diff --git a/storage/src/vespa/storage/config/stor-distributormanager.def b/storage/src/vespa/storage/config/stor-distributormanager.def
index 990a0530ecd6..8021075faa39 100644
--- a/storage/src/vespa/storage/config/stor-distributormanager.def
+++ b/storage/src/vespa/storage/config/stor-distributormanager.def
@@ -287,8 +287,9 @@ num_distributor_stripes int default=0 restart
 ## blocking of later buckets in the priority database.
 implicitly_clear_bucket_priority_on_schedule bool default=false
 
-## Enables sending merges that are not forwarded between content nodes in strictly
-## increasing node key order. Even if this config is set to true, unordered merges
-## will only be sent if _all_ nodes involved in a given merge have previously
-## reported (as part of bucket info fetching) that they support the unordered merge feature.
+## Enables sending merges that are forwarded between content nodes in ideal state node key
+## order, instead of strictly increasing node key order (which is the default).
+## Even if this config is set to true, unordered merges will only be sent if _all_ nodes
+## involved in a given merge have previously reported (as part of bucket info fetching)
+## that they support the unordered merge feature.
 use_unordered_merge_chaining bool default=false
diff --git a/storage/src/vespa/storage/storageserver/mergethrottler.cpp b/storage/src/vespa/storage/storageserver/mergethrottler.cpp
index 07ddfd82d0b1..bc2f54e5a507 100644
--- a/storage/src/vespa/storage/storageserver/mergethrottler.cpp
+++ b/storage/src/vespa/storage/storageserver/mergethrottler.cpp
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ MergeThrottler::enqueue_merge_for_later_processing(
         return;
     }
     // TODO remove once unordered merges are default, since forwarded unordered merges are never enqueued
-    const bool is_forwarded_merge = _disable_queue_limits_for_chained_merges && !mergeCmd.getChain().empty();
+    const bool is_forwarded_merge = _disable_queue_limits_for_chained_merges && !mergeCmd.from_distributor();
     _queue.emplace(msg, _queueSequence++, is_forwarded_merge);
     _metrics->queueSize.set(static_cast<int64_t>(_queue.size()));
 }
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ bool MergeThrottler::backpressure_mode_active() const {
 bool MergeThrottler::allow_merge_despite_full_window(const api::MergeBucketCommand& cmd) noexcept {
     // We cannot let forwarded unordered merges fall into the queue, as that might lead to a deadlock.
     // See comment in may_allow_into_queue() for rationale.
-    return (cmd.use_unordered_forwarding() && !cmd.getChain().empty());
+    return (cmd.use_unordered_forwarding() && !cmd.from_distributor());
 }
 
 bool MergeThrottler::may_allow_into_queue(const api::MergeBucketCommand& cmd) const noexcept {
@@ -717,10 +717,11 @@ bool MergeThrottler::may_allow_into_queue(const api::MergeBucketCommand& cmd) co
     //
     // We do, however, allow enqueueing unordered merges that come straight from the distributor, as
     // those cannot cause a deadlock at that point in time.
-    return (((_queue.size() < _maxQueueSize)
-             || (_disable_queue_limits_for_chained_merges && !cmd.getChain().empty()))
-            && (!cmd.use_unordered_forwarding()
-                || (cmd.use_unordered_forwarding() && cmd.getChain().empty())));
+    if (cmd.use_unordered_forwarding()) {
+        return cmd.from_distributor();
+    }
+    return ((_queue.size() < _maxQueueSize)
+            || (_disable_queue_limits_for_chained_merges && !cmd.from_distributor()));
 }
 
 // Must be run from worker thread
@@ -866,7 +867,7 @@ MergeThrottler::processNewMergeCommand(
     // index in the nodeset, immediately execute. Required for
     // backwards compatibility with older distributor versions.
     // TODO remove this
-    if (mergeCmd.getChain().empty()
+    if (mergeCmd.from_distributor()
         && !mergeCmd.use_unordered_forwarding()
         && (nodeSeq.getSortedNodes()[0].index != _component.getIndex()))
     {
diff --git a/storageapi/src/vespa/storageapi/message/bucket.h b/storageapi/src/vespa/storageapi/message/bucket.h
index d62888e0527e..5fd79ffffea8 100644
--- a/storageapi/src/vespa/storageapi/message/bucket.h
+++ b/storageapi/src/vespa/storageapi/message/bucket.h
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ class MergeBucketCommand : public MaintenanceCommand {
         _use_unordered_forwarding = unordered_forwarding;
     }
     [[nodiscard]] bool use_unordered_forwarding() const noexcept { return _use_unordered_forwarding; }
+    [[nodiscard]] bool from_distributor() const noexcept { return _chain.empty(); }
     void print(std::ostream& out, bool verbose, const std::string& indent) const override;
     DECLARE_STORAGECOMMAND(MergeBucketCommand, onMergeBucket)
 };