diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index e3d1268..f36c01d 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ void user_free(snac *snac)
 }
 
 
-int user_open(snac *snac, char *uid)
+int user_open(snac *snac, const char *uid)
 /* opens a user */
 {
     int ret = 0;
diff --git a/snac.c b/snac.c
index 4de34f0..903713b 100644
--- a/snac.c
+++ b/snac.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ double ftime(void)
 }
 
 
-int validate_uid(char *uid)
+int validate_uid(const char *uid)
 /* returns if uid is a valid identifier */
 {
     while (*uid) {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void snac_debug(snac *snac, int level, d_char *str)
 }
 
 
-d_char *hash_password(char *uid, char *passwd, char *nonce)
+d_char *hash_password(const char *uid, const char *passwd, const char *nonce)
 /* hashes a password */
 {
     xs *d_nonce = NULL;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ d_char *hash_password(char *uid, char *passwd, char *nonce)
 }
 
 
-int check_password(char *uid, char *passwd, char *hash)
+int check_password(const char *uid, const char *passwd, const char *hash)
 /* checks a password */
 {
     int ret = 0;
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 00443f9..636fcb3 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -36,17 +36,17 @@ typedef struct _snac {
     d_char *md5;        /* actor url md5 */
 } snac;
 
-int user_open(snac *snac, char *uid);
+int user_open(snac *snac, const char *uid);
 void user_free(snac *snac);
 d_char *user_list(void);
 
 void snac_debug(snac *snac, int level, d_char *str);
 #define snac_log(snac, str) snac_debug(snac, 0, str)
 
-int validate_uid(char *uid);
+int validate_uid(const char *uid);
 
-d_char *hash_password(char *uid, char *passwd, char *nonce);
-int check_password(char *uid, char *passwd, char *hash);
+d_char *hash_password(const char *uid, const char *passwd, const char *nonce);
+int check_password(const char *uid, const char *passwd, const char *hash);
 
 void srv_archive(char *direction, char *req, char *payload, int p_size,
                  int status, char *headers, char *body, int b_size);
@@ -173,4 +173,4 @@ int html_post_handler(d_char *req, char *q_path, d_char *payload, int p_size,
                       char **body, int *b_size, char **ctype);
 
 int initdb(const char *_basedir);
-int adduser(char *uid);
+int adduser(const char *uid);
diff --git a/utils.c b/utils.c
index 8b0b458..300115b 100644
--- a/utils.c
+++ b/utils.c
@@ -187,13 +187,27 @@ int initdb(const char *basedir)
 }
 
 
-int adduser(char *uid)
+void new_password(const char *uid, d_char **clear_pwd, d_char **hashed_pwd)
+/* creates a random password */
+{
+    int rndbuf[3];
+
+    srandom(time(NULL) ^ getpid());
+    rndbuf[0] = random() & 0xffffffff;
+    rndbuf[1] = random() & 0xffffffff;
+    rndbuf[2] = random() & 0xffffffff;
+
+    *clear_pwd  = xs_base64_enc((char *)rndbuf, sizeof(rndbuf));
+    *hashed_pwd = hash_password(uid, *clear_pwd, NULL);
+}
+
+
+int adduser(const char *uid)
 /* creates a new user */
 {
     snac snac;
     xs *config = xs_dict_new();
     xs *date = xs_str_utctime(0, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ");
-    int rndbuf[3];
     xs *pwd = NULL;
     xs *pwd_f = NULL;
     xs *key = NULL;
@@ -214,13 +228,7 @@ int adduser(char *uid)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    srandom(time(NULL) ^ getpid());
-    rndbuf[0] = random() & 0xffffffff;
-    rndbuf[1] = random() & 0xffffffff;
-    rndbuf[2] = random() & 0xffffffff;
-
-    pwd = xs_base64_enc((char *)rndbuf, sizeof(rndbuf));
-    pwd_f = hash_password(uid, pwd, NULL);
+    new_password(uid, &pwd, &pwd_f);
 
     config = xs_dict_append(config, "uid",       uid);
     config = xs_dict_append(config, "name",      uid);