diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index af213c6..98608bf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -23,11 +23,9 @@ ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
-	GOFLAGS := -ldflags "-static -linkmode external -extldflags $(GOLDFLAGS)"
+	GOFLAGS = -ldflags "-linkmode external -extldflags -static $(GOLDFLAGS)"
 endif
 
-
-
 default: run
 
 run: build
diff --git a/merp.go b/merp.go
index 59d4632..92ab0c3 100644
--- a/merp.go
+++ b/merp.go
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ import "encoding/json"
 import "net/http"
 import "regexp"
 import "time"
-import "fmt"
 
-import "github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 import "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
+import "github.com/google/uuid"
+import "github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 import "github.com/sneak/merp/models"
 
 func thingRegex() *regexp.Regexp {
@@ -38,9 +38,14 @@ func GetLatestMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 */
 
 func HandleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
+	// server startup time
+
 	THING_REGEX := thingRegex()
+	// establish db connection *first*, before requests
+	orm := models.GetOrmObject()
 
 	h := func(c *gin.Context) {
+		// request time
 		thing := c.Param("thing")
 		if THING_REGEX.MatchString(thing) == false {
 			log.Debug().Msgf("%s didnt match", thing)
@@ -54,12 +59,19 @@ func HandleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 		log.Debug().Msgf("%s matched", thing)
 		//web.Get(`/merp/for/([A-Za-z0-9\-\_\.]+)`, merpHandler)
 
-		content := gin.H{}
+		// FIXME rate limit this a bit on thing+clientip+json to cut down on
+		// repeated messages
+
+		content := make(map[string]interface{})
+		respContent := gin.H{}
 		// FIXME support POST data as well
+
 		for k, v := range c.Request.URL.Query() {
 			content[k] = v[0]
+			respContent[k] = v[0]
 		}
 
+		u := uuid.New()
 		at := time.Now().UTC()
 		atString := at.Format(time.RFC3339)
 
@@ -71,7 +83,7 @@ func HandleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 				gin.H{
 					"this":    "failed",
 					"status":  http.StatusPreconditionFailed,
-					"because": fmt.Sprintf("%s", jsonerr),
+					"because": jsonerr.Error(),
 				},
 			)
 			return
@@ -81,12 +93,22 @@ func HandleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 			Created: at,
 			Thing:   thing,
 			Content: string(serialized),
+			UUID:    u.String(),
 		}
 
-		orm := models.GetOrmObject()
-		res, err := orm.Insert(&merp)
+		_, err := orm.Insert(&merp)
 
-		log.Info().Msgf("res: %s, err: %s", res, err)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.JSON(
+				http.StatusPreconditionFailed,
+				gin.H{
+					"this":    "failed",
+					"status":  http.StatusPreconditionFailed,
+					"because": err.Error(),
+				},
+			)
+			return
+		}
 
 		c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{
 			"this": "succeeded",
@@ -95,7 +117,8 @@ func HandleNewMerp() gin.HandlerFunc {
 			"with": gin.H{
 				"thing":   thing,
 				"created": atString,
-				"content": content,
+				"content": respContent,
+				"id":      u.String(),
 			},
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/models/db.go b/models/db.go
index 606b163..0423cd6 100644
--- a/models/db.go
+++ b/models/db.go
@@ -9,12 +9,17 @@ import _ "github.com/lib/pq"
 var ormObject orm.Ormer
 
 func Initialize() {
+	if os.Getenv("DEBUG") != "" {
+		orm.Debug = true
+	}
+
 	ConnectToDb()
 	SyncDB()
 }
 
 // ConnectToDb - Initializes the ORM and Connection to the postgres DB
 func ConnectToDb() {
+
 	orm.DefaultTimeLoc = time.UTC
 
 	POSTGRES_DB_URL := os.Getenv("POSTGRES_DB_URL")
diff --git a/models/merp.go b/models/merp.go
index ced1251..e6f5ea1 100644
--- a/models/merp.go
+++ b/models/merp.go
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ package models
 import "time"
 
 type Merp struct {
-	ID       int       `json:"id" orm:"auto"`
-	Content  string    `json:"content" orm:"type(json)"`
-	Created  time.Time `orm:"auto_now_add;type(datetime)"`
-	RemoteIP string    `json:"remoteIP" orm:"size(128)"`
-	Thing    string    `json:"thing" orm:"size(128)"`
+	ID       int       `json:"id" orm:"auto;column(id)"`
+	Content  string    `json:"content" orm:"type(jsonb);column(content)"`
+	Created  time.Time `orm:"auto_now_add;type(datetime);column(created)"`
+	RemoteIP string    `json:"remoteIP" orm:"size(128);column(remoteip)"`
+	Thing    string    `json:"thing" orm:"size(256)"`
+	UUID     string    `json:"uuid" orm:"size(36);column(uuid)"`
 }