diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 5afe304..129148d 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ int activitypub_request(snac *user, const char *url, xs_dict **data)
 }
 
 
-int actor_request(const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
+int actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
 /* request an actor */
 {
     int status, status2;
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ int actor_request(const char *actor, xs_dict **data)
 
     if (status != 200) {
         /* actor data non-existent or stale: get from the net */
-        status2 = activitypub_request(NULL, actor, &payload);
+        status2 = activitypub_request(user, actor, &payload);
 
         if (valid_status(status2)) {
             /* renew data */
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ int timeline_request(snac *snac, char **id, xs_str **wrk, int level)
 
                     /* request (and drop) the actor for this entry */
                     if (!xs_is_null(actor))
-                        actor_request(actor, NULL);
+                        actor_request(snac, actor, NULL);
 
                     /* does it have an ancestor? */
                     char *in_reply_to = xs_dict_get(object, "inReplyTo");
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ xs_str *get_actor_inbox(const char *actor)
     xs *data = NULL;
     char *v = NULL;
 
-    if (valid_status(actor_request(actor, &data))) {
+    if (valid_status(actor_request(NULL, actor, &data))) {
         /* try first endpoints/sharedInbox */
         if ((v = xs_dict_get(data, "endpoints")))
             v = xs_dict_get(v, "sharedInbox");
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ xs_dict *msg_follow(snac *snac, const char *q)
     }
 
     /* request the actor */
-    status = actor_request(actor, &actor_o);
+    status = actor_request(snac, actor, &actor_o);
 
     if (valid_status(status)) {
         /* check if the actor is an alias */
@@ -1501,7 +1501,7 @@ int process_input_message(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_dict *req)
         utype = "(null)";
 
     /* bring the actor */
-    a_status = actor_request(actor, &actor_o);
+    a_status = actor_request(snac, actor, &actor_o);
 
     /* do not retry permanent failures */
     if (a_status == 404 || a_status == 410 || a_status < 0) {
@@ -1520,7 +1520,7 @@ int process_input_message(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_dict *req)
     /* check the signature */
     xs *sig_err = NULL;
 
-    if (!check_signature(req, &sig_err)) {
+    if (!check_signature(snac, req, &sig_err)) {
         srv_log(xs_fmt("bad signature %s (%s)", actor, sig_err));
 
         srv_archive_error("check_signature", sig_err, req, msg);
@@ -1683,7 +1683,7 @@ int process_input_message(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_dict *req)
                     /* bring the actor */
                     xs *who_o = NULL;
 
-                    if (valid_status(actor_request(who, &who_o))) {
+                    if (valid_status(actor_request(snac, who, &who_o))) {
                         timeline_admire(snac, object, actor, 0);
                         snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("new 'Announce' %s %s", actor, object));
                         do_notify = 1;
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index 33ed53d..d7f1629 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ xs_dict *http_signed_request(snac *snac, const char *method, const char *url,
 }
 
 
-int check_signature(xs_dict *req, xs_str **err)
+int check_signature(snac *user, xs_dict *req, xs_str **err)
 /* check the signature */
 {
     char *sig_hdr = xs_dict_get(req, "signature");
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ int check_signature(xs_dict *req, xs_str **err)
 
     xs *actor = NULL;
 
-    if (!valid_status(actor_request(keyId, &actor))) {
+    if (!valid_status(actor_request(user, keyId, &actor))) {
         *err = xs_fmt("unknown actor %s", keyId);
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 1e30ace..4ad1b4f 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         xs *actor = NULL;
         int status;
 
-        status = actor_request(user, &actor);
+        status = actor_request(NULL, user, &actor);
 
         printf("status: %d\n", status);
         if (valid_status(status)) {
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (strcmp(cmd, "ping") == 0) { /** **/
         xs *actor_o = NULL;
 
-        if (valid_status(actor_request(url, &actor_o))) {
+        if (valid_status(actor_request(&snac, url, &actor_o))) {
             xs *msg = msg_ping(&snac, url);
 
             enqueue_output_by_actor(&snac, msg, url, 0);
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         int status;
         xs *data = NULL;
 
-        status = actor_request(url, &data);
+        status = actor_request(&snac, url, &data);
 
         printf("status: %d\n", status);
 
diff --git a/mastoapi.c b/mastoapi.c
index bf5f071..426e692 100644
--- a/mastoapi.c
+++ b/mastoapi.c
@@ -1944,7 +1944,7 @@ int mastoapi_get_handler(const xs_dict *req, const char *q_path,
                     if (valid_status(webfinger_request(q, &actor, &user))) {
                         xs *actor_o = NULL;
 
-                        if (valid_status(actor_request(actor, &actor_o))) {
+                        if (valid_status(actor_request(&snac1, actor, &actor_o))) {
                             xs *acct = mastoapi_account(actor_o);
 
                             acl = xs_list_append(acl, acct);
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 020aaa5..93a2e8f 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ xs_dict *http_signed_request(snac *snac, const char *method, const char *url,
                             const char *body, int b_size,
                             int *status, xs_str **payload, int *p_size,
                             int timeout);
-int check_signature(xs_dict *req, xs_str **err);
+int check_signature(snac *user, xs_dict *req, xs_str **err);
 
 void httpd(void);
 
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ xs_dict *msg_question(snac *user, const char *content, xs_list *attach,
                       const xs_list *opts, int multiple, int end_secs);
 
 int activitypub_request(snac *snac, const char *url, xs_dict **data);
-int actor_request(const char *actor, xs_dict **data);
+int actor_request(snac *user, const char *actor, xs_dict **data);
 void timeline_request_replies(snac *user, const char *id);
 int send_to_inbox_raw(const char *keyid, const char *seckey,
                   const xs_str *inbox, const xs_dict *msg,