diff --git a/.woodpecker/build-and-publish.yml b/.woodpecker/build-and-publish.yml
index 98c7614..6001a00 100644
--- a/.woodpecker/build-and-publish.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker/build-and-publish.yml
@@ -23,3 +23,17 @@ steps:
     when:
     - branch: main
       event: push
+
+  - name: container-build-and-publish (staging)
+    image: docker
+    commands:
+      - docker login --username radical --password $PASSWORD git.gorb.app
+      - docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 --rm --push -t git.gorb.app/gorb/frontend:staging .
+    environment:
+      PASSWORD:
+        from_secret: docker_password
+    volumes:
+      - /var/run/podman/podman.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
+    when:
+    - branch: staging
+      event: push
diff --git a/app.vue b/app.vue
index 6f6eae0..d7ea4c4 100644
--- a/app.vue
+++ b/app.vue
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 <template>
-  <div>
-    <Banner v-if="banner" />
-    <NuxtPage :keepalive="true" />
-  </div>
+	<div>
+		<Banner v-if="banner" />
+		<NuxtPage :keepalive="true" />
+	</div>
 </template>
 
 <script lang="ts" setup>
+import loadPreferredTheme from '~/utils/loadPreferredTheme';
+
 const banner = useState("banner", () => false);
 
 onMounted(() => {
+	loadPreferredTheme()
+
 	document.removeEventListener("contextmenu", contextMenuHandler);
 	document.addEventListener("contextmenu", (e) => {
 		if (e.target instanceof Element && e.target.classList.contains("default-contextmenu")) return;
@@ -48,15 +52,6 @@ function contextMenuHandler(e: MouseEvent) {
 	//]);
 }
 
-const currentTheme = settingsLoad().selectedThemeId ?? "dark"
-const baseURL = useRuntimeConfig().app.baseURL;
-
-useHead({
-  link: [{
-		rel: "stylesheet",
-		href: `${baseURL}themes/${currentTheme}.css`
-	}]
-})
 </script>
 
 <style>
diff --git a/components/Me/FriendsList.vue b/components/Me/FriendsList.vue
index 654957d..0a1481e 100644
--- a/components/Me/FriendsList.vue
+++ b/components/Me/FriendsList.vue
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
 <script lang="ts" setup>
 const { fetchFriends } = useApi();
 
-const friends = await fetchFriends().then((response) => {
-	return response.sort((a, b) => getDisplayName(a).localeCompare(getDisplayName(b)))
-})
+const friends = sortUsers(await fetchFriends())
 
 const props = defineProps<{
     variant: string
diff --git a/components/Settings/AppSettings/Appearance.vue b/components/Settings/AppSettings/Appearance.vue
index b81929f..579ccdd 100644
--- a/components/Settings/AppSettings/Appearance.vue
+++ b/components/Settings/AppSettings/Appearance.vue
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@
 <script lang="ts" setup>
 import RadioButtons from '~/components/UserInterface/RadioButtons.vue';
 import type { TimeFormat } from '~/types/settings';
+import loadPreferredTheme from '~/utils/loadPreferredTheme';
 import settingSave from '~/utils/settingSave';
 
 const runtimeConfig = useRuntimeConfig()
 const defaultThemes = runtimeConfig.public.defaultThemes
 const baseURL = runtimeConfig.app.baseURL;
 const timeFormatTextStrings = ["Auto", "12-Hour", "24-Hour"]
-let themeLinkElement: HTMLLinkElement | null = null;
 
 const themes: Array<Theme> = []
 
@@ -51,20 +51,8 @@ interface Theme {
 }
 
 function changeTheme(id: string, url: string) {
-  if (themeLinkElement && themeLinkElement.getAttribute('href') === `${baseURL}themes/${url}`) {
-    return;
-  }
-
   settingSave("selectedThemeId", id)
-
-  // if the theme didn't originally load for some reason, create it
-  if (!themeLinkElement) {
-    themeLinkElement = document.createElement('link');
-    themeLinkElement.rel = 'stylesheet';
-    document.head.appendChild(themeLinkElement);
-  }
-
-  themeLinkElement.href = `${baseURL}themes/${url}`;
+  loadPreferredTheme()
 }
 
 async function fetchThemes() {
diff --git a/components/User/UserPopup.vue b/components/User/UserPopup.vue
index 86b5a48..6674c9e 100644
--- a/components/User/UserPopup.vue
+++ b/components/User/UserPopup.vue
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@
 <script lang="ts" setup>
 import type { UserResponse } from '~/types/interfaces';
 
-const { fetchMembers } = useApi();
-
 const props = defineProps<{
 	user: UserResponse
 }>();
diff --git a/composables/api.ts b/composables/api.ts
index 1a38476..eff2c73 100644
--- a/composables/api.ts
+++ b/composables/api.ts
@@ -1,24 +1,36 @@
 import type { ChannelResponse, GuildMemberResponse, GuildResponse, MessageResponse, StatsResponse, UserResponse } from "~/types/interfaces";
 
+function ensureIsArray(list: any) {
+	if (Array.isArray(list)) {
+		return list
+	} else {
+		return []
+	}
+}
+
 export const useApi = () => {
-	async function fetchGuilds(): Promise<GuildResponse[] | undefined> {
-		return await fetchWithApi(`/guilds`);
+	async function fetchGuilds(): Promise<GuildResponse[]> {
+		return ensureIsArray(await fetchWithApi(`/guilds`));
 	}
 	
 	async function fetchGuild(guildId: string): Promise<GuildResponse | undefined> {
 		return await fetchWithApi(`/guilds/${guildId}`);
 	}
 
-	async function fetchChannels(guildId: string): Promise<ChannelResponse[] | undefined> {
-		return await fetchWithApi(`/guilds/${guildId}/channels`);
+	async function fetchMyGuilds(): Promise<GuildResponse[]> {
+		return ensureIsArray(await fetchWithApi(`/me/guilds`));
+	}
+
+	async function fetchChannels(guildId: string): Promise<ChannelResponse[]> {
+		return ensureIsArray(await fetchWithApi(`/guilds/${guildId}/channels`));
 	}
 
 	async function fetchChannel(channelId: string): Promise<ChannelResponse | undefined> {
 		return await fetchWithApi(`/channels/${channelId}`)
 	}
 
-	async function fetchMembers(guildId: string): Promise<GuildMemberResponse[] | undefined> {
-		return await fetchWithApi(`/guilds/${guildId}/members`);
+	async function fetchMembers(guildId: string): Promise<GuildMemberResponse[]> {
+		return ensureIsArray(await fetchWithApi(`/guilds/${guildId}/members`));
 	}
 
 	async function fetchMember(guildId: string, memberId: string): Promise<GuildMemberResponse | undefined> {
@@ -34,12 +46,7 @@ export const useApi = () => {
 	}
 	
 	async function fetchFriends(): Promise<UserResponse[]> {
-		const response = await fetchWithApi('/me/friends')
-		if (Array.isArray(response)) {
-			return response
-		} else {
-			return []
-		}
+		return ensureIsArray(await fetchWithApi('/me/friends'));
 	}
 
 	async function addFriend(username: string): Promise<void> {
@@ -90,6 +97,7 @@ export const useApi = () => {
 	return {
 		fetchGuilds,
 		fetchGuild,
+		fetchMyGuilds,
 		fetchChannels,
 		fetchChannel,
 		fetchMembers,
diff --git a/layouts/client.vue b/layouts/client.vue
index 8004c6f..48a7f66 100644
--- a/layouts/client.vue
+++ b/layouts/client.vue
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ const options = [
 						if (invite.length == 6) {
 							try {
 								const joinedGuild = await api.joinGuild(invite);
-								guilds?.push(joinedGuild);
+								guilds.push(joinedGuild);
 								return await navigateTo(`/servers/${joinedGuild.uuid}`);
 							} catch (error) {
 								alert(`Couldn't use invite: ${error}`);
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ const options = [
 	}
 ];
 
-const guilds: GuildResponse[] | undefined = await fetchWithApi("/me/guilds");
+const guilds = await api.fetchMyGuilds();
 
 function createDropdown() {
 	const dropdown = h(GuildDropdown, { options });
diff --git a/middleware/server.ts b/middleware/server.ts
index 9f575b0..48bd6a2 100644
--- a/middleware/server.ts
+++ b/middleware/server.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ export default defineNuxtRouteMiddleware(async (to, from) => {
 
 	const guildId = to.params.serverId as string;
 
-	const channels: ChannelResponse[] | undefined = await fetchChannels(guildId);
+	const channels: ChannelResponse[] = await fetchChannels(guildId);
 	console.log("channels:", channels);
 
-	if (channels && channels.length > 0) {
+	if (channels.length > 0) {
 		console.log("wah");
 		return await navigateTo(`/servers/${guildId}/channels/${channels[0].uuid}`, { replace: true });
 	}
diff --git a/pages/servers/[serverId]/channels/[channelId].vue b/pages/servers/[serverId]/channels/[channelId].vue
index 89d5ca4..00d4ebe 100644
--- a/pages/servers/[serverId]/channels/[channelId].vue
+++ b/pages/servers/[serverId]/channels/[channelId].vue
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ onActivated(async () => {
 });
 
 async function setArrayVariables() {
-	members.value = await fetchMembers(route.params.serverId as string);
+	members.value = sortMembers(await fetchMembers(route.params.serverId as string))
 	const guildUrl = `guilds/${route.params.serverId}`;
 	channels.value = await fetchWithApi(`${guildUrl}/channels`);
 	console.log("channels:", channels.value);
diff --git a/utils/getDisplayName.ts b/utils/getDisplayName.ts
index e712555..015edbc 100644
--- a/utils/getDisplayName.ts
+++ b/utils/getDisplayName.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { GuildMemberResponse, UserResponse } from "~/types/interfaces";
 
-export function getDisplayName(user: UserResponse, member?: GuildMemberResponse): string {
+export default (user: UserResponse, member?: GuildMemberResponse): string => {
 	if (member?.nickname) return member.nickname
 	if (user.display_name) return user.display_name
 	return user.username
diff --git a/utils/hashing.ts b/utils/hashPassword.ts
similarity index 84%
rename from utils/hashing.ts
rename to utils/hashPassword.ts
index 847a9dc..d87af14 100644
--- a/utils/hashing.ts
+++ b/utils/hashPassword.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export async function hashPassword(password: string) {
+export default async (password: string) => {
   const encodedPass = new TextEncoder().encode(password);
   const hashBuffer = await crypto.subtle.digest("SHA-384", encodedPass);
   const hashArray = Array.from(new Uint8Array(hashBuffer));
diff --git a/utils/loadPreferredTheme.ts b/utils/loadPreferredTheme.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6eb8099
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/loadPreferredTheme.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+let themeLinkElement: HTMLLinkElement | null;
+
+export default function loadPreferredTheme() {
+  const currentTheme = settingsLoad().selectedThemeId ?? "dark"
+
+  if (themeLinkElement) {
+    themeLinkElement.href = getThemeUrl(currentTheme);
+  } else {
+    // create the theme link if one doesn't already exist
+    useHead({
+      link: [{
+        id: "main-theme",
+        rel: "stylesheet",
+        href: getThemeUrl(currentTheme)
+      }]
+    })
+
+    themeLinkElement = document.getElementById('main-theme') as HTMLLinkElement;
+  }
+}
+
+function getThemeUrl(id: string): string {
+  const runtimeConfig = useRuntimeConfig()
+  const baseURL = runtimeConfig.app.baseURL;
+
+  // this should preferrably use version hash, but that's not implemented yet
+  return `${baseURL}themes/${id}.css?v=${runtimeConfig.public.buildTimeString}`
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/sortMembers.ts b/utils/sortMembers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87a1a2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/sortMembers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import type { GuildMemberResponse } from "~/types/interfaces";
+
+export default (members: GuildMemberResponse[]): GuildMemberResponse[] => {
+	return members.sort((a, b) => {
+		return getDisplayName(a.user, a).localeCompare(getDisplayName(b.user, b))
+	})
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/sortUsers.ts b/utils/sortUsers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8708366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/sortUsers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import type { UserResponse } from "~/types/interfaces";
+
+export default (users: UserResponse[]): UserResponse[] => {
+	return users.sort((a, b) => {
+		return getDisplayName(a).localeCompare(getDisplayName(b))
+	})
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/validateUsername.ts b/utils/validateUsername.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9066df5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/validateUsername.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default (username: string) => {
+  return /^[\w.-]+$/.test(username);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/validation.ts b/utils/validation.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 48e13ef..0000000
--- a/utils/validation.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-export function validateUsername(username: string) {
-  return /^[\w.-]+$/.test(username);
-}
\ No newline at end of file