diff --git a/fedireads/federation.py b/fedireads/federation.py
index 79eb2178a..35a064bdd 100644
--- a/fedireads/federation.py
+++ b/fedireads/federation.py
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ def webfinger(request):
     if not resource and not resource.startswith('acct:'):
         return HttpResponseBadRequest()
     ap_id = resource.replace('acct:', '')
-    user = models.User.objects.filter(full_username=ap_id).first()
+    user = models.User.objects.filter(username=ap_id).first()
     if not user:
         return HttpResponseNotFound('No account found')
     return JsonResponse({
-        'subject': 'acct:%s' % (user.full_username),
+        'subject': 'acct:%s' % (user.username),
         'links': [
             {
                 'rel': 'self',
@@ -88,6 +88,22 @@ def inbox(request, username):
     return HttpResponse()
 
 
+def handle_account_search(query):
+    ''' webfingerin' other servers '''
+    domain = query.split('@')[1]
+    try:
+        user = models.User.objects.get(username=query)
+    except models.User.DoesNotExist:
+        url = 'https://%s/.well-known/webfinger' % domain
+        params = {'resource': 'acct:%s' % query}
+        response = requests.get(url, params=params)
+        data = response.json()
+        for link in data['links']:
+            if link['rel'] == 'self':
+                user = get_or_create_remote_user(link['href'])
+    return user
+
+
 def handle_add(activity):
     ''' receiving an Add activity (to shelve a book) '''
     # TODO what happens here? If it's a remote over, then I think
@@ -156,7 +172,7 @@ def handle_outgoing_follow(user, to_follow):
         'summary': '',
         'type': 'Follow',
         'actor': user.actor,
-        'object': to_follow,
+        'object': to_follow.actor,
     }
 
     broadcast(user, activity, [format_inbox(to_follow)])
@@ -281,6 +297,7 @@ def broadcast(sender, action, recipients):
     for recipient in recipients:
         sign_and_send(sender, action, recipient)
 
+
 def sign_and_send(sender, action, destination):
     ''' crpyto whatever and http junk '''
     inbox_fragment = '/api/u/%s/inbox' % (sender.username)
@@ -291,7 +308,7 @@ date: %s''' % (inbox_fragment, DOMAIN, now)
     signer = pkcs1_15.new(RSA.import_key(sender.private_key))
     signed_message = signer.sign(SHA256.new(message_to_sign.encode('utf8')))
 
-    signature = 'keyId="%s",' % sender.full_username
+    signature = 'keyId="%s",' % sender.username
     signature += 'headers="(request-target) host date",'
     signature += 'signature="%s"' % b64encode(signed_message)
     response = requests.post(
@@ -306,9 +323,9 @@ date: %s''' % (inbox_fragment, DOMAIN, now)
     if not response.ok:
         response.raise_for_status()
 
-def get_or_create_remote_user(activity):
+
+def get_or_create_remote_user(actor):
     ''' wow, a foreigner '''
-    actor = activity['actor']
     try:
         user = models.User.objects.get(actor=actor)
     except models.User.DoesNotExist:
diff --git a/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py b/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
index 1724496b2..c595e3d5e 100644
--- a/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/fedireads/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 3.0.2 on 2020-01-28 02:46
+# Generated by Django 3.0.2 on 2020-01-28 03:40
 
 from django.conf import settings
 import django.contrib.auth.models
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 ('is_staff', models.BooleanField(default=False, help_text='Designates whether the user can log into this admin site.', verbose_name='staff status')),
                 ('is_active', models.BooleanField(default=True, help_text='Designates whether this user should be treated as active. Unselect this instead of deleting accounts.', verbose_name='active')),
                 ('date_joined', models.DateTimeField(default=django.utils.timezone.now, verbose_name='date joined')),
-                ('full_username', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=255, null=True, unique=True)),
                 ('private_key', models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)),
                 ('public_key', models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)),
                 ('api_key', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=255, null=True)),
diff --git a/fedireads/models.py b/fedireads/models.py
index 41710e841..02492ba5c 100644
--- a/fedireads/models.py
+++ b/fedireads/models.py
@@ -10,12 +10,6 @@ import re
 
 class User(AbstractUser):
     ''' a user who wants to read books '''
-    full_username = models.CharField(
-        max_length=255,
-        blank=True,
-        null=True,
-        unique=True
-    )
     private_key = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
     public_key = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
     api_key = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True)
@@ -36,8 +30,8 @@ class User(AbstractUser):
 
         if self.local and not self.actor:
             self.actor = 'https://%s/api/u/%s' % (DOMAIN, self.username)
-        if self.local and not self.full_username:
-            self.full_username = '%s@%s' % (self.username, DOMAIN)
+        if self.local and not re.match(r'\w+@\w+.\w+', self.username):
+            self.username = '%s@%s' % (self.username, DOMAIN)
 
         super().save(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/fedireads/templates/layout.html b/fedireads/templates/layout.html
index 0bc4d3a78..84b26e859 100644
--- a/fedireads/templates/layout.html
+++ b/fedireads/templates/layout.html
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
                 {% endif %}
             </div>
             <div id="search">
-                <form action="search">
+                <form action="/search/">
                     <input type="text" name="q"></input>
                     <input type="submit" value="🔍"></input>
                 </form>
diff --git a/fedireads/urls.py b/fedireads/urls.py
index db103a8ba..b15d97c12 100644
--- a/fedireads/urls.py
+++ b/fedireads/urls.py
@@ -24,10 +24,13 @@ urlpatterns = [
     path('logout/', views.user_logout),
     path('user/<str:username>', views.user_profile),
     path('book/<str:book_identifier>', views.book_page),
+
     path('review/', views.review),
     path('shelve/<str:shelf_id>/<int:book_id>', views.shelve),
     path('follow/', views.follow),
     path('unfollow/', views.unfollow),
+    path('search/', views.search),
+
     path('api/u/<str:username>', federation.get_actor),
     path('api/u/<str:username>/inbox', federation.inbox),
     path('api/u/<str:username>/outbox', federation.outbox),
diff --git a/fedireads/views.py b/fedireads/views.py
index c652493c4..963514bc5 100644
--- a/fedireads/views.py
+++ b/fedireads/views.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
 from fedireads import models, openlibrary
 from fedireads import federation as api
+import re
 
 @login_required
 def home(request):
@@ -133,3 +134,16 @@ def unfollow(request):
     followed.followers.remove(request.user)
     return redirect('/user/%s' % followed.username)
 
+
+@csrf_exempt
+@login_required
+def search(request):
+    ''' that search bar up top '''
+    query = request.GET.get('q')
+    if re.match(r'\w+@\w+.\w+', query):
+        results = [api.handle_account_search(query)]
+    else:
+        results = []
+
+    return TemplateResponse(request, 'results.html', {'results': results})
+