diff --git a/R/location.R b/R/location.R
index 7874ae20..e086f1be 100644
--- a/R/location.R
+++ b/R/location.R
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ orderly_location_pull_packet <- function(expr,
                                     allow_remote = TRUE,
                                     pull_metadata = pull_metadata)
 
-  if (is.character(expr) && is.null(name) && all(grepl(re_id, expr))) {
+  if (expr_is_literal_id(expr, name)) {
     ids <- expr
   } else {
     ## TODO:  we may drop options here
diff --git a/R/outpack_tools.R b/R/outpack_tools.R
index 7a2ae3f1..a0ead672 100644
--- a/R/outpack_tools.R
+++ b/R/outpack_tools.R
@@ -182,27 +182,32 @@
 ##'
 ##' @title Extract metadata from orderly2 packets
 ##'
-##' @param ... Arguments passed through to
-##'   [orderly2::orderly_search]. In the special case where the first
-##'   argument is a character vector of ids *and* there are no named
-##'   dot arguments, then we interpret this argument as a vector of
-##'   ids directly.
-##'
 ##' @param extract A character vector of columns to extract, possibly
 ##'   named. See Details for the format.
 ##'
 ##' @inheritParams orderly_metadata
+##' @inheritParams orderly_search
 ##'
 ##' @return A `data.frame`, the columns of which vary based on the
 ##'   names of `extract`; see Details for more information.
 ##'
 ##' @export
-orderly_metadata_extract <- function(..., extract = NULL, root = NULL) {
+orderly_metadata_extract <- function(expr = NULL, name = NULL, location = NULL,
+                                     allow_remote = NULL, pull_metadata = FALSE,
+                                     extract = NULL, root = NULL) {
   root <- root_open(root, require_orderly = FALSE)
-  if (dots_is_literal_id(...)) {
-    ids <- ..1
+
+  options <- orderly_search_options(location = location,
+                                    allow_remote = allow_remote,
+                                    pull_metadata = pull_metadata)
+  if (expr_is_literal_id(expr, name)) {
+    ids <- expr
   } else {
-    ids <- orderly_search(..., root = root)
+    ## TODO:  we may drop options here
+    ids <- orderly_search(expr, name = name,
+                          options = options,
+                          # location = location, pull_metadata = pull_metadata,
+                          root = root)
   }
   extract <- parse_extract(extract, environment())
 
diff --git a/R/query.R b/R/query.R
index 1be14753..811ab934 100644
--- a/R/query.R
+++ b/R/query.R
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ dots_is_literal_id <- function(...) {
 }
 
 
+expr_is_literal_id <- function(expr, ...) {
+  all(vlapply(list(...), is.null)) &&
+    is.character(expr) &&
+    all(grepl(re_id, expr))
+}
+
+
 as_orderly_query <- function(expr, name = NULL, scope = NULL, subquery = NULL,
                              arg = "expr", call = parent.frame()) {
   if (missing(expr)) {
diff --git a/man/orderly_metadata_extract.Rd b/man/orderly_metadata_extract.Rd
index 31f9f8ca..da2e027a 100644
--- a/man/orderly_metadata_extract.Rd
+++ b/man/orderly_metadata_extract.Rd
@@ -4,14 +4,22 @@
 \alias{orderly_metadata_extract}
 \title{Extract metadata from orderly2 packets}
 \usage{
-orderly_metadata_extract(..., extract = NULL, root = NULL)
+orderly_metadata_extract(
+  expr = NULL,
+  name = NULL,
+  location = NULL,
+  allow_remote = NULL,
+  pull_metadata = FALSE,
+  extract = NULL,
+  root = NULL
+)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{...}{Arguments passed through to
-\link{orderly_search}. In the special case where the first
-argument is a character vector of ids \emph{and} there are no named
-dot arguments, then we interpret this argument as a vector of
-ids directly.}
+\item{expr}{The query expression. A \code{NULL} expression matches everything.}
+
+\item{name}{Optionally, the name of the packet to scope the query on. This
+will be intersected with \code{scope} arg and is a shorthand way of running
+\code{scope = list(name = "name")}}
 
 \item{extract}{A character vector of columns to extract, possibly
 named. See Details for the format.}