diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index db03767..6c82cd2 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ Metrics/MethodLength:
 Metrics/ClassLength:
   Max: 1500
 
-Metrics/ModuleLength:
-  Max: 1500
-
 # No space makes the method definition shorter and differentiates
 # from a regular assignment.
 Style/SpaceAroundEqualsInParameterDefault:
@@ -142,3 +139,19 @@ Lint/Debugger:
 # Reset some HoundCI changes back to Rubocop defaults
 Style/DotPosition:
   EnforcedStyle: leading
+
+
+# diaspora_federation rules
+Rails/TimeZone:
+  Exclude:
+    - "spec/**/*"
+
+Metrics/CyclomaticComplexity:
+  Max: 10
+Metrics/PerceivedComplexity:
+  Max: 10
+Metrics/AbcSize:
+  Max: 20
+
+Metrics/ModuleLength:
+  Max: 1500
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
index 70ab8a8..e576e7c 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
@@ -66,12 +66,12 @@ module DiasporaFederation
 
       return logger.warn "table for #{entity} doesn't exist, skip validation" unless entity.table_exists?
 
-      methods.each {|method|
-        valid = entity.respond_to?(method) ||
-            entity.column_names.include?(method.to_s) ||
-            entity.method_defined?(method)
-        raise ConfigurationError, "the configured class #{entity} for #{name} doesn't respond to #{method}" unless valid
-      }
+      methods.each {|method| entity_respond_to?(entity, method) }
+    end
+
+    def entity_respond_to?(entity, method)
+      valid = entity.respond_to?(method) || entity.column_names.include?(method.to_s) || entity.method_defined?(method)
+      raise ConfigurationError, "the configured class #{entity} for #{name} doesn't respond to #{method}" unless valid
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/web_finger/web_finger.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/web_finger/web_finger.rb
index 85fd2f7..2fc39e7 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/web_finger/web_finger.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/web_finger/web_finger.rb
@@ -107,24 +107,24 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       # Create a WebFinger instance from the given XML string.
       # @param [String] webfinger_xml WebFinger XML string
       # @return [WebFinger] WebFinger instance
+      # @raise [InvalidData] if the given XML string is invalid or incomplete
       def self.from_xml(webfinger_xml)
-        data = XrdDocument.xml_data(webfinger_xml)
-        raise InvalidData unless xml_data_valid?(data)
+        data = parse_xml_and_validate(webfinger_xml)
 
-        hcard, seed, guid, profile, updates, pubkey = parse_links(data)
+        hcard_url, seed_url, guid, profile_url, updates_url, pubkey = parse_links(data)
 
         wf = allocate
         wf.instance_eval {
           @acct_uri    = data[:subject]
           @alias_url   = data[:aliases].first
-          @hcard_url   = hcard[:href]
-          @seed_url    = seed[:href]
-          @profile_url = profile[:href]
-          @updates_url = updates[:href]
+          @hcard_url   = hcard_url
+          @seed_url    = seed_url
+          @profile_url = profile_url
+          @updates_url = updates_url
 
           # TODO: change me!  ##########
-          @guid        = guid[:href]
-          @pubkey      = pubkey[:href]
+          @guid        = guid
+          @pubkey      = pubkey
           ##############################
         }
         wf
@@ -144,14 +144,17 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       end
       private_class_method :account_data_complete?
 
-      # Does some rudimentary checking on the data Hash produced from parsing the
-      # XML string
-      # @param [Hash] data XML data
-      # @return [Boolean] validation result
-      def self.xml_data_valid?(data)
-        data.key?(:subject) && data.key?(:aliases) && data.key?(:links)
+      # Parses the XML string to a Hash and does some rudimentary checking on
+      # the data Hash.
+      # @param [String] webfinger_xml WebFinger XML string
+      # @return [Hash] data XML data
+      # @raise [InvalidData] if the given XML string is invalid or incomplete
+      def self.parse_xml_and_validate(webfinger_xml)
+        data = XrdDocument.xml_data(webfinger_xml)
+        raise InvalidData unless data.key?(:subject) && data.key?(:aliases) && data.key?(:links)
+        data
       end
-      private_class_method :xml_data_valid?
+      private_class_method :parse_xml_and_validate
 
       def add_links_to(doc)
         doc.links << {rel:  REL_HCARD,
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         updates = parse_link(links, REL_UPDATES)
         pubkey  = parse_link(links, REL_PUBKEY)
         raise InvalidData unless [hcard, seed, guid, profile, updates, pubkey].all?
-        [hcard, seed, guid, profile, updates, pubkey]
+        [hcard[:href], seed[:href], guid[:href], profile[:href], updates[:href], pubkey[:href]]
       end
       private_class_method :parse_links