diff --git a/src/generic_handlers.rs b/src/generic_handlers.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ad4bcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/generic_handlers.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+use axum::response::{IntoResponse, Redirect};
+
+pub async fn handle_slash_redir() -> impl IntoResponse {
+    Redirect::temporary("/")
+}
+
+pub async fn handle_slash() -> impl IntoResponse {}
diff --git a/src/handlers.rs b/src/handlers.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 5ba9bd4..0000000
--- a/src/handlers.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,55 +0,0 @@
-use axum::{
-    async_trait,
-    extract::{FromRef, FromRequestParts, State},
-    http::{request::Parts, StatusCode},
-};
-use sqlx::SqlitePool;
-
-pub async fn using_connection_pool_extractor(
-    State(pool): State<SqlitePool>,
-) -> Result<String, (StatusCode, String)> {
-    sqlx::query_scalar("select 'hello world from sqlite get'")
-        .fetch_one(&pool)
-        .await
-        .map_err(internal_error)
-}
-
-// we can also write a custom extractor that grabs a connection from the pool
-// which setup is appropriate depends on your application
-pub struct DatabaseConnection(sqlx::pool::PoolConnection<sqlx::Sqlite>);
-
-#[async_trait]
-impl<S> FromRequestParts<S> for DatabaseConnection
-where
-    SqlitePool: FromRef<S>,
-    S: Send + Sync,
-{
-    type Rejection = (StatusCode, String);
-
-    async fn from_request_parts(_parts: &mut Parts, state: &S) -> Result<Self, Self::Rejection> {
-        let pool = SqlitePool::from_ref(state);
-
-        let conn = pool.acquire().await.map_err(internal_error)?;
-
-        Ok(Self(conn))
-    }
-}
-
-pub async fn using_connection_extractor(
-    DatabaseConnection(conn): DatabaseConnection,
-) -> Result<String, (StatusCode, String)> {
-    let mut conn = conn;
-    sqlx::query_scalar("select 'hello world from sqlite post'")
-        .fetch_one(&mut conn)
-        .await
-        .map_err(internal_error)
-}
-
-/// Utility function for mapping any error into a `500 Internal Server Error`
-/// response.
-fn internal_error<E>(err: E) -> (StatusCode, String)
-where
-    E: std::error::Error,
-{
-    (StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, err.to_string())
-}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f97526d..bf90918 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 extern crate justerror;
 
 pub mod db;
-pub mod handlers;
+pub mod generic_handlers;
 pub(crate) mod templates;
 pub mod users;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 51e79c6..f99d315 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use axum::{routing::get, Router};
 use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt};
 use witch_watch::{
     db,
+    generic_handlers::{handle_slash, handle_slash_redir},
     users::{get_create_user, handle_signup_success, post_create_user},
 };
 
@@ -21,11 +22,13 @@ async fn main() {
 
     // build our application with some routes
     let app = Router::new()
+        .route("/", get(handle_slash).post(handle_slash))
         .route("/signup", get(get_create_user).post(post_create_user))
         .route(
             "/signup_success/:id",
             get(handle_signup_success).post(handle_signup_success),
         )
+        .fallback(handle_slash_redir)
         .with_state(pool);
 
     tracing::debug!("binding to 0.0.0.0:3000");
diff --git a/src/users.rs b/src/users.rs
index a140739..e6f067d 100644
--- a/src/users.rs
+++ b/src/users.rs
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ pub async fn handle_signup_success(
     State(pool): State<SqlitePool>,
 ) -> Response {
     let user: User = {
-        let id = id;
-        let id = Uuid::try_parse(&id).unwrap_or_default();
+        let id = id.trim();
+        let id = Uuid::try_parse(id).unwrap_or_default();
         let id_bytes = id.to_bytes_le();
         sqlx::query_as(ID_QUERY)
             .bind(id_bytes.as_slice())
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ pub async fn handle_signup_success(
 
     let mut resp = CreateUserSuccess(user.clone()).into_response();
 
-    if user.username.is_empty() {
-        // redirect to front page if we got here without a valid witch header
+    if user.username.is_empty() || id.is_empty() {
+        // redirect to front page if we got here without a valid witch ID
         *resp.status_mut() = StatusCode::TEMPORARY_REDIRECT;
         resp.headers_mut().insert("Location", "/".parse().unwrap());
     }