diff --git a/netquery/database.go b/netquery/database.go
index 966f4090..ed1dcd8b 100644
--- a/netquery/database.go
+++ b/netquery/database.go
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ type (
 		ExitNode        *string           `sqlite:"exit_node"`
 
 		// TODO(ppacher): support "NOT" in search query to get rid of the following helper fields
-		SPNUsed bool `sqlite:"spn_used"` // could use "exit_node IS NOT NULL" or "exit IS NULL"
-		Active  bool `sqlite:"active"`   // could use "ended IS NOT NULL" or "ended IS NULL"
+		Active bool `sqlite:"active"` // could use "ended IS NOT NULL" or "ended IS NULL"
 
 		// TODO(ppacher): we need to profile here for "suggestion" support. It would be better to keep a table of profiles in sqlite and use joins here
 		ProfileName string `sqlite:"profile_name"`
diff --git a/netquery/manager.go b/netquery/manager.go
index cc6e5056..8bd1e5cd 100644
--- a/netquery/manager.go
+++ b/netquery/manager.go
@@ -204,7 +204,6 @@ func convertConnection(conn *network.Connection) (*Conn, error) {
 		extraData["tunnel"] = conn.TunnelContext
 		exitNode := conn.TunnelContext.GetExitNodeID()
 		c.ExitNode = &exitNode
-		c.SPNUsed = true
 	}
 
 	if conn.DNSContext != nil {
diff --git a/network/connection.go b/network/connection.go
index 57ad93d7..bf652144 100644
--- a/network/connection.go
+++ b/network/connection.go
@@ -134,7 +134,8 @@ type Connection struct { //nolint:maligned // TODO: fix alignment
 	// be changed during the lifetime of a connection and must be guarded
 	// using the connection lock.
 	Inspecting bool
-	// Tunneled is currently unused and MUST be ignored.
+	// Tunneled is set to true when the connection has been routed through the
+	// SPN.
 	Tunneled bool
 	// Encrypted is currently unused and MUST be ignored.
 	Encrypted bool