diff --git a/appview/db/spindle.go b/appview/db/spindle.go
index c995c30b..0865de78 100644
--- a/appview/db/spindle.go
+++ b/appview/db/spindle.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func GetSpindles(e Execer, filters ...filter) ([]Spindle, error) {
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var spindle Spindle
 		var createdAt string
-		var verified sql.NullTime
+		var verified sql.NullString
 
 		if err := rows.Scan(
 			&spindle.Id,
@@ -69,7 +69,12 @@ func GetSpindles(e Execer, filters ...filter) ([]Spindle, error) {
 		}
 
 		if verified.Valid {
-			spindle.Verified = &verified.Time
+			t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, verified.String)
+			if err != nil {
+				now := time.Now()
+				spindle.Verified = &now
+			}
+			spindle.Verified = &t
 		}
 
 		spindles = append(spindles, spindle)
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
index 7b912712..d1fa0167 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/new.html
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@
     </fieldset>
 
     <div class="space-y-2">
-      <button type="submit" class="btn flex gap-2 items-center">
+      <button type="submit" class="btn flex items-center">
         create repo
         <span id="spinner" class="group">
-          {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
+          {{ i "loader-circle" "ml-2 w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
         </span>
       </button>
       <div id="repo" class="error"></div>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
index 00c87cf6..4e06e0a2 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/settings.html
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 
     {{ if .RepoInfo.Roles.IsOwner }}
     <form
-        hx-put="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/settings/spindle"
+        hx-post="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/settings/spindle"
         class="mt-6 group"
     >
         <label for="spindle">spindle</label>
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
                     <option
                         value="{{ . }}"
                         class="py-1"
-                        {{ if .eq . $.Repo.Spindle }}
+                        {{ if eq . $.CurrentSpindle }}
                             selected
                         {{ end }}
                     >
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
         <button class="btn my-2 flex items-center" type="text">
             <span>delete</span>
             <span id="delete-repo-spinner" class="group">
-              {{ i "loader-circle" "pl-2 w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
+              {{ i "loader-circle" "ml-2 w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
             </span>
         </button>
         <span>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/spindles/fragments/spindleListing.html b/appview/pages/templates/spindles/fragments/spindleListing.html
index f1ec8e2b..f78ffd8b 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/spindles/fragments/spindleListing.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/spindles/fragments/spindleListing.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   <button
     class="btn text-red-500 hover:text-red-700 dark:text-red-400 dark:hover:text-red-300 gap-2 group"
     title="Delete spindle"
-    hx-delete="/spindles/{{ urlquery .Instance }}"
+    hx-delete="/spindles/{{ .Instance }}"
     hx-swap="outerHTML"
     hx-target="#spindle-{{.Id}}"
     hx-confirm="Are you sure you want to delete the spindle '{{ .Instance }}'?"
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
   <button
     class="btn gap-2 group"
     title="Retry spindle verification"
-    hx-post="/spindles/{{ urlquery .Instance }}/retry"
+    hx-post="/spindles/{{ .Instance }}/retry"
     hx-swap="none"
     hx-target="#spindle-{{.Id}}"
   >
diff --git a/appview/repo/repo.go b/appview/repo/repo.go
index 5cd442eb..4ee8504f 100644
--- a/appview/repo/repo.go
+++ b/appview/repo/repo.go
@@ -1108,6 +1108,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) RepoSettings(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		// all spindles that this user is a member of
 		spindles, err := rp.enforcer.GetSpindlesForUser(user.Did)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println("failed to fetch spindles", err)
diff --git a/appview/spindles/spindles.go b/appview/spindles/spindles.go
index a480a6eb..37289efa 100644
--- a/appview/spindles/spindles.go
+++ b/appview/spindles/spindles.go
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ func (s *Spindles) spindles(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.Logger.Error("failed to fetch spindles", "err", err)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
 	}
 
 	s.Pages.Spindles(w, pages.SpindlesParams{
@@ -150,6 +152,45 @@ func (s *Spindles) register(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	tx, err = s.Db.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to commit verification info", "err", err)
+		s.Pages.HxRefresh(w)
+		return
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		tx.Rollback()
+		s.Enforcer.E.LoadPolicy()
+	}()
+
+	// mark this spindle as verified in the db
+	_, err = db.VerifySpindle(
+		tx,
+		db.FilterEq("owner", user.Did),
+		db.FilterEq("instance", instance),
+	)
+
+	err = s.Enforcer.AddSpindleOwner(instance, user.Did)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to update ACL", "err", err)
+		s.Pages.HxRefresh(w)
+		return
+	}
+
+	err = tx.Commit()
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to commit verification info", "err", err)
+		s.Pages.HxRefresh(w)
+		return
+	}
+
+	err = s.Enforcer.E.SavePolicy()
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to update ACL", "err", err)
+		s.Pages.HxRefresh(w)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// ok
 	s.Pages.HxRefresh(w)
 	return
@@ -255,6 +296,11 @@ func (s *Spindles) retry(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		db.FilterEq("owner", user.Did),
 		db.FilterEq("instance", instance),
 	)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("verification failed", "err", err)
+		fail()
+		return
+	}
 
 	verifiedSpindle := db.Spindle{
 		Id:       int(rowId),
diff --git a/spindle/ingester.go b/spindle/ingester.go
index 4a5da90f..a144747d 100644
--- a/spindle/ingester.go
+++ b/spindle/ingester.go
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ func (s *Spindle) ingestMember(_ context.Context, e *models.Event) error {
 		if s.cfg.Server.Dev {
 			domain = s.cfg.Server.ListenAddr
 		}
-		recordInstance := *record.Instance
+		recordInstance := record.Instance
 
 		if recordInstance != domain {
 			l.Error("domain mismatch", "domain", recordInstance, "expected", domain)
-			return fmt.Errorf("domain mismatch: %s != %s", *record.Instance, domain)
+			return fmt.Errorf("domain mismatch: %s != %s", record.Instance, domain)
 		}
 
 		ok, err := s.e.E.Enforce(did, rbacDomain, rbacDomain, "server:invite")
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ func (s *Spindle) ingestRepo(_ context.Context, e *models.Event) error {
 
 	l := s.l.With("component", "ingester", "record", tangled.RepoNSID)
 
+	l.Info("ingesting repo record")
+
 	switch e.Commit.Operation {
 	case models.CommitOperationCreate, models.CommitOperationUpdate:
 		raw := e.Commit.Record
@@ -106,17 +108,16 @@ func (s *Spindle) ingestRepo(_ context.Context, e *models.Event) error {
 		}
 
 		domain := s.cfg.Server.Hostname
-		if s.cfg.Server.Dev {
-			domain = s.cfg.Server.ListenAddr
-		}
 
 		// no spindle configured for this repo
 		if record.Spindle == nil {
+			l.Info("no spindle configured", "did", record.Owner, "name", record.Name)
 			return nil
 		}
 
 		// this repo did not want this spindle
 		if *record.Spindle != domain {
+			l.Info("different spindle configured", "did", record.Owner, "name", record.Name, "spindle", *record.Spindle, "domain", domain)
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/spindle/server.go b/spindle/server.go
index 14c3741f..339c3035 100644
--- a/spindle/server.go
+++ b/spindle/server.go
@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	jq := queue.NewQueue(100, 2)
 
-	collections := []string{tangled.SpindleMemberNSID}
+	collections := []string{
+		tangled.SpindleMemberNSID,
+		tangled.RepoNSID,
+	}
 	jc, err := jetstream.NewJetstreamClient(cfg.Server.JetstreamEndpoint, "spindle", collections, nil, logger, d, false, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to setup jetstream client: %w", err)
@@ -140,6 +143,9 @@ func (s *Spindle) Router() http.Handler {
 	mux := chi.NewRouter()
 
 	mux.HandleFunc("/events", s.Events)
+	mux.HandleFunc("/owner", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.Write([]byte(s.cfg.Server.Owner))
+	})
 	mux.HandleFunc("/logs/{knot}/{rkey}/{name}", s.Logs)
 	return mux
 }