diff --git a/srv/api/api.go b/srv/api/api.go
index adaf6a1..56f33b2 100644
--- a/srv/api/api.go
+++ b/srv/api/api.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func New(params Params) (API, error) {
 		err := a.srv.Serve(l)
 		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
 			ctx := mctx.Annotate(context.Background(), a.params)
-			params.Logger.Fatal(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", "serving http server", err))
+			params.Logger.Fatal(ctx, "serving http server", err)
 		}
 	}()
 
diff --git a/srv/cmd/mailinglist-cli/main.go b/srv/cmd/mailinglist-cli/main.go
index 4ae47fe..80fde25 100644
--- a/srv/cmd/mailinglist-cli/main.go
+++ b/srv/cmd/mailinglist-cli/main.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"path"
 
@@ -14,10 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tilinna/clock"
 )
 
-func loggerFatalErr(ctx context.Context, logger *mlog.Logger, descr string, err error) {
-	logger.Fatal(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", descr, err))
-}
-
 func main() {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	cfg := cfg.New()
@@ -42,7 +37,7 @@ func main() {
 	defer logger.Info(ctx, "process exiting")
 
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing", err)
 	}
 
 	clock := clock.Realtime()
@@ -57,7 +52,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	mlStore, err := mailinglist.NewStore(path.Join(*dataDir, "mailinglist.sqlite3"))
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing mailing list storage", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing mailing list storage", err)
 	}
 	defer mlStore.Close()
 
@@ -72,13 +67,15 @@ func main() {
 	ctx = mctx.Annotate(ctx, "subCmd", subCmd)
 
 	switch subCmd {
+
 	case "list":
+
 		for it := mlStore.GetAll(); ; {
 			email, err := it()
 			if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
 				break
 			} else if err != nil {
-				loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "retrieving next email", err)
+				logger.Fatal(ctx, "retrieving next email", err)
 			}
 
 			ctx := mctx.Annotate(context.Background(),
@@ -94,21 +91,24 @@ func main() {
 
 		title := cfg.String("title", "", "Title of the post which was published")
 		url := cfg.String("url", "", "URL of the post which was published")
-		cfg.Init(ctx)
+
+		if err := cfg.Init(ctx); err != nil {
+			logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing", err)
+		}
 
 		if *title == "" {
-			logger.Fatal(ctx, "-title is required")
+			logger.FatalString(ctx, "-title is required")
 
 		} else if *url == "" {
-			logger.Fatal(ctx, "-url is required")
+			logger.FatalString(ctx, "-url is required")
 		}
 
 		err := ml.Publish(*title, *url)
 		if err != nil {
-			loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "publishing", err)
+			logger.Fatal(ctx, "publishing", err)
 		}
 
 	default:
-		logger.Fatal(ctx, "invalid sub-command, must be list|publish")
+		logger.FatalString(ctx, "invalid sub-command, must be list|publish")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/srv/cmd/mediocre-blog/main.go b/srv/cmd/mediocre-blog/main.go
index 5f473ff..9ac1401 100644
--- a/srv/cmd/mediocre-blog/main.go
+++ b/srv/cmd/mediocre-blog/main.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"path"
@@ -20,10 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tilinna/clock"
 )
 
-func loggerFatalErr(ctx context.Context, logger *mlog.Logger, descr string, err error) {
-	logger.Fatal(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", descr, err))
-}
-
 func main() {
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -64,7 +59,7 @@ func main() {
 	defer logger.Info(ctx, "process exiting")
 
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing", err)
 	}
 
 	ctx = mctx.Annotate(ctx,
@@ -95,7 +90,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	mlStore, err := mailinglist.NewStore(path.Join(*dataDir, "mailinglist.sqlite3"))
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing mailing list storage", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing mailing list storage", err)
 	}
 	defer mlStore.Close()
 
@@ -112,7 +107,7 @@ func main() {
 	)
 
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing redis pool", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing redis pool", err)
 	}
 	defer redis.Close()
 
@@ -123,7 +118,7 @@ func main() {
 		MaxMessages: *chatGlobalRoomMaxMsgs,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing global chat room", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing global chat room", err)
 	}
 	defer chatGlobalRoom.Close()
 
@@ -138,20 +133,20 @@ func main() {
 	logger.Info(ctx, "listening")
 	a, err := api.New(apiParams)
 	if err != nil {
-		loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "initializing api", err)
+		logger.Fatal(ctx, "initializing api", err)
 	}
 	defer func() {
 		shutdownCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 
 		if err := a.Shutdown(shutdownCtx); err != nil {
-			loggerFatalErr(ctx, logger, "shutting down api", err)
+			logger.Fatal(ctx, "shutting down api", err)
 		}
 	}()
 
 	// wait
 
-	sigCh := make(chan os.Signal)
+	sigCh := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(sigCh, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	<-sigCh
 
diff --git a/srv/cmd/userid-calc-cli/userid-calc-cli b/srv/cmd/userid-calc-cli/userid-calc-cli
deleted file mode 100755
index ca18cc3..0000000
Binary files a/srv/cmd/userid-calc-cli/userid-calc-cli and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/srv/go.mod b/srv/go.mod
index 313e1fe..6a912e2 100644
--- a/srv/go.mod
+++ b/srv/go.mod
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.2 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.8
-	github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0
+	github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0.0.20220506011745-cbeee71cb1ee
 	github.com/mediocregopher/radix/v4 v4.0.0-beta.1.0.20210726230805-d62fa1b2e3cb // indirect
 	github.com/rubenv/sql-migrate v0.0.0-20210614095031-55d5740dbbcc
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0
diff --git a/srv/go.sum b/srv/go.sum
index 1c51163..77aac2e 100644
--- a/srv/go.sum
+++ b/srv/go.sum
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.8/go.mod h1:NyWgC/yNuGj7Q9rpYnZvas74GogHl5/Z4A
 github.com/matttproud/golang_protobuf_extensions v1.0.1/go.mod h1:D8He9yQNgCq6Z5Ld7szi9bcBfOoFv/3dc6xSMkL2PC0=
 github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0 h1:i9FBkcCaWXxteJ8458AD8dBL2YqSxVlpsHOMWg5N9Dc=
 github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0/go.mod h1:wOZVlnKYvIbkzyCJ3dxy1k40XkirvCd1pisX2O91qoQ=
+github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0.0.20220506011745-cbeee71cb1ee h1:AWRuhgn7iumyhPuxKwed1F1Ri2dXMwxKfp5YIdpnQIY=
+github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/v2 v2.0.0-beta.0.0.20220506011745-cbeee71cb1ee/go.mod h1:wOZVlnKYvIbkzyCJ3dxy1k40XkirvCd1pisX2O91qoQ=
 github.com/mediocregopher/radix/v4 v4.0.0-beta.1.0.20210726230805-d62fa1b2e3cb h1:7Y2vAC5q44VJzbBUdxRUEqfz88ySJ/6yXXkpQ+sxke4=
 github.com/mediocregopher/radix/v4 v4.0.0-beta.1.0.20210726230805-d62fa1b2e3cb/go.mod h1:ajchozX/6ELmydxWeWM6xCFHVpZ4+67LXHOTOVR0nCE=
 github.com/mitchellh/cli v1.1.2/go.mod h1:6iaV0fGdElS6dPBx0EApTxHrcWvmJphyh2n8YBLPPZ4=