diff --git a/app/Actions/ActionsFriends.php b/app/Actions/ActionsFriends.php
index 8c9a31e..e15171c 100644
--- a/app/Actions/ActionsFriends.php
+++ b/app/Actions/ActionsFriends.php
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ namespace App\Actions;
 
 use GuzzleHttp\Client;
 
+use App\Models\User;
+
 use App\Types\TypeActor;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 
@@ -33,6 +35,36 @@ class ActionsFriends {
         return ["success" => "Friend added"];
     }
 
+    public static function force_friendship (User $user1, User $user2)
+    {
+        $actor1 = $user1->actor ()->first ();
+        $actor2 = $user2->actor ()->first ();
+
+        try {
+            $client = new Client ();
+            $response = $client->post ($actor1->outbox, [
+                "json" => [
+                    "type" => "Follow",
+                    "object" => $actor2->actor_id
+                ]
+            ]);
+
+            $response = $client->post ($actor2->outbox, [
+                "json" => [
+                    "type" => "Follow",
+                    "object" => $actor1->actor_id
+                ]
+            ]);
+        }
+        catch (\Exception $e)
+        {
+            Log::error ("Error adding friend: " . $e->getMessage ());
+            return ["error" => "Error adding friend"];
+        }
+
+        return ["success" => "Friend added"];
+    }
+
     public static function remove_friend ($target)
     {
         if (!auth ()->check ())
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/AP/APInboxController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/AP/APInboxController.php
index 5750dee..579c8df 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/AP/APInboxController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/AP/APInboxController.php
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ class APInboxController extends Controller
 
     private function handle_follow (User $user, $activity)
     {
+        if (TypeActivity::activity_exists ($activity["id"]))
+            return response ()->json (["error" => "Activity already exists",], 409);
+
         $actor = TypeActor::actor_exists_or_obtain ($activity ["actor"]);
 
         $target = TypeActor::actor_get_local ($activity ["object"]);
@@ -63,7 +66,6 @@ class APInboxController extends Controller
 
         $activity ["activity_id"] = $activity ["id"];
 
-        // there's no follows model, it'll be handled with the activity model
         $act = Activity::create ($activity);
 
         $follow = Follow::create ([
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
index 03dca85..bcc3447 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/UserController.php
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 use App\Models\User;
 use App\Models\Actor;
 
+use App\Actions\ActionsFriends;
+
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 
 class UserController extends Controller
@@ -32,6 +34,11 @@ class UserController extends Controller
         $actor->create_from_user ($user);
         auth ()->login ($user);
 
+        // create a friendship between the new user and the admin
+        $admin = User::where ("is_admin", 1)->first ();
+        if ($admin)
+            ActionsFriends::force_friendship ($user, $admin);
+
         return redirect ()->route ("home")->with ("success", "You have successfuly signed up!");
     }
 
diff --git a/database/migrations/2025_01_05_214435_add_fields_to_users_table.php b/database/migrations/2025_01_05_214435_add_fields_to_users_table.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc29fc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2025_01_05_214435_add_fields_to_users_table.php
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Run the migrations.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->boolean ("is_admin")->default (false);
+            $table->boolean ("is_mod")->default (false);
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reverse the migrations.
+     */
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        Schema::table('users', function (Blueprint $table) {
+            $table->dropColumn ("is_admin");
+            $table->dropColumn ("is_mod");
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/resources/views/components/user_block.blade.php b/resources/views/components/user_block.blade.php
index 884b92b..38d0053 100644
--- a/resources/views/components/user_block.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/components/user_block.blade.php
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@
         <p>{{ $user->name }}</p>
     </a>
     <a href="{{ route ('users.show', [ 'user_name' => $user->local_actor_id ? $user->local_actor_id : $user->name ]) }}">
-        <img loading="lazy" src="{{ $user->avatar ? $user->avatar : $user->icon }}" alt="{{ $user->name }}'s profile picture"
-            class="pfp-fallback" style="width: 100%; max-height: 95px; aspect-ratio: 1/1">
+        @if ($user instanceof App\Models\User)
+            <img loading="lazy" src="{{ $user->avatar }}" alt="{{ $user->name }}'s profile picture"
+                    class="pfp-fallback" style="width: 100%; max-height: 95px; aspect-ratio: 1/1">
+        @else
+            <img loading="lazy" src="{{ $user->user_id ? $user->user ()->first ()->avatar : $user->icon }}" alt="{{ $user->name }}'s profile picture"
+                class="pfp-fallback" style="width: 100%; max-height: 95px; aspect-ratio: 1/1">
+        @endif
     </a>
 </div>