diff --git a/hc/api/migrations/0015_auto_20151022_1008.py b/hc/api/migrations/0015_auto_20151022_1008.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2fc857e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hc/api/migrations/0015_auto_20151022_1008.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import models, migrations
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('api', '0014_auto_20151019_2039'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterIndexTogether(
+            name='check',
+            index_together=set([('status', 'user', 'alert_after')]),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/hc/api/models.py b/hc/api/models.py
index 08b37702..1f6e8281 100644
--- a/hc/api/models.py
+++ b/hc/api/models.py
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@ CHANNEL_KINDS = (("email", "Email"), ("webhook", "Webhook"),
 
 
 class Check(models.Model):
+
+    class Meta:
+        # sendalerts command will query using these
+        index_together = ["status", "user", "alert_after"]
+
     name = models.CharField(max_length=100, blank=True)
     code = models.UUIDField(default=uuid.uuid4, editable=False, db_index=True)
     user = models.ForeignKey(User, blank=True, null=True)