diff --git a/src/fetcher.rs b/src/fetcher.rs
index 74f0bb3..89ee01d 100644
--- a/src/fetcher.rs
+++ b/src/fetcher.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use openssl::pkey::{PKey, Private};
 use reqwest::header::USER_AGENT;
 use sea_orm::{DatabaseConnection, EntityTrait, IntoActiveModel};
 
@@ -18,13 +19,13 @@ pub enum FetchError {
 
 pub struct Fetcher {
 	db: DatabaseConnection,
-	key: String, // TODO store pre-parsed
+	_key: PKey<Private>, // TODO store pre-parsed
 	domain: String, // TODO merge directly with Context so we don't need to copy this
 }
 
 impl Fetcher {
 	pub fn new(db: DatabaseConnection, domain: String, key: String) -> Self {
-		Fetcher { db, domain, key }
+		Fetcher { db, domain, _key: PKey::private_key_from_pem(key.as_bytes()).unwrap() }
 	}
 
 	pub async fn user(&self, id: &str) -> Result<model::user::Model, FetchError> {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 6604111..1f03e1c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -112,17 +112,17 @@ async fn fetch(db: &sea_orm::DatabaseConnection, uri: &str, save: bool) -> reqwe
 		match obj.base_type() {
 			Some(BaseType::Object(ObjectType::Actor(_))) => {
 				model::user::Entity::insert(
-					model::user::Model::new(obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
+					model::user::Model::new(&obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
 				).exec(db).await.unwrap();
 			},
 			Some(BaseType::Object(ObjectType::Activity(_))) => {
 				model::activity::Entity::insert(
-					model::activity::Model::new(obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
+					model::activity::Model::new(&obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
 				).exec(db).await.unwrap();
 			},
 			Some(BaseType::Object(ObjectType::Note)) => {
 				model::object::Entity::insert(
-					model::object::Model::new(obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
+					model::object::Model::new(&obj).unwrap().into_active_model()
 				).exec(db).await.unwrap();
 			},
 			Some(BaseType::Object(t)) => tracing::warn!("not implemented: {:?}", t),
diff --git a/src/model/mod.rs b/src/model/mod.rs
index 1fd88ec..7236d17 100644
--- a/src/model/mod.rs
+++ b/src/model/mod.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ pub mod faker;
 #[error("missing required field: '{0}'")]
 pub struct FieldError(pub &'static str);
 
+impl From<FieldError> for axum::http::StatusCode {
+	fn from(value: FieldError) -> Self {
+		tracing::error!("bad request: {value}");
+		axum::http::StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST
+	}
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize, sea_orm::FromJsonQueryResult)]
 pub struct Audience(pub Vec<String>);