diff --git a/server/Cargo.lock b/server/Cargo.lock
index 9cef0b2c..b17f4d60 100644
--- a/server/Cargo.lock
+++ b/server/Cargo.lock
@@ -2743,6 +2743,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "idna 0.2.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "matches 0.1.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "percent-encoding 2.1.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "serde 1.0.105 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/server/Cargo.toml b/server/Cargo.toml
index d94d5640..03bbfbee 100644
--- a/server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/server/Cargo.toml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ rss = "1.9.0"
 htmlescape = "0.3.1"
 config = "0.10.1"
 hjson = "0.8.2"
-url = "2.1.1"
+url = { version = "2.1.1", features = ["serde"] }
 percent-encoding = "2.1.0"
 isahc = "0.9"
 comrak = "0.7"
diff --git a/server/src/apub/community.rs b/server/src/apub/community.rs
index 83895196..444ee440 100644
--- a/server/src/apub/community.rs
+++ b/server/src/apub/community.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use diesel::r2d2::{ConnectionManager, Pool};
 use diesel::PgConnection;
 use failure::Error;
 use serde::Deserialize;
+use url::Url;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct CommunityQuery {
@@ -87,16 +88,14 @@ impl Community {
 
 impl CommunityForm {
   pub fn from_group(group: &GroupExt, conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-    let followers_uri = &group.extension.get_followers().unwrap().to_string();
-    let outbox_uri = &group.extension.get_outbox().to_string();
-    let _outbox = fetch_remote_object::<OrderedCollection>(outbox_uri)?;
-    let _followers = fetch_remote_object::<UnorderedCollection>(followers_uri)?;
+    let followers_uri = Url::parse(&group.extension.get_followers().unwrap().to_string())?;
+    let outbox_uri = Url::parse(&group.extension.get_outbox().to_string())?;
+    let _outbox = fetch_remote_object::<OrderedCollection>(&outbox_uri)?;
+    let _followers = fetch_remote_object::<UnorderedCollection>(&followers_uri)?;
     let oprops = &group.base.object_props;
     let aprops = &group.extension;
-    let creator = fetch_remote_user(
-      &oprops.get_attributed_to_xsd_any_uri().unwrap().to_string(),
-      conn,
-    )?;
+    let apub_id = Url::parse(&oprops.get_attributed_to_xsd_any_uri().unwrap().to_string())?;
+    let creator = fetch_remote_user(&apub_id, conn)?;
     Ok(CommunityForm {
       name: oprops.get_name_xsd_string().unwrap().to_string(),
       title: aprops.get_preferred_username().unwrap().to_string(),
diff --git a/server/src/apub/post.rs b/server/src/apub/post.rs
index 2db5d8ec..198d9d2f 100644
--- a/server/src/apub/post.rs
+++ b/server/src/apub/post.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use diesel::r2d2::{ConnectionManager, Pool};
 use diesel::PgConnection;
 use failure::Error;
 use serde::Deserialize;
+use url::Url;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct PostQuery {
@@ -64,10 +65,8 @@ impl Post {
 impl PostForm {
   pub fn from_page(page: &Page, conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<PostForm, Error> {
     let oprops = &page.object_props;
-    let creator = fetch_remote_user(
-      &oprops.get_attributed_to_xsd_any_uri().unwrap().to_string(),
-      conn,
-    )?;
+    let apub_id = Url::parse(&oprops.get_attributed_to_xsd_any_uri().unwrap().to_string())?;
+    let creator = fetch_remote_user(&apub_id, conn)?;
     Ok(PostForm {
       name: oprops.get_name_xsd_string().unwrap().to_string(),
       url: oprops.get_url_xsd_any_uri().map(|u| u.to_string()),
diff --git a/server/src/apub/puller.rs b/server/src/apub/puller.rs
index 7e7a86ec..4dacf60f 100644
--- a/server/src/apub/puller.rs
+++ b/server/src/apub/puller.rs
@@ -15,22 +15,23 @@ use isahc::prelude::*;
 use log::warn;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::time::Duration;
+use url::Url;
 
 fn fetch_node_info(domain: &str) -> Result<NodeInfo, Error> {
-  let well_known_uri = format!(
+  let well_known_uri = Url::parse(&format!(
     "{}://{}/.well-known/nodeinfo",
     get_apub_protocol_string(),
     domain
-  );
+  ))?;
   let well_known = fetch_remote_object::<NodeInfoWellKnown>(&well_known_uri)?;
   Ok(fetch_remote_object::<NodeInfo>(&well_known.links.href)?)
 }
 
 fn fetch_communities_from_instance(
-  community_list_url: &str,
+  community_list: &Url,
   conn: &PgConnection,
 ) -> Result<Vec<Community>, Error> {
-  fetch_remote_object::<UnorderedCollection>(community_list_url)?
+  fetch_remote_object::<UnorderedCollection>(community_list)?
     .collection_props
     .get_many_items_base_boxes()
     .unwrap()
@@ -53,16 +54,16 @@ fn fetch_communities_from_instance(
 }
 
 // TODO: add an optional param last_updated and only fetch if its too old
-pub fn fetch_remote_object<Response>(uri: &str) -> Result<Response, Error>
+pub fn fetch_remote_object<Response>(url: &Url) -> Result<Response, Error>
 where
   Response: for<'de> Deserialize<'de>,
 {
-  if Settings::get().federation.tls_enabled && !uri.starts_with("https://") {
-    return Err(format_err!("Activitypub uri is insecure: {}", uri));
+  if Settings::get().federation.tls_enabled && url.scheme() != "https" {
+    return Err(format_err!("Activitypub uri is insecure: {}", url));
   }
   // TODO: this function should return a future
   let timeout = Duration::from_secs(60);
-  let text = Request::get(uri)
+  let text = Request::get(url.as_str())
     .header("Accept", APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE)
     .connect_timeout(timeout)
     .timeout(timeout)
@@ -78,11 +79,14 @@ fn fetch_remote_community_posts(
   community: &Community,
   conn: &PgConnection,
 ) -> Result<Vec<Post>, Error> {
-  let endpoint = format!("http://{}/federation/c/{}", instance, community.name);
+  let endpoint = Url::parse(&format!(
+    "http://{}/federation/c/{}",
+    instance, community.name
+  ))?;
   let group = fetch_remote_object::<GroupExt>(&endpoint)?;
-  let outbox_uri = &group.extension.get_outbox().to_string();
+  let outbox_uri = Url::parse(&group.extension.get_outbox().to_string())?;
   // TODO: outbox url etc should be stored in local db
-  let outbox = fetch_remote_object::<OrderedCollection>(outbox_uri)?;
+  let outbox = fetch_remote_object::<OrderedCollection>(&outbox_uri)?;
   let items = outbox.collection_props.get_many_items_base_boxes();
 
   Ok(
@@ -106,7 +110,7 @@ fn fetch_remote_community_posts(
   )
 }
 
-pub fn fetch_remote_user(apub_id: &str, conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<User_, Error> {
+pub fn fetch_remote_user(apub_id: &Url, conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<User_, Error> {
   let person = fetch_remote_object::<PersonExt>(apub_id)?;
   let uf = UserForm::from_person(&person)?;
   let existing = User_::read_from_apub_id(conn, &uf.actor_id);
@@ -122,8 +126,8 @@ pub fn fetch_remote_user(apub_id: &str, conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<User_, Er
 pub fn fetch_all(conn: &PgConnection) -> Result<(), Error> {
   for instance in &get_following_instances() {
     let node_info = fetch_node_info(instance)?;
-    if let Some(community_list_url) = node_info.metadata.community_list_url {
-      let communities = fetch_communities_from_instance(&community_list_url, conn)?;
+    if let Some(community_list) = node_info.metadata.community_list_url {
+      let communities = fetch_communities_from_instance(&community_list, conn)?;
       for c in communities {
         fetch_remote_community_posts(instance, &c, conn)?;
       }
diff --git a/server/src/routes/nodeinfo.rs b/server/src/routes/nodeinfo.rs
index 1fee54a8..a8ae2138 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/nodeinfo.rs
+++ b/server/src/routes/nodeinfo.rs
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ use actix_web::web;
 use actix_web::HttpResponse;
 use diesel::r2d2::{ConnectionManager, Pool};
 use diesel::PgConnection;
+use failure::Error;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::fmt::Debug;
+use url::Url;
 
 pub fn config(cfg: &mut web::ServiceConfig) {
   cfg
@@ -16,18 +18,18 @@ pub fn config(cfg: &mut web::ServiceConfig) {
     .route("/.well-known/nodeinfo", web::get().to(node_info_well_known));
 }
 
-async fn node_info_well_known() -> HttpResponse<Body> {
+async fn node_info_well_known() -> Result<HttpResponse<Body>, Error> {
   let node_info = NodeInfoWellKnown {
     links: NodeInfoWellKnownLinks {
-      rel: "http://nodeinfo.diaspora.software/ns/schema/2.0".to_string(),
-      href: format!(
+      rel: Url::parse("http://nodeinfo.diaspora.software/ns/schema/2.0")?,
+      href: Url::parse(&format!(
         "{}://{}/nodeinfo/2.0.json",
         get_apub_protocol_string(),
         Settings::get().hostname
-      ),
+      ))?,
     },
   };
-  HttpResponse::Ok().json(node_info)
+  Ok(HttpResponse::Ok().json(node_info))
 }
 
 async fn node_info(
@@ -60,11 +62,11 @@ async fn node_info(
         open_registrations: site_view.open_registration,
       },
       metadata: NodeInfoMetadata {
-        community_list_url: Some(format!(
+        community_list_url: Some(Url::parse(&format!(
           "{}://{}/federation/communities",
           get_apub_protocol_string(),
           Settings::get().hostname
-        )),
+        ))?),
       },
     })
   })
@@ -81,8 +83,8 @@ pub struct NodeInfoWellKnown {
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub struct NodeInfoWellKnownLinks {
-  pub rel: String,
-  pub href: String,
+  pub rel: Url,
+  pub href: Url,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
@@ -116,5 +118,5 @@ pub struct NodeInfoUsers {
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub struct NodeInfoMetadata {
-  pub community_list_url: Option<String>,
+  pub community_list_url: Option<Url>,
 }