diff --git a/database.sql b/database.sql
index 545ffe4..a1e3720 100644
--- a/database.sql
+++ b/database.sql
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --
--- File generated with SQLiteStudio v3.4.4 on Sun. May 7 22:15:23 2023
+-- File generated with SQLiteStudio v3.4.4 on Mon. May 8 03:12:22 2023
 --
 -- Text encoding used: UTF-8
 --
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ BEGIN TRANSACTION;
 -- Table: categories
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS categories;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS categories (
+CREATE TABLE categories (
     cat_id   INTEGER NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK
                      UNIQUE ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     cat_name TEXT,
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS categories (
 -- Table: posts
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS posts;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS posts (
+CREATE TABLE posts (
     post_id   INTEGER NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK
                       UNIQUE ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     user_id   INTEGER NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS posts (
 -- Table: sessions
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS sessions;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (
-    user_id        INTEGER        PRIMARY KEY
-                                  REFERENCES users (user_id) 
-                                  NOT NULL,
+CREATE TABLE sessions (
     session_key    TEXT           NOT NULL
-                                  UNIQUE,
+                                  UNIQUE
+                                  PRIMARY KEY,
+    user_id        INTEGER        REFERENCES users (user_id) 
+                                  NOT NULL,
     session_expiry NUMERIC        NOT NULL,
     is_ip_bound    INTEGER (1, 1) NOT NULL
                                   DEFAULT (0),
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sessions (
 -- Table: subforums
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS subforums;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subforums (
+CREATE TABLE subforums (
     subf_id   INTEGER PRIMARY KEY
                       UNIQUE ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK
                       NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS subforums (
 -- Table: threads
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS threads;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS threads (
+CREATE TABLE threads (
     thread_id    INTEGER NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     thread_title TEXT    NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     thread_subf  INTEGER REFERENCES categories (cat_id),
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS threads (
 -- Table: users
 DROP TABLE IF EXISTS users;
 
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
+CREATE TABLE users (
     user_id     INTEGER NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK
                         UNIQUE ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     username    TEXT    NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
                         NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     password    TEXT    NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
     salt        TEXT    NOT NULL ON CONFLICT ROLLBACK,
-    signup_date REAL    NOT NULL,
+    signup_date INTEGER NOT NULL,
     PRIMARY KEY (
         user_id AUTOINCREMENT
     )
diff --git a/lib/CharmBoard.pm b/lib/CharmBoard.pm
index 47698fc..f6c438b 100644
--- a/lib/CharmBoard.pm
+++ b/lib/CharmBoard.pm
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 package CharmBoard;
+use experimental 'try', 'smartmatch';
 use Mojo::Base 'Mojolicious', -signatures;
 use CharmBoard::Schema;
 
diff --git a/lib/CharmBoard/Controller/Auth.pm b/lib/CharmBoard/Controller/Auth.pm
index dd8a244..ee2eefa 100644
--- a/lib/CharmBoard/Controller/Auth.pm
+++ b/lib/CharmBoard/Controller/Auth.pm
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 package CharmBoard::Controller::Auth;
+use experimental 'try', 'smartmatch';
 use Mojo::Base 'Mojolicious::Controller', -signatures;
 use CharmBoard::Crypt::Password;
 use CharmBoard::Crypt::Seasoning;
@@ -8,52 +9,53 @@ sub register ($app) {
   $app->render(
     template => 'register',
     error    => $app->flash('error'),
-    message  => $app->flash('message')
-  )};
+    message  => $app->flash('message'))};
 
 # process submitted registration form
-# TODO: implement email validation here at some point
 sub register_do ($app) { 
   my $username        = $app->param('username');
   my $email           = $app->param('email');
   my $password        = $app->param('password');
   my $confirmPassword = $app->param('confirm-password');
 
-  # check to make sure all required fields are filled
-  if (! $username || ! $password || ! $confirmPassword) {
-    $app->flash(error => 'All fields required.');
-    $app->redirect_to('register')};
+  my $catchError;
 
-  # check to make sure both passwords match
-  # TODO: add check on frontend for this for people with JS enabled
-  if ($confirmPassword ne $password) {
-    $app->flash(error => 'Passwords do not match.');
-    $app->redirect_to('register')};
+  # declare vars used through multiple try/catch blocks with
+  # 'our' so they work throughout the entire subroutine
+  our ($userCheck, $emailCheck, $salt, $hash);
 
-  # check to make sure username and/or email isn't already in use;
-  # if not, continue with registration
-  ## search for input username and email in database
-  my $userCheck  = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({username => $username})->single;
-  my $emailCheck = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({email => $email})->single;
+  try { # make sure registration info is valid
+    # TODO: implement email validation here at some point
 
-  if ($userCheck || $emailCheck) {
-    if ($userCheck && $emailCheck) { # notify user that username and email are both already being used
-      $app->flash(error => 'Username and email already in use.');
-      $app->redirect_to('register')}
+    # check to make sure all required fields are filled
+    ($username, $email, $password, $confirmPassword) ne undef
+      or die "Please fill out all required fields.";
 
-    elsif ($userCheck) { # notify user that only username is already in use
-      $app->flash(error => 'Username is already in use.');
-      $app->redirect_to('register')}
+    # check to make sure both passwords match
+    # TODO: add check on frontend for this for people with JS enabled
+    $password eq $confirmPassword
+      or die "Passwords do not match";
 
-    elsif ($emailCheck) { # notify user that only email is already in use
-      $app->flash(error => 'email is already in use.');
-      $app->redirect_to('register')}}
+    # check to make sure username and/or email isn't already in use;
+    # if not, continue with registration
+    ## search for input username and email in database
+    $userCheck  = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({username => $username})->single;
+    $emailCheck = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({email => $email})->single;
 
-    else { # TODO: add more error handling here, in case SQL transact fails
-    # append pepper to pass before hashing
+    ($userCheck && $emailCheck) eq undef
+      or die "Username already in use.\nemail already in use.";
+    ($userCheck) eq undef
+      or die  "Username already in use.";
+    ($emailCheck) eq undef
+      or die "email already in use."}
+  catch ($catchError) {
+    $app->flash(error => $catchError);
+    $app->redirect_to('register');}
+
+  try {
     $password = $app->pepper . ':' . $password;
     # return hashed result + salt
-    my ($salt, $hash) = passgen($password);
+    ($salt, $hash) = passgen($password) or die;
 
     # add user info and pw/salt to DB
     $app->schema->resultset('Users')->create({
@@ -61,9 +63,15 @@ sub register_do ($app) {
       email       => $email,
       password    => $hash,
       salt        => $salt,
-      signup_date => time });
+      signup_date => time }) or die;
 
     $app->flash(message => 'User registered successfully!');
+    $app->redirect_to('register')}
+  catch ($catchError) {
+    print $catchError;
+    $app->flash(error => 'Your registration info was correct,
+      but a server error prevented you from registering.
+      This has been logged so your administrator can fix it.');
     $app->redirect_to('register')}};
 
 sub login ($app) {
@@ -76,42 +84,56 @@ sub login_do ($app) {
   my $username = $app->param('username');
   my $password = $app->pepper . ':' . $app->param('password');
 
-  try {
+  my $catchError;
+
+  # declare vars used through multiple try/catch blocks with
+  # 'our' so they work throughout the entire subroutine
+  our ($userInfo, $passCheck, $userID, $sessionKey);
+
+  try { # check user credentials first
     # check to see if user by entered username exists
-    my $userInfo = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({username => $username});
+    $userInfo = $app->schema->resultset('Users')->search({username => $username});
     $userInfo or die;
 
     # now check password validity
-    my $passCheck = passchk($userInfo->get_column('salt')->first,
+    $passCheck = passchk($userInfo->get_column('salt')->first,
       $userInfo->get_column('password')->first, $password);
-    $passCheck or die;
+    $passCheck or die;}
 
+  catch ($catchError) { # redirect to login page on fail
+    print $catchError;
+    $app->flash(error => 'Username or password incorrect.');
+    $app->redirect_to('login');}
+
+  try { # now attempt to create session
     # get user ID for session creation
-    my $userID = $userInfo->get_column('user_id')->first;
+    $userID = $userInfo->get_column('user_id')->first;
 
-    # gen session key and set expiry time
-    my $sessionKey = seasoning(16);
-    my $sessionExpiry = time + 604800;
+    # gen session key
+    $sessionKey = seasoning(16);
 
     # add session to database
     $app->schema->resultset('Session')->create({
-      user_id        => $userID,
       session_key    => $sessionKey,
-      session_expiry => $sessionExpiry,
+      user_id        => $userID,
+      session_expiry => time + 604800,
       is_ip_bound    => 0,
-      bound_ip       => undef });
+      bound_ip       => undef }) or die;
     
     # now create session cookie for user
-    $app->session(is_auth => 1);
-    $app->session(user_id => $userID);
+    $app->session(is_auth     => 1);
+    $app->session(user_id     => $userID);
     $app->session(session_key => $sessionKey);
-    $app->session(expires => $sessionExpiry);
+    $app->session(expiration  => 604800);
     
     # redirect to index upon success
     $app->redirect_to('/')}
-  catch ($error) { # redir to login page on fail
-    print $error;
-    $app->flash(error => 'Username or password incorrect.');
-    $app->redirect_to('login')}};
+    
+  catch ($catchError) { # redirect to login page on fail
+    print $catchError;
+    $app->flash(error => 'Your username and password were correct,
+      but a server error prevented you from logging in.
+      This has been logged so your administrator can fix it.');
+    $app->redirect_to('login')}}
 
 1;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/CharmBoard/Schema/Result/Session.pm b/lib/CharmBoard/Schema/Result/Session.pm
index 6c08a17..ef743ca 100644
--- a/lib/CharmBoard/Schema/Result/Session.pm
+++ b/lib/CharmBoard/Schema/Result/Session.pm
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ use base qw(DBIx::Class::Core);
 
 __PACKAGE__->table('sessions');
 __PACKAGE__->add_columns(
-  user_id        => {
-    data_type         => 'integer',
-    is_auto_increment => 0,
-    is_nullable       => 0, },
   session_key    => {
     data_type         => 'text',
     is_auto_increment => 0,
     is_nullable       => 0, },
+  user_id        => {
+    data_type         => 'integer',
+    is_auto_increment => 0,
+    is_nullable       => 0, },
   session_expiry => {
     data_type         => 'numeric',
     is_auto_increment => 0,
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ __PACKAGE__->add_columns(
     is_auto_increment => 0,
     is_nullable       => 1, });
   
-__PACKAGE__->set_primary_key('user_id');
+__PACKAGE__->set_primary_key('session_key');
 
 __PACKAGE__->belongs_to(
   user_id =>
diff --git a/script/CharmBoard b/script/CharmBoard
index b786670..1d01019 100755
--- a/script/CharmBoard
+++ b/script/CharmBoard
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env perl
-
+use experimental 'try', 'smartmatch';
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 use utf8;