diff --git a/internal/db/queries.go b/internal/db/queries.go
index 33a521e..9248014 100644
--- a/internal/db/queries.go
+++ b/internal/db/queries.go
@@ -1146,25 +1146,6 @@ func (database *Database) GetAway(
 	return msg, nil
 }
 
-// GetAwayByNick returns the away message for a nick.
-// Returns an empty string if the user is not away.
-func (database *Database) GetAwayByNick(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	nick string,
-) (string, error) {
-	var msg string
-
-	err := database.conn.QueryRowContext(ctx,
-		"SELECT away_message FROM sessions WHERE nick = ?",
-		nick,
-	).Scan(&msg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("get away by nick: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return msg, nil
-}
-
 // SetTopicMeta sets the topic along with who set it and
 // when.
 func (database *Database) SetTopicMeta(
diff --git a/internal/db/schema/001_initial.sql b/internal/db/schema/001_initial.sql
index 68eb87c..4ea5e28 100644
--- a/internal/db/schema/001_initial.sql
+++ b/internal/db/schema/001_initial.sql
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (
     nick TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
     password_hash TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
     signing_key TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+    away_message TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
     created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
     last_seen DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
 );
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS channels (
     id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
     name TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
     topic TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+    topic_set_by TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+    topic_set_at DATETIME,
     created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
     updated_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
 );
diff --git a/internal/db/schema/002_away_and_topic_meta.sql b/internal/db/schema/002_away_and_topic_meta.sql
deleted file mode 100644
index cf92eb3..0000000
--- a/internal/db/schema/002_away_and_topic_meta.sql
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
--- Add away message to sessions
-ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN away_message TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '';
-
--- Add topic metadata to channels
-ALTER TABLE channels ADD COLUMN topic_set_by TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '';
-ALTER TABLE channels ADD COLUMN topic_set_at DATETIME;
diff --git a/internal/handlers/api.go b/internal/handlers/api.go
index a2abf3d..88f9cd7 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/api.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/api.go
@@ -71,11 +71,10 @@ func (hdlr *Handlers) requireAuth(
 	sessionID, clientID, nick, err :=
 		hdlr.authSession(request)
 	if err != nil {
-		hdlr.respondError(
-			writer, request,
-			"unauthorized",
-			http.StatusUnauthorized,
-		)
+		hdlr.respondJSON(writer, request, map[string]any{
+			"error":   "not registered",
+			"numeric": irc.ErrNotRegistered,
+		}, http.StatusUnauthorized)
 
 		return 0, 0, "", false
 	}
@@ -925,8 +924,8 @@ func (hdlr *Handlers) handlePrivmsg(
 	if target == "" {
 		hdlr.enqueueNumeric(
 			request.Context(), clientID,
-			irc.ErrNeedMoreParams, nick, []string{command},
-			"Not enough parameters",
+			irc.ErrNoRecipient, nick, []string{command},
+			"No recipient given",
 		)
 		hdlr.broker.Notify(sessionID)
 		hdlr.respondJSON(writer, request,
@@ -940,8 +939,8 @@ func (hdlr *Handlers) handlePrivmsg(
 	if len(lines) == 0 {
 		hdlr.enqueueNumeric(
 			request.Context(), clientID,
-			irc.ErrNeedMoreParams, nick, []string{command},
-			"Not enough parameters",
+			irc.ErrNoTextToSend, nick, []string{command},
+			"No text to send",
 		)
 		hdlr.broker.Notify(sessionID)
 		hdlr.respondJSON(writer, request,
@@ -1028,8 +1027,8 @@ func (hdlr *Handlers) handleChannelMsg(
 	if !isMember {
 		hdlr.respondIRCError(
 			writer, request, clientID, sessionID,
-			irc.ErrNotOnChannel, nick, []string{target},
-			"You're not on that channel",
+			irc.ErrCannotSendToChan, nick, []string{target},
+			"Cannot send to channel",
 		)
 
 		return
diff --git a/internal/handlers/api_test.go b/internal/handlers/api_test.go
index d8eb7c8..57cad28 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/api_test.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/api_test.go
@@ -810,9 +810,9 @@ func TestMessageMissingBody(t *testing.T) {
 
 	msgs, _ := tserver.pollMessages(token, lastID)
 
-	if !findNumeric(msgs, "461") {
+	if !findNumeric(msgs, "412") {
 		t.Fatalf(
-			"expected ERR_NEEDMOREPARAMS (461), got %v",
+			"expected ERR_NOTEXTTOSEND (412), got %v",
 			msgs,
 		)
 	}
@@ -834,9 +834,9 @@ func TestMessageMissingTo(t *testing.T) {
 
 	msgs, _ := tserver.pollMessages(token, lastID)
 
-	if !findNumeric(msgs, "461") {
+	if !findNumeric(msgs, "411") {
 		t.Fatalf(
-			"expected ERR_NEEDMOREPARAMS (461), got %v",
+			"expected ERR_NORECIPIENT (411), got %v",
 			msgs,
 		)
 	}
@@ -869,9 +869,9 @@ func TestNonMemberCannotSend(t *testing.T) {
 
 	msgs, _ := tserver.pollMessages(aliceToken, lastID)
 
-	if !findNumeric(msgs, "442") {
+	if !findNumeric(msgs, "404") {
 		t.Fatalf(
-			"expected ERR_NOTONCHANNEL (442), got %v",
+			"expected ERR_CANNOTSENDTOCHAN (404), got %v",
 			msgs,
 		)
 	}