diff --git a/relay/database/connection.py b/relay/database/connection.py
index 4e575f6..8c64641 100644
--- a/relay/database/connection.py
+++ b/relay/database/connection.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ class Connection(SqlConnection):
 		with self.run('put-config', params):
 			pass
 
+		return data.get(key)
+
 
 	def get_inbox(self, value: str) -> Row:
 		with self.run('get-inbox', {'value': value}) as cur:
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ class Connection(SqlConnection):
 
 	def put_user(self, username: str, password: str | None, handle: str | None = None) -> Row:
 		if self.get_user(username):
-			data: dict[str, str] = {}
+			data: dict[str, str | datetime | None] = {}
 
 			if password:
 				data['hash'] = self.hasher.hash(password)
@@ -204,7 +206,7 @@ class Connection(SqlConnection):
 			stmt.set_where("username", username)
 
 			with self.query(stmt) as cur:
-				return cur.one()
+				return cur.one() # type: ignore
 
 		if password is None:
 			raise ValueError('Password cannot be empty')
diff --git a/relay/http_client.py b/relay/http_client.py
index b51caf8..a475a5a 100644
--- a/relay/http_client.py
+++ b/relay/http_client.py
@@ -149,7 +149,12 @@ class HttpClient:
 		return None
 
 
-	async def get(self, url: str, sign_headers: bool, cls: type[T], force: bool = False) -> T | None:
+	async def get(self,
+				url: str,
+				sign_headers: bool,
+				cls: type[T],
+				force: bool = False) -> T | None:
+
 		if not issubclass(cls, JsonBase):
 			raise TypeError('cls must be a sub-class of "aputils.JsonBase"')
 
@@ -174,12 +179,12 @@ class HttpClient:
 		headers.update(get_app().signer.sign_headers('POST', url, message, algorithm=algorithm))
 
 		try:
-			logging.verbose('Sending "%s" to %s', message.type, url)
+			logging.verbose('Sending "%s" to %s', message.type.value, url)
 
 			async with self._session.post(url, headers = headers, data = message.to_json()) as resp:
 				# Not expecting a response, so just return
 				if resp.status in {200, 202}:
-					logging.verbose('Successfully sent "%s" to %s', message.type, url)
+					logging.verbose('Successfully sent "%s" to %s', message.type.value, url)
 					return
 
 				logging.verbose('Received error when pushing to %s: %i', url, resp.status)
diff --git a/relay/misc.py b/relay/misc.py
index cb901bc..5af6e60 100644
--- a/relay/misc.py
+++ b/relay/misc.py
@@ -130,10 +130,8 @@ class Message(aputils.Message):
 				description: str | None = None,
 				approves: bool = False) -> Self:
 
-		return cls({
-			'@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+		return cls.new(aputils.ObjectType.APPLICATION, {
 			'id': f'https://{host}/actor',
-			'type': 'Application',
 			'preferredUsername': 'relay',
 			'name': 'ActivityRelay',
 			'summary': description or 'ActivityRelay bot',
@@ -155,10 +153,8 @@ class Message(aputils.Message):
 
 	@classmethod
 	def new_announce(cls: type[Self], host: str, obj: str | dict[str, Any]) -> Self:
-		return cls({
-			'@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+		return cls.new(aputils.ObjectType.ANNOUNCE, {
 			'id': f'https://{host}/activities/{uuid4()}',
-			'type': 'Announce',
 			'to': [f'https://{host}/followers'],
 			'actor': f'https://{host}/actor',
 			'object': obj
@@ -167,22 +163,18 @@ class Message(aputils.Message):
 
 	@classmethod
 	def new_follow(cls: type[Self], host: str, actor: str) -> Self:
-		return cls({
-			'@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
-			'type': 'Follow',
+		return cls.new(aputils.ObjectType.FOLLOW, {
+			'id': f'https://{host}/activities/{uuid4()}',
 			'to': [actor],
 			'object': actor,
-			'id': f'https://{host}/activities/{uuid4()}',
 			'actor': f'https://{host}/actor'
 		})
 
 
 	@classmethod
 	def new_unfollow(cls: type[Self], host: str, actor: str, follow: dict[str, str]) -> Self:
-		return cls({
-			'@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+		return cls.new(aputils.ObjectType.UNDO, {
 			'id': f'https://{host}/activities/{uuid4()}',
-			'type': 'Undo',
 			'to': [actor],
 			'actor': f'https://{host}/actor',
 			'object': follow
@@ -191,10 +183,8 @@ class Message(aputils.Message):
 
 	@classmethod
 	def new_response(cls: type[Self], host: str, actor: str, followid: str, accept: bool) -> Self:
-		return cls({
-			'@context': 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+		return cls.new(aputils.ObjectType.ACCEPT if accept else aputils.ObjectType.REJECT, {
 			'id': f'https://{host}/activities/{uuid4()}',
-			'type': 'Accept' if accept else 'Reject',
 			'to': [actor],
 			'actor': f'https://{host}/actor',
 			'object': {
diff --git a/relay/views/activitypub.py b/relay/views/activitypub.py
index 68f1c23..9f8afb0 100644
--- a/relay/views/activitypub.py
+++ b/relay/views/activitypub.py
@@ -136,20 +136,20 @@ class ActorView(View):
 			if not digest.validate(body):
 				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Body digest does not match")
 
-		if self.signature.algorithm_type == "hs2019":
-			if "(created)" not in self.signature.headers:
-				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("'(created)' header not used")
+		if self.signature.algorithm_type == aputils.AlgorithmType.HS2019:
+			if self.signature.created is None or self.signature.expires is None:
+				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Missing 'created' or 'expireds' parameter")
 
 			current_timestamp = aputils.HttpDate.new_utc().timestamp()
 
 			if self.signature.created > current_timestamp:
 				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Creation date after current date")
 
-			if current_timestamp > self.signature.expires:
-				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Expiration date before current date")
+			if self.signature.expires < current_timestamp:
+				raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Signature has expired")
 
-			headers["(created)"] = self.signature.created
-			headers["(expires)"] = self.signature.expires
+			headers["(created)"] = str(self.signature.created)
+			headers["(expires)"] = str(self.signature.expires)
 
 		if not self.signer._validate_signature(headers, self.signature):
 			raise aputils.SignatureFailureError("Signature does not match")
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index a0da5af..3b2d667 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
+activitypub-utils == 0.1.9
 aiohttp >= 3.9.1
 aiohttp-swagger[performance] == 1.0.16
-aputils @ https://git.barkshark.xyz/barkshark/aputils/archive/0.1.7.tar.gz
 argon2-cffi == 23.1.0
 barkshark-sql @ https://git.barkshark.xyz/barkshark/bsql/archive/0.1.2.tar.gz
 click >= 8.1.2