diff --git a/shard.lock b/shard.lock
index 0e4f42f..b1fe099 100644
--- a/shard.lock
+++ b/shard.lock
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@ shards:
 
   toml:
     git: https://github.com/crystal-community/toml.cr.git
-    version: 0.7.0+git.commit.4b6325e2a378bac4abc98ee4d5734d57a6a55554
+    version: 0.7.0+git.commit.299f81a890bc01f3edca4fe3b29f9d08e86e538f
 
diff --git a/shard.yml b/shard.yml
index 39167f7..36605cd 100644
--- a/shard.yml
+++ b/shard.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ dependencies:
   toml:
     github: crystal-community/toml.cr
     branch: master
+    commit: 299f81a
   http-session:
     github: straight-shoota/http-session
   athena-routing:
diff --git a/src/crystal-gauntlet.cr b/src/crystal-gauntlet.cr
index dbc69a7..255a446 100644
--- a/src/crystal-gauntlet.cr
+++ b/src/crystal-gauntlet.cr
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ module CrystalGauntlet
     config_get(key).as?(typeof(default)) || default
   end
 
-  DATABASE = DB.open(ENV["DATABASE_URL"]? || "sqlite3://./crystal-gauntlet.db")
+  DATABASE = DB.open(ENV["DATABASE_URL"]? || "sqlite3://./data/crystal-gauntlet.db")
 
   # todo: unhardcore
   DATA_FOLDER = Path.new("data")
diff --git a/src/endpoints/comments/getCommentHistory.cr b/src/endpoints/comments/getCommentHistory.cr
index d7ffeaf..7f44c86 100644
--- a/src/endpoints/comments/getCommentHistory.cr
+++ b/src/endpoints/comments/getCommentHistory.cr
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ CrystalGauntlet.endpoints["/getGJCommentHistory.php"] = ->(context : HTTP::Serve
 
   amount = DATABASE.scalar("select count(*) from comments where user_id = ?", params["userID"].to_i).as(Int64)
 
+  if amount == 0
+    return "-2"
+  end
+
   comments_str = [] of String
 
   DATABASE.query("select comments.id, comment, comments.created_at, likes, level_id, users.username, users.icon_type, users.color1, users.color2, users.cube, users.ship, users.ball, users.ufo, users.wave, users.robot, users.spider, users.special from comments join users on users.id = user_id where user_id = ? order by comments.created_at desc limit #{comments_per_page} offset #{comment_offset}", params["userID"]) do |rs|
diff --git a/src/endpoints/comments/getLevelComments.cr b/src/endpoints/comments/getLevelComments.cr
index a75ca75..16896ef 100644
--- a/src/endpoints/comments/getLevelComments.cr
+++ b/src/endpoints/comments/getLevelComments.cr
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ CrystalGauntlet.endpoints["/getGJComments21.php"] = ->(context : HTTP::Server::C
 
   amount = DATABASE.scalar("select count(*) from comments where level_id = ?", level_id)
 
+  if amount == 0
+    return "-2"
+  end
+
   comments_str = [] of String
   users_str = [] of String
   has_users_str = false
diff --git a/src/endpoints/comments/getProfileComments.cr b/src/endpoints/comments/getProfileComments.cr
index c060463..cb808b1 100644
--- a/src/endpoints/comments/getProfileComments.cr
+++ b/src/endpoints/comments/getProfileComments.cr
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ CrystalGauntlet.endpoints["/getGJAccountComments20.php"] = ->(context : HTTP::Se
 
   amount = DATABASE.scalar("select count(*) from account_comments where account_id = ?", account_id)
 
+  if amount == 0
+    return "-2"
+  end
+
   users_str = [] of String
 
   DATABASE.query("select id, comment, created_at, likes from account_comments where account_id = ? order by created_at desc limit #{comments_per_page} offset #{comment_offset}", account_id) do |rs|
diff --git a/src/endpoints/users/updateUser.cr b/src/endpoints/users/updateUser.cr
index 53ba211..f177207 100644
--- a/src/endpoints/users/updateUser.cr
+++ b/src/endpoints/users/updateUser.cr
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ CrystalGauntlet.endpoints["/updateGJUserScore22.php"] = ->(context : HTTP::Serve
 
   user_id, account_id = Accounts.auth(params)
   if !(user_id && account_id)
-    return "-1"
+    # we assume this is an unregistered user
+    # since the client expects the returned value to be ...its own user id? we just return 0
+    return "0"
   end
 
   # todo: keep track of stat changes to look out for leaderboard cheating & whatnot
diff --git a/src/server.cr b/src/server.cr
index 1ecf8c9..dc8c068 100644
--- a/src/server.cr
+++ b/src/server.cr
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ module CrystalGauntlet::Server
     def call(context : HTTP::Server::Context)
       # expunge trailing slashes
       path = context.request.path.chomp("/")
+      # remove slashes at the beginning of the path, if there are more than one
+      path = path.sub(/^\/*(?!\/)/, "/")
 
       path = path.sub(config_get("general.append_path").as(String | Nil) || "", "")
 
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ module CrystalGauntlet::Server
             end
           end
           context.response.content_type = "text/plain"
-          context.response.respond_with_status(500, "-1")
+          context.response.respond_with_status(500, "uh oh!!! server did a fucky wucky")
         else
           max_size = 2048