diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 736f467fc..29dd6942e 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -2343,3 +2343,6 @@
 - Enforce matching of unrealircd version and PACKAGE_VERSION macros. Now the
   UNREAL_VERSION_GENERATION, UNREAL_VERSION_MAJOR, UNREAL_VERSION_MINOR, and
   UNREAL_VERSION_SUFFIX macros are autogenerated from PACKAGE_VERSION (#4014).
+- Make default service stamp 0 (zero) again, instead of '*' which was
+  introduced by ESVID changes a few days ago. This makes anope happy,
+  and also means nothing will change in a non-ESVID scenario.
diff --git a/src/extbans.c b/src/extbans.c
index 711b4c96d..10f43baef 100644
--- a/src/extbans.c
+++ b/src/extbans.c
@@ -518,6 +518,8 @@ char *mask;
 static char retbuf[NICKLEN + 4];
 
 	strlcpy(retbuf, para, sizeof(retbuf)); /* truncate */
+	if (!strcmp(retbuf+3, "0"))
+		return NULL; /* ~a:0 would mean ban all non-regged, but we already have +R for that. */
 	return retbuf;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/list.c b/src/list.c
index f75e191d9..01f76b921 100644
--- a/src/list.c
+++ b/src/list.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ anUser *make_user(aClient *cptr)
 		user->invited = NULL;
 		user->silence = NULL;
 		user->server = NULL;
-		strlcpy(user->svid, "*", sizeof(user->svid));
+		strlcpy(user->svid, "0", sizeof(user->svid));
 		user->lopt = NULL;
 		user->whowas = NULL;
 		user->snomask = 0;
diff --git a/src/modules/m_user.c b/src/modules/m_user.c
index da830fd1d..059cb5ca0 100644
--- a/src/modules/m_user.c
+++ b/src/modules/m_user.c
@@ -129,20 +129,20 @@ DLLFUNC CMD_FUNC(m_user)
 
 	if (parc == 6 && IsServer(cptr))
 	{
-		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "*" : parv[4];
+		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "0" : parv[4];
 		realname = (BadPtr(parv[5])) ? "<bad-realname>" : parv[5];
 		umodex = NULL;
 	}
 	else if (parc == 8 && IsServer(cptr))
 	{
-		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "*" : parv[4];
+		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "0" : parv[4];
 		realname = (BadPtr(parv[7])) ? "<bad-realname>" : parv[7];
 		umodex = parv[5];
 		virthost = parv[6];
 	}
 	else if (parc == 9 && IsServer(cptr))
 	{
-		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "*" : parv[4];
+		sstamp = (BadPtr(parv[4])) ? "0" : parv[4];
 		realname = (BadPtr(parv[8])) ? "<bad-realname>" : parv[8];
 		umodex = parv[5];
 		virthost = parv[6];
diff --git a/src/modules/m_whois.c b/src/modules/m_whois.c
index 16ea5eaec..0e3f435fb 100644
--- a/src/modules/m_whois.c
+++ b/src/modules/m_whois.c
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ DLLFUNC int  m_whois(aClient *cptr, aClient *sptr, int parc, char *parv[])
 			 * display services account name if it's actually a services account name and
 			 * not a legacy timestamp.  --nenolod
 			 */
-			if (!isdigit(*user->svid) && *user->svid != '*')
+			if (!isdigit(*user->svid) && *user->svid != '0')
 				sendto_one(sptr, rpl_str(RPL_WHOISLOGGEDIN), me.name, parv[0], name, user->svid);
 
 			/*