diff --git a/Sources/Actions/Admin/Maintenance.php b/Sources/Actions/Admin/Maintenance.php
index 089aba225f..b632577ff2 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/Admin/Maintenance.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/Admin/Maintenance.php
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
 namespace SMF\Actions\Admin;
 
 use SMF\ActionInterface;
+use SMF\Actions\MessageIndex;
 use SMF\Actions\TopicRemove;
 use SMF\ActionTrait;
 use SMF\Cache\CacheApi;
-use SMF\Category;
 use SMF\Config;
 use SMF\Db\DatabaseApi as Db;
 use SMF\Draft;
@@ -233,37 +233,10 @@ public function members(): void
 	public function topics(): void
 	{
 		// Let's load up the boards in case they are useful.
-		Utils::$context['categories'] = [];
-
-		$result = Db::$db->query(
-			'SELECT b.id_board, b.name, b.child_level, c.name AS cat_name, c.id_cat
-			FROM {db_prefix}boards AS b
-				LEFT JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c ON (c.id_cat = b.id_cat)
-			WHERE {query_see_board}
-				AND redirect = {string:blank_redirect}',
-			[
-				'blank_redirect' => '',
-			],
-			identifier: 'order_by_board_order',
-		);
-
-		while ($row = Db::$db->fetch_assoc($result)) {
-			if (!isset(Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']])) {
-				Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']] = [
-					'name' => $row['cat_name'],
-					'boards' => [],
-				];
-			}
-
-			Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']] = [
-				'id' => $row['id_board'],
-				'name' => $row['name'],
-				'child_level' => $row['child_level'],
-			];
-		}
-		Db::$db->free_result($result);
-
-		Category::sort(Utils::$context['categories']);
+		Utils::$context['categories'] = MessageIndex::getBoardList([
+			'use_permissions' => true,
+			'not_redirection' => true,
+		]);
 
 		if (isset($_GET['done']) && $_GET['done'] == 'purgeold') {
 			Utils::$context['maintenance_finished'] = Lang::getTxt('maintain_old', file: 'ManageMaintenance');
@@ -274,6 +247,8 @@ public function topics(): void
 
 	/**
 	 * Oh noes! I'd document this but that would give it away.
+	 *
+	 * @internal
 	 */
 	public function destroy(): void
 	{
diff --git a/Sources/Actions/MessageIndex.php b/Sources/Actions/MessageIndex.php
index a9bc6acb60..42b2cd0adc 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/MessageIndex.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/MessageIndex.php
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 use SMF\ActionRouter;
 use SMF\ActionTrait;
 use SMF\Board;
-use SMF\Category;
 use SMF\Config;
 use SMF\Db\DatabaseApi as Db;
 use SMF\ErrorHandler;
@@ -188,16 +187,16 @@ public static function getBoardList(array $boardListOptions = []): array
 		}
 
 		$where = [];
-		$where_parameters = [];
+		$params = [];
 
 		if (isset($boardListOptions['excluded_boards'])) {
 			$where[] = 'b.id_board NOT IN ({array_int:excluded_boards})';
-			$where_parameters['excluded_boards'] = $boardListOptions['excluded_boards'];
+			$params['excluded_boards'] = $boardListOptions['excluded_boards'];
 		}
 
 		if (isset($boardListOptions['included_boards'])) {
 			$where[] = 'b.id_board IN ({array_int:included_boards})';
-			$where_parameters['included_boards'] = $boardListOptions['included_boards'];
+			$params['included_boards'] = $boardListOptions['included_boards'];
 		}
 
 		if (!empty($boardListOptions['ignore_boards'])) {
@@ -208,43 +207,52 @@ public static function getBoardList(array $boardListOptions = []): array
 
 		if (!empty($boardListOptions['not_redirection'])) {
 			$where[] = 'b.redirect = {string:blank_redirect}';
-			$where_parameters['blank_redirect'] = '';
+			$params['blank_redirect'] = '';
 		}
 
-		$request = Db::$db->query(
-			'SELECT c.name AS cat_name, c.id_cat, b.id_board, b.name AS board_name, b.child_level, b.redirect
-			FROM {db_prefix}boards AS b
-				LEFT JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c ON (c.id_cat = b.id_cat)' . (empty($where) ? '' : '
-			WHERE ' . implode('
-				AND ', $where)),
-			$where_parameters,
-			identifier: 'order_by_board_order',
-		);
+		$selects = [
+			'c.name AS cat_name',
+			'c.id_cat',
+			'b.id_board',
+			'b.name AS board_name',
+			'b.child_level',
+			'b.redirect',
+		];
+
+		$joins = [
+			'LEFT JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c ON (c.id_cat = b.id_cat)',
+		];
+
+		$order = [
+			'b.board_order',
+		];
 
 		$return_value = [];
+		$selected = null;
 
-		if (Db::$db->num_rows($request) !== 0) {
-			while ($row = Db::$db->fetch_assoc($request)) {
-				if (!isset($return_value[$row['id_cat']])) {
-					$return_value[$row['id_cat']] = [
-						'id' => $row['id_cat'],
-						'name' => $row['cat_name'],
-						'boards' => [],
-					];
-				}
+		if (isset($boardListOptions['selected_boards']) && \is_array($boardListOptions['selected_boards'])) {
+			$selected = array_flip($boardListOptions['selected_boards']);
+		} elseif (isset($boardListOptions['selected_board'])) {
+			$selected = [$boardListOptions['selected_board'] => true];
+		}
 
-				$return_value[$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']] = [
-					'id' => $row['id_board'],
-					'name' => $row['board_name'],
-					'child_level' => $row['child_level'],
-					'redirect' => $row['redirect'],
-					'selected' => isset($boardListOptions['selected_board']) && $boardListOptions['selected_board'] == $row['id_board'],
+		foreach (Board::queryData($selects, $params, $joins, $where, $order) as $row) {
+			if (!isset($return_value[$row['id_cat']])) {
+				$return_value[$row['id_cat']] = [
+					'id' => $row['id_cat'],
+					'name' => $row['cat_name'],
+					'boards' => [],
 				];
 			}
-		}
-		Db::$db->free_result($request);
 
-		Category::sort($return_value);
+			$return_value[$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']] = [
+				'id' => $row['id_board'],
+				'name' => $row['board_name'],
+				'child_level' => $row['child_level'],
+				'redirect' => $row['redirect'],
+				'selected' => $selected !== null && isset($selected[$row['id_board']]),
+			];
+		}
 
 		return $return_value;
 	}
diff --git a/Sources/Actions/Profile/IgnoreBoards.php b/Sources/Actions/Profile/IgnoreBoards.php
index 69c0908d37..cedbea0f5a 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/Profile/IgnoreBoards.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/Profile/IgnoreBoards.php
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
 namespace SMF\Actions\Profile;
 
 use SMF\ActionInterface;
+use SMF\Actions\MessageIndex;
 use SMF\ActionTrait;
 use SMF\Category;
 use SMF\Config;
-use SMF\Db\DatabaseApi as Db;
 use SMF\ErrorHandler;
 use SMF\Profile;
 use SMF\Utils;
@@ -47,52 +47,20 @@ public function execute(): void
 
 		// Find all the boards this user is allowed to see.
 		Utils::$context['num_boards'] = 0;
-		Utils::$context['categories'] = [];
-
-		$request = Db::$db->query(
-			'SELECT b.id_cat, c.name AS cat_name, b.id_board, b.name, b.child_level,
-				' . (!empty(Profile::$member->data['ignore_boards']) ? 'b.id_board IN ({array_int:ignore_boards})' : '0') . ' AS is_ignored
-			FROM {db_prefix}boards AS b
-				LEFT JOIN {db_prefix}categories AS c ON (c.id_cat = b.id_cat)
-			WHERE {query_see_board}
-				AND redirect = {string:empty_string}',
-			[
-				'ignore_boards' => !empty(Profile::$member->data['ignore_boards']) ? explode(',', Profile::$member->data['ignore_boards']) : [],
-				'empty_string' => '',
-			],
-			identifier: 'order_by_board_order',
-		);
-
-		while ($row = Db::$db->fetch_assoc($request)) {
-			Utils::$context['num_boards']++;
-
-			// This category hasn't been set up yet..
-			if (!isset(Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']])) {
-				Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']] = [
-					'id' => $row['id_cat'],
-					'name' => $row['cat_name'],
-					'boards' => [],
-				];
-			}
-
-			// Set this board up, and let the template know when it's a child.  (indent them..)
-			Utils::$context['categories'][$row['id_cat']]['boards'][$row['id_board']] = [
-				'id' => $row['id_board'],
-				'name' => $row['name'],
-				'child_level' => $row['child_level'],
-				'selected' => $row['is_ignored'],
-			];
-		}
-		Db::$db->free_result($request);
-
-		Category::sort(Utils::$context['categories']);
+		Utils::$context['categories'] = MessageIndex::getBoardList([
+			'use_permissions' => true,
+			'not_redirection' => true,
+			'selected_boards' => !empty(Profile::$member->data['ignore_boards'])
+				? explode(',', Profile::$member->data['ignore_boards'])
+				: [],
+		]);
 
 		// Now, let's sort the list of categories into the boards for templates that like that.
 		$temp_boards = [];
 
-		foreach (Utils::$context['categories'] as $category) {
+		foreach (Utils::$context['categories'] as $cat_id => $category) {
 			// Include a list of boards per category for easy toggling.
-			Utils::$context['categories'][$category['id']]['child_ids'] = array_keys($category['boards']);
+			Utils::$context['categories'][$cat_id]['child_ids'] = array_keys($category['boards']);
 
 			$temp_boards[] = [
 				'name' => $category['name'],
@@ -100,6 +68,8 @@ public function execute(): void
 			];
 
 			$temp_boards = array_merge($temp_boards, array_values($category['boards']));
+
+			Utils::$context['num_boards'] += \count($category['boards']);
 		}
 
 		$max_boards = max(2, ceil(\count($temp_boards) / 2));