry ne(time(0), udi);
     RclDHistoryEntry scratch;
     return dncf->insertNew(docHistSubKey, ne, scratch, 200);
 }
 
-list<RclDHistoryEntry> getDocHistory(RclDynConf* dncf)
+vector<RclDHistoryEntry> getDocHistory(RclDynConf* dncf)
 {
-    return dncf->getList<RclDHistoryEntry>(docHistSubKey);
+    return dncf->getEntries<std::vector, RclDHistoryEntry>(docHistSubKey);
 }
 
-
 bool DocSequenceHistory::getDoc(int num, Rcl::Doc &doc, string *sh) 
 {
     // Retrieve history list
     if (!m_hist)
 	return false;
-    if (m_hlist.empty())
-	m_hlist = getDocHistory(m_hist);
+    if (m_history.empty())
+	m_history = getDocHistory(m_hist);
 
-    if (num < 0 || num >= (int)m_hlist.size())
+    if (num < 0 || num >= (int)m_history.size())
 	return false;
-    int skip;
-    if (m_prevnum >= 0 && num >= m_prevnum) {
-	skip = num - m_prevnum;
-    } else {
-	skip = num;
-	m_it = m_hlist.begin();
-	m_prevtime = -1;
-    }
-    m_prevnum = num;
-    while (skip--) 
-	m_it++;
+    // We get the history oldest first, but our users expect newest first
+    RclDHistoryEntry& hentry = m_history[m_history.size() - 1 - num];
     if (sh) {
 	if (m_prevtime < 0 || 
-            abs (float(m_prevtime) - float(m_it->unixtime)) > 86400) {
-	    m_prevtime = m_it->unixtime;
-	    time_t t = (time_t)(m_it->unixtime);
+            abs (float(m_prevtime) - float(hentry.unixtime)) > 86400) {
+	    m_prevtime = hentry.unixtime;
+	    time_t t = (time_t)(hentry.unixtime);
 	    *sh = string(ctime(&t));
 	    // Get rid of the final \n in ctime
 	    sh->erase(sh->length()-1);
-	} else
+	} else {
 	    sh->erase();
+        }
     }
 
     // For now history does not store an index id. Use empty doc as ref.
     Rcl::Doc idxdoc;
-    bool ret = m_db->getDoc(m_it->udi, idxdoc, doc);
+    bool ret = m_db->getDoc(hentry.udi, idxdoc, doc);
     if (!ret || doc.pc == -1) {
 	doc.url = "UNKNOWN";
         doc.ipath = "";
@@ -156,8 +148,8 @@ Rcl::Db *DocSequenceHistory::getDb()
 
 int DocSequenceHistory::getResCnt()
 {	
-    if (m_hlist.empty())
-	m_hlist = getDocHistory(m_hist);
-    return int(m_hlist.size());
+    if (m_history.empty())
+	m_history = getDocHistory(m_hist);
+    return int(m_history.size());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/query/docseqhist.h b/src/query/docseqhist.h
index 2f2f5abc..344b4a48 100644
--- a/src/query/docseqhist.h
+++ b/src/query/docseqhist.h
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #define _DOCSEQHIST_H_INCLUDED_
 #include <time.h>
 
+#include <vector>
+
 #include "docseq.h"
 #include "dynconf.h"
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ class RclDHistoryEntry : public DynConfEntry {
 class DocSequenceHistory : public DocSequence {
  public:
     DocSequenceHistory(Rcl::Db *d, RclDynConf *h, const string &t) 
-	: DocSequence(t), m_db(d), m_hist(h), m_prevnum(-1), m_prevtime(-1) {}
+	: DocSequence(t), m_db(d), m_hist(h) {}
     virtual ~DocSequenceHistory() {}
 
     virtual bool getDoc(int num, Rcl::Doc &doc, string *sh = 0);
@@ -57,11 +59,9 @@ protected:
 private:
     Rcl::Db    *m_db;
     RclDynConf *m_hist;
-    int         m_prevnum;
-    time_t      m_prevtime;
+    time_t      m_prevtime{-1};
     std::string m_description; // This is just an nls translated 'doc history'
-    std::list<RclDHistoryEntry> m_hlist;
-    std::list<RclDHistoryEntry>::const_iterator m_it;
+    std::vector<RclDHistoryEntry> m_history;
 };
 
 extern bool historyEnterDoc(RclDynConf *dncf, const string& udi);
diff --git a/src/query/dynconf.cpp b/src/query/dynconf.cpp
index 3b273628..31f21497 100644
--- a/src/query/dynconf.cpp
+++ b/src/query/dynconf.cpp
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ bool RclDynConf::insertNew(const string &sk, DynConfEntry &n, DynConfEntry &s,
     for (it = names.begin(); it != names.end(); it++) {
 	string oval;
 	if (!m_data.get(*it, oval, sk)) {
-	    LOGDEB("No data for "  << ((*it)) << "\n" );
+	    LOGDEB("No data for " << *it << "\n");
 	    continue;
 	}
 	s.decode(oval);
 
 	if (s.equal(n)) {
-	    LOGDEB("Erasing old entry\n" );
+	    LOGDEB("Erasing old entry\n");
 	    m_data.erase(*it, sk);
 	    changed = true;
 	}
@@ -96,9 +96,9 @@ bool RclDynConf::insertNew(const string &sk, DynConfEntry &n, DynConfEntry &s,
 
     string value;
     n.encode(value);
-    LOGDEB1("Encoded value ["  << (value) << "] ("  << (value.size()) << ")\n" );
+    LOGDEB1("Encoded value [" << value << "] (" << value.size() << ")\n");
     if (!m_data.set(string(nname), value, sk)) {
-	LOGERR("RclDHistory::insertNew: set failed\n" );
+	LOGERR("RclDHistory::insertNew: set failed\n");
 	return false;
     }
     return true;
@@ -110,15 +110,12 @@ bool RclDynConf::eraseAll(const string &sk)
         LOGDEB("RclDynConf::eraseAll: not writable\n");
         return false;
     }
-    vector<string> names = m_data.getNames(sk);
-    vector<string>::const_iterator it;
-    for (it = names.begin(); it != names.end(); it++) {
-	m_data.erase(*it, sk);
+    for (const auto& nm : m_data.getNames(sk)) {
+	m_data.erase(nm, sk);
     }
     return true;
 }
 
-
 // Specialization for plain strings ///////////////////////////////////
 
 bool RclDynConf::enterString(const string sk, const string value, int maxlen)
@@ -132,16 +129,6 @@ bool RclDynConf::enterString(const string sk, const string value, int maxlen)
     return insertNew(sk, ne, scratch, maxlen);
 }
 
-list<string> RclDynConf::getStringList(const string sk) 
-{
-    list<RclSListEntry> el = getList<RclSListEntry>(sk);
-    list<string> sl;
-    for (list<RclSListEntry>::const_iterator it = el.begin(); 
-	 it != el.end(); it++) 
-	sl.push_back(it->value);
-    return sl;
-}
-
 #else
 
 #include <string>
diff --git a/src/query/dynconf.h b/src/query/dynconf.h
index 1374b37f..c458ba4b 100644
--- a/src/query/dynconf.h
+++ b/src/query/dynconf.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <list>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "conftree.h"
 #include "base64.h"
@@ -110,34 +111,55 @@ class RclDynConf {
      */
     bool insertNew(const std::string& sk, DynConfEntry &n, DynConfEntry &s, 
                    int maxlen = -1);
-    template<typename Tp> std::list<Tp> getList(const std::string& sk);
 
-    // Specialized methods for simple string lists, designated by the
-    // subkey value
+    // General method to extract entries. Maybe there would be a way to
+    // express the fact that Type should derive from DynConfEntry, not
+    // too sure how. We are just certain (further down) that it does
+    // have a decode() method. It's up to the user that they call
+    // insertNew() and getEntries() for the same type...
+    template <template <class, class> class Container, class Type>
+    Container<Type, std::allocator<Type>> getEntries(const std::string& sk);
+
+    // Specialized methods for simple strings
     bool enterString(const std::string sk, const std::string value,
                      int maxlen = -1);
-    std::list<std::string> getStringList(const std::string sk);
-
+    template <template <class, class> class Container>
+    Container<std::string, std::allocator<std::string>>
+        getStringEntries(const std::string& sk);
+    
  private:
     unsigned int m_mlen;
     ConfSimple   m_data;
 };
 
-template<typename Tp> std::list<Tp> RclDynConf::getList(const std::string &sk)
+template <template <class, class> class Container, class Type>
+Container<Type, std::allocator<Type>>
+    RclDynConf::getEntries(const std::string& sk)
 {
-    std::list<Tp> mlist;
-    Tp entry;
+    Container<Type, std::allocator<Type>> out;
+    Type entry;
     std::vector<std::string> names = m_data.getNames(sk);
-    for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it = names.begin(); 
-	 it != names.end(); it++) {
+    for (const auto& name : names) {
 	std::string value;
-	if (m_data.get(*it, value, sk)) {
+	if (m_data.get(name, value, sk)) {
 	    if (!entry.decode(value))
 		continue;
-	    mlist.push_front(entry);
+	    out.push_back(entry);
 	}
     }
-    return mlist;
+    return std::move(out);
+}
+
+template <template <class, class> class Container>
+Container<std::string, std::allocator<std::string>>
+    RclDynConf::getStringEntries(const std::string& sk) 
+{
+    std::vector<RclSListEntry> el = getEntries<std::vector, RclSListEntry>(sk);
+    Container<std::string, std::allocator<std::string>> sl;
+    for (const auto& entry : el) {
+	sl.push_back(entry.value);
+    }
+    return std::move(sl);
 }
 
 // Defined subkeys. Values in dynconf.cpp