diff --git a/activity.go b/activity.go
index c4ef906..6327222 100644
--- a/activity.go
+++ b/activity.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"crypto/rsa"
 	"database/sql"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -58,11 +57,11 @@ func friendorfoe(ct string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func PostJunk(keyname string, key *rsa.PrivateKey, url string, j junk.Junk) error {
+func PostJunk(keyname string, key httpsig.PrivateKey, url string, j junk.Junk) error {
 	return PostMsg(keyname, key, url, j.ToBytes())
 }
 
-func PostMsg(keyname string, key *rsa.PrivateKey, url string, msg []byte) error {
+func PostMsg(keyname string, key httpsig.PrivateKey, url string, msg []byte) error {
 	client := http.DefaultClient
 	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", url, bytes.NewReader(msg))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/fun.go b/fun.go
index df275e2..1e18c08 100644
--- a/fun.go
+++ b/fun.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
-	"crypto/rsa"
 	"crypto/sha512"
 	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
@@ -594,10 +593,11 @@ func ziggy(userid int64) *KeyInfo {
 	return ki
 }
 
-var zaggies = cache.New(cache.Options{Filler: func(keyname string) (*rsa.PublicKey, bool) {
+var zaggies = cache.New(cache.Options{Filler: func(keyname string) (httpsig.PublicKey, bool) {
 	var data string
 	row := stmtGetXonker.QueryRow(keyname, "pubkey")
 	err := row.Scan(&data)
+	var key httpsig.PublicKey
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("hitting the webs for missing pubkey: %s", keyname)
 		j, err := GetJunk(keyname)
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ var zaggies = cache.New(cache.Options{Filler: func(keyname string) (*rsa.PublicK
 			log.Printf("error getting %s pubkey: %s", keyname, err)
 			when := time.Now().UTC().Format(dbtimeformat)
 			stmtSaveXonker.Exec(keyname, "failed", "pubkey", when)
-			return nil, true
+			return key, true
 		}
 		allinjest(originate(keyname), j)
 		row = stmtGetXonker.QueryRow(keyname, "pubkey")
@@ -614,19 +614,19 @@ var zaggies = cache.New(cache.Options{Filler: func(keyname string) (*rsa.PublicK
 			log.Printf("key not found after ingesting")
 			when := time.Now().UTC().Format(dbtimeformat)
 			stmtSaveXonker.Exec(keyname, "failed", "pubkey", when)
-			return nil, true
+			return key, true
 		}
 	}
-	_, key, err := httpsig.DecodeKey(data)
+	_, key, err = httpsig.DecodeKey(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("error decoding %s pubkey: %s", keyname, err)
-		return nil, true
+		return key, true
 	}
 	return key, true
 }, Limit: 512})
 
-func zaggy(keyname string) *rsa.PublicKey {
-	var key *rsa.PublicKey
+func zaggy(keyname string) httpsig.PublicKey {
+	var key httpsig.PublicKey
 	zaggies.Get(keyname, &key)
 	return key
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 2d45b6d..79d204a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190621222207-cc06ce4a13d4
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190620200207-3b0461eec859
 	humungus.tedunangst.com/r/go-sqlite3 v1.1.3
-	humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.31
+	humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.34
 )
 
 go 1.11
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 83c3182..afcaa73 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -25,3 +25,5 @@ humungus.tedunangst.com/r/go-sqlite3 v1.1.3 h1:G2N4wzDS0NbuvrZtQJhh4F+3X+s7BF8b9
 humungus.tedunangst.com/r/go-sqlite3 v1.1.3/go.mod h1:FtEEmQM7U2Ey1TuEEOyY1BmphTZnmiEjPsNLEAkpf/M=
 humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.31 h1:xDgtESuVljephZA4GfcycwiOwJeeJYUIQbStFHceN1Y=
 humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.31/go.mod h1:S9sXpVSbgAIa24yYhnMN0C94LKHG+2rioS+NsiDimps=
+humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.34 h1:C9S5L310Z1H4H681f/e4zwqGJLR53XoCTwDoHAq7UVo=
+humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs v0.6.34/go.mod h1:S9sXpVSbgAIa24yYhnMN0C94LKHG+2rioS+NsiDimps=
diff --git a/honk.go b/honk.go
index 96f5bb5..86befa0 100644
--- a/honk.go
+++ b/honk.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"crypto/rsa"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"html/template"
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
+
+	"humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs/httpsig"
 )
 
 var softwareVersion = "develop"
@@ -42,19 +43,19 @@ type WhatAbout struct {
 	Key     string
 	URL     string
 	Options UserOptions
-	SecKey  *rsa.PrivateKey
+	SecKey  httpsig.PrivateKey
 }
 
 type UserOptions struct {
-	SkinnyCSS bool   `json:",omitempty"`
+	SkinnyCSS  bool   `json:",omitempty"`
 	OmitImages bool   `json:",omitempty"`
-	Avatar    string `json:",omitempty"`
-	MapLink   string `json:",omitempty"`
+	Avatar     string `json:",omitempty"`
+	MapLink    string `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 type KeyInfo struct {
 	keyname string
-	seckey  *rsa.PrivateKey
+	seckey  httpsig.PrivateKey
 }
 
 const serverUID int64 = -2