diff --git a/app/controllers/publics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/publics_controller.rb
index 07cf63dc8..6f2b09c43 100644
--- a/app/controllers/publics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/publics_controller.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@ class PublicsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def webfinger
-    @person = Person.by_webfinger(params[:q])
+    @person = Person.by_webfinger(params[:q], :local => true)
     unless @person.nil? || @person.owner.nil?
       render 'webfinger', :content_type => 'application/xrd+xml'
+    else
+      render :nothing => true
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
index 5983c0e2e..6087ebe85 100644
--- a/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class RequestsController < ApplicationController
     begin
       rel_hash = relationship_flow(params[:request][:destination_url])
     rescue Exception => e
+      raise e unless e.message.include? "not found"
       flash[:error] = "No diaspora seed found with this email!"
       respond_with :location => aspect
       return
diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 121fdde56..bed5bb246 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -78,18 +78,18 @@ class Person
     @serialized_key = new_key
   end
 
-  def self.by_webfinger( identifier )
+  def self.by_webfinger( identifier, opts = {})
     local_person = Person.first(:diaspora_handle => identifier.gsub('acct:', ''))
 
      if local_person
        local_person
-     elsif  !identifier.include?("localhost")
+     elsif  !identifier.include?("localhost") && !opts[:local]
        begin
         f = Redfinger.finger(identifier)
        rescue SocketError => e
          raise "Diaspora server for #{identifier} not found" if e.message =~ /Name or service not known/
        end
-       raise "No webfinger profile found at #{identifier}" unless f
+       raise "No webfinger profile found at #{identifier}" if f.nil? || f.links.empty?
        Person.from_webfinger_profile(identifier, f )
      end
   end
@@ -97,7 +97,11 @@ class Person
   def self.from_webfinger_profile( identifier, profile)
     new_person = Person.new
 
-    public_key = profile.links.select{|x| x.rel == 'diaspora-public-key'}.first.href
+    public_key_entry = profile.links.select{|x| x.rel == 'diaspora-public-key'}
+    
+    return nil unless public_key_entry
+    
+    public_key = public_key_entry.first.href
     new_person.exported_key = Base64.decode64 public_key
 
     guid = profile.links.select{|x| x.rel == 'http://joindiaspora.com/guid'}.first.href
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 6b029812c..942dd3e03 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ else
 
   ###Helpers############
   def self.instantiate!( opts = {} )
-    opts[:person][:diaspora_handle] = "#{opts[:username]}@#{opts[:url]}"
+    opts[:person][:diaspora_handle] = "#{opts[:username]}@#{URI::parse(opts[:url]).host}"
     opts[:person][:serialized_key] = generate_key
     User.create!(opts)
   end
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index b0ce8bbdf..12dd20ba7 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Diaspora::Application.routes.draw do
   match 'logout', :to => 'devise/sessions#destroy',  :as => "destroy_user_session"
   match 'signup', :to => 'registrations#new', :as => "new_user_registration"
 
+  match 'get_to_the_choppa', :to => redirect("/signup") 
   #public routes
   #
   match 'webfinger', :to => 'publics#webfinger'
diff --git a/spec/controllers/publics_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/publics_controller_spec.rb
index 91f0e0371..bea772e20 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/publics_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/publics_controller_spec.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ describe PublicsController do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'webfinger' do
+    it 'should not try to webfinger out on a request to webfinger' do
+      Redfinger.should_not_receive :finger
+      post :webfinger, :q => 'remote@example.com'
+    end
+  end
 
   describe 'friend requests' do
     before do