diff --git a/relay/database.py b/relay/database.py
index 03e2719..11a1139 100644
--- a/relay/database.py
+++ b/relay/database.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import asyncio
+import time
+import threading
 import logging
 import urllib.parse
 import simplejson as json
@@ -33,11 +34,13 @@ DATABASE['relay-list'] = following
 if 'actors' in DATABASE:
     DATABASE.pop('actors')
 
-async def database_save():
+def database_save():
+    global DATABASE
+    time.sleep(60)
     while True:
+        logging.info('written database file {}'.format(CONFIG['db']))
         with open(CONFIG['db'], 'w') as f:
             json.dump(DATABASE, f)
-        await asyncio.sleep(30)
+        time.sleep(1800)
 
-
-asyncio.ensure_future(database_save())
+threading.Thread(target=database_save).start()
diff --git a/relay/http_signatures.py b/relay/http_signatures.py
index 377f468..075247c 100644
--- a/relay/http_signatures.py
+++ b/relay/http_signatures.py
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ async def fetch_actor_key(actor):
 
 
 async def validate(actor, request):
+    print(actor)
     pubkey = await fetch_actor_key(actor)
     if not pubkey:
         return False
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ async def http_signatures_middleware(app, handler):
                 raise aiohttp.web.HTTPUnauthorized(body='signature check failed, no actor in message')
 
             actor = data["actor"]
+            print(data)
             if not (await validate(actor, request)):
                 logging.info('Signature validation failed for: %r', actor)
                 raise aiohttp.web.HTTPUnauthorized(body='signature check failed, signature did not match key')