diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b74bc5a..af268c2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 data/
 .fsdb
 public/files/*
-.vscode/*
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/api/users/index.ts b/public/api/users/index.ts
index 435a4ca..0e8cb98 100644
--- a/public/api/users/index.ts
+++ b/public/api/users/index.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import * as CANNED_RESPONSES from '../../../utils/canned_responses.ts';
 import * as bcrypt from '@da/bcrypt';
 import { INVITE_CODE, INVITE_CODES } from '../../../models/invites.ts';
 
-
 // TODO: figure out a better solution for doling out permissions
 const DEFAULT_USER_PERMISSIONS: string[] = [
 	'files.write.own',
@@ -37,14 +36,6 @@ const DEFAULT_USER_PERMISSIONS: string[] = [
 	'watches.write.own'
 ];
 
-// TODO: figure out a better solution for doling out permissions
-const DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_PERMISSIONS: string[] = [
-   ...DEFAULT_USER_PERMISSIONS,
-	 'topics.create',
-	 'topics.delete',
-	 'topics.write',
-];
-
 export const PRECHECKS: PRECHECK_TABLE = {};
 
 // GET /api/users - get users
@@ -129,7 +120,7 @@ export async function POST(req: Request, meta: Record<string, any>): Promise<Res
 		const at_least_one_existing_user = (await USERS.all({
 			limit: 1,
 			offset: 0
-		})).shift();
+		})).shift()?.load();
 
 		let root_invite_code_secret = undefined;
 		if (!at_least_one_existing_user) {
@@ -210,10 +201,6 @@ export async function POST(req: Request, meta: Record<string, any>): Promise<Res
 			}
 		};
 
-		if (!at_least_one_existing_user) {
-			user.permissions = DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_PERMISSIONS;
-		}
-
 		await USERS.create(user);
 
 		// automatically salted
diff --git a/public/base.css b/public/base.css
index 350190d..64ae1d2 100644
--- a/public/base.css
+++ b/public/base.css
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 	--border-highlight: hsl(from var(--base-color) h 50% 75%);
 
 	--icon-scale: 1;
-	--border-radius: 12px;
+	--border-radius: 4px;
 }
 
 @media (prefers-color-scheme: light) {
diff --git a/public/signup_login_wall.html b/public/signup_login_wall.html
index e252cdc..0755c32 100644
--- a/public/signup_login_wall.html
+++ b/public/signup_login_wall.html
@@ -35,11 +35,9 @@
 			width: 95%;
 			min-height: 24rem;
 			position: relative;
-			background: hsl(from var(--bg) h s calc(l/1.1));
+			background: hsl(from var(--bg) h s 15);
 			max-width: 40em;
 			margin: 0 auto;
-			border-radius: var(--border-radius);
-			overflow: hidden;
 		}
 
 		#signup-login-wall form {
@@ -140,6 +138,7 @@
 								id="signup-invite-code"
 								type="text"
 								name="invite_code"
+								required
 							/>
 							<label class="placeholder" for="signup-invite-code">invite code</label>
 						</div>