diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 4d20487..b316574 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -139,11 +139,6 @@ int send_to_inbox(snac *snac, char *inbox, char *msg, d_char **payload, int *p_s
     response = http_signed_request(snac, "POST", inbox,
         NULL, j_msg, strlen(j_msg), &status, payload, p_size);
 
-    if (status == 400) {
-        snac_debug(snac, 0, xs_fmt("send_to_inbox error %d (response date: '%s')",
-            status, xs_dict_get(response, "date")));
-    }
-
     xs_free(response);
 
     return status;
@@ -839,7 +834,7 @@ int process_message(snac *snac, char *msg, char *req)
     }
 
     /* check the signature */
-    if (!check_signature(snac, req, actor_o)) {
+    if (!check_signature(snac, req)) {
         snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("bad signature %s", actor));
         return 1;
     }
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index 9600434..eab686e 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ d_char *http_signed_request(snac *snac, char *method, char *url,
 }
 
 
-static int _check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char *actor, char **err)
+static int _check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char **err)
 /* check the signature */
 {
     char *sig_hdr = xs_dict_get(req, "signature");
@@ -144,18 +144,16 @@ static int _check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char *actor, char **err)
         return 0;
     }
 
-#if 0
     /* strip the # from the keyId */
     if ((p = strchr(keyId, '#')) != NULL)
         *p = '\0';
 
-    /* the actor must already be here */
     xs *actor = NULL;
-    if (!valid_status(actor_get(snac, keyId, &actor))) {
+
+    if (!valid_status(actor_request(snac, keyId, &actor))) {
         *err = xs_fmt("unknown actor %s", keyId);
         return 0;
     }
-#endif
 
     if ((p = xs_dict_get(actor, "publicKey")) == NULL ||
         ((pubkey = xs_dict_get(p, "publicKeyPem")) == NULL)) {
@@ -212,13 +210,13 @@ static int _check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char *actor, char **err)
 }
 
 
-int check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char *actor)
+int check_signature(snac *snac, char *req)
 /* checks the signature and archives the error */
 {
     int ret;
     xs *err = NULL;
 
-    if ((ret = _check_signature(snac, req, actor, &err)) == 0) {
+    if ((ret = _check_signature(snac, req, &err)) == 0) {
         snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("check_signature %s", err));
 
         xs *ntid = tid(0);
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index a4e846e..b8cfae0 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ d_char *http_signed_request(snac *snac, char *method, char *url,
                         d_char *headers,
                         d_char *body, int b_size,
                         int *status, d_char **payload, int *p_size);
-int check_signature(snac *snac, char *req, char *actor);
+int check_signature(snac *snac, char *req);
 
 void httpd(void);