diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 763eca3..e35a5dd 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ void user_free(snac *snac)
     xs_free(snac->config);
     xs_free(snac->config_o);
     xs_free(snac->key);
+    xs_free(snac->links);
     xs_free(snac->actor);
     xs_free(snac->md5);
 }
@@ -233,6 +234,14 @@ int user_open(snac *user, const char *uid)
         }
         else
             srv_debug(2, xs_fmt("error opening '%s' %d", cfg_file, errno));
+
+        /* verified links */
+        xs *links_file = xs_fmt("%s/links.json", user->basedir);
+
+        if ((f = fopen(links_file, "r")) != NULL) {
+            user->links = xs_json_load(f);
+            fclose(f);
+        }
     }
     else
         srv_debug(1, xs_fmt("invalid user '%s'", uid));
diff --git a/html.c b/html.c
index f95cb4f..4eb9b6a 100644
--- a/html.c
+++ b/html.c
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ static xs_html *html_user_body(snac *user, int local)
             xs_str *k;
             xs_str *v;
 
-            xs_dict *val_links = xs_dict_get(user->config, "validated_links");
+            xs_dict *val_links = user->links;
             if (xs_is_null(val_links))
                 val_links = xs_stock_dict;
 
diff --git a/mastoapi.c b/mastoapi.c
index 4b7122c..8dcd6b4 100644
--- a/mastoapi.c
+++ b/mastoapi.c
@@ -624,15 +624,12 @@ xs_dict *mastoapi_account(const xs_dict *actor)
 
     /* dict of validated links */
     xs_dict *val_links = NULL;
+    snac user = {0};
 
     if (xs_startswith(id, srv_baseurl)) {
         /* if it's a local user, open it and pick its validated links */
-        snac user;
-
-        if (user_open(&user, prefu)) {
-            val_links = xs_dict_get(user.config, "validated_links");
-            user_free(&user);
-        }
+        if (user_open(&user, prefu))
+            val_links = user.links;
     }
 
     if (xs_is_null(val_links))
@@ -662,6 +659,8 @@ xs_dict *mastoapi_account(const xs_dict *actor)
         }
     }
 
+    user_free(&user);
+
     acct = xs_dict_append(acct, "fields", fields);
 
     return acct;
@@ -1157,7 +1156,7 @@ int mastoapi_get_handler(const xs_dict *req, const char *q_path,
                 xs_str *k;
                 xs_str *v;
 
-                xs_dict *val_links = xs_dict_get(snac1.config, "validated_links");
+                xs_dict *val_links = snac1.links;
                 if (xs_is_null(val_links))
                     val_links = xs_stock_dict;
 
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 0e4c6cd..7c3092b 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ typedef struct {
     xs_dict *config;    /* user configuration */
     xs_dict *config_o;  /* user configuration admin override */
     xs_dict *key;       /* keypair */
+    xs_dict *links;     /* validated links */
     xs_str *actor;      /* actor url */
     xs_str *md5;        /* actor url md5 */
 } snac;