diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b8384f47..3760d7f5 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2718,6 +2718,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_json",
  "shrinkwraprs 0.3.0",
  "tantivy",
+ "tokio 0.2.20",
  "url 2.1.1",
  "walkdir",
  "webfinger",
diff --git a/plume-models/Cargo.toml b/plume-models/Cargo.toml
index 94b5c1a1..5d7f6ef5 100644
--- a/plume-models/Cargo.toml
+++ b/plume-models/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ serde = "1.0"
 serde_derive = "1.0"
 serde_json = "1.0"
 tantivy = "0.10.1"
+tokio = "0.2"
 url = "2.1"
 walkdir = "2.2"
 webfinger = "0.5"
diff --git a/plume-models/src/follows.rs b/plume-models/src/follows.rs
index d371e04e..4dd0c58e 100644
--- a/plume-models/src/follows.rs
+++ b/plume-models/src/follows.rs
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ impl Follow {
 
     /// from -> The one sending the follow request
     /// target -> The target of the request, responding with Accept
-    pub fn accept_follow<A: Signer + IntoId + Clone, B: Clone + AsActor<T> + IntoId, T>(
+    pub fn accept_follow<A: Signer + IntoId + Clone + Sync, B: Clone + AsActor<T> + IntoId, T>(
         conn: &Connection,
         from: &B,
-        target: &A,
+        target: &'static A,
         follow: FollowAct,
         from_id: i32,
         target_id: i32,
diff --git a/plume-models/src/medias.rs b/plume-models/src/medias.rs
index 7cae530a..6c401366 100644
--- a/plume-models/src/medias.rs
+++ b/plume-models/src/medias.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use plume_common::{
 };
 use reqwest;
 use std::{fs, path::Path};
+use tokio::prelude::*;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Identifiable, Queryable)]
 pub struct Media {
@@ -197,7 +198,7 @@ impl Media {
     }
 
     // TODO: merge with save_remote?
-    pub fn from_activity(c: &PlumeRocket, image: &Image) -> Result<Media> {
+    pub async fn from_activity(c: &PlumeRocket, image: &Image) -> Result<Media> {
         let conn = &*c.conn;
         let remote_url = image.object_props.url_string().ok()?;
         let ext = remote_url
@@ -211,11 +212,12 @@ impl Media {
             ext
         ));
 
-        let mut dest = fs::File::create(path.clone()).ok()?;
-        reqwest::get(remote_url.as_str())
-            .ok()?
-            .copy_to(&mut dest)
-            .ok()?;
+        let mut dest = tokio::fs::File::create(path.clone()).await?;
+        let contents = reqwest::get(remote_url.as_str())
+            .await?
+            .bytes()
+            .await?;
+        dest.write_all(&contents).await?;
 
         Media::insert(
             conn,
diff --git a/plume-models/src/users.rs b/plume-models/src/users.rs
index 5d1dd5fa..b6309acc 100644
--- a/plume-models/src/users.rs
+++ b/plume-models/src/users.rs
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ impl User {
 
     fn fetch(url: &str) -> Result<CustomPerson> {
         let mut res = ClientBuilder::new()
-            .connect_timeout(Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)))
+            .connect_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
             .build()?
             .get(url)
             .header(
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ impl User {
     }
     fn fetch_outbox_page<T: Activity>(&self, url: &str) -> Result<(Vec<T>, Option<String>)> {
         let mut res = ClientBuilder::new()
-            .connect_timeout(Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)))
+            .connect_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
             .build()?
             .get(url)
             .header(
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ impl User {
     }
     pub fn fetch_outbox<T: Activity>(&self) -> Result<Vec<T>> {
         let mut res = ClientBuilder::new()
-            .connect_timeout(Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)))
+            .connect_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
             .build()?
             .get(&self.outbox_url[..])
             .header(
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ impl User {
 
     pub fn fetch_followers_ids(&self) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
         let mut res = ClientBuilder::new()
-            .connect_timeout(Some(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5)))
+            .connect_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
             .build()?
             .get(&self.followers_endpoint[..])
             .header(