diff --git a/httpserver/http_connection.cpp b/httpserver/http_connection.cpp
index 6b43ed3..67f18af 100644
--- a/httpserver/http_connection.cpp
+++ b/httpserver/http_connection.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ using json = nlohmann::json;
 
 using tcp = boost::asio::ip::tcp;    // from <boost/asio.hpp>
 namespace http = boost::beast::http; // from <boost/beast/http.hpp>
-namespace pt = boost::property_tree; // from <boost/property_tree/>
 using namespace service_node;
 
 /// +===========================================
@@ -229,8 +228,7 @@ void connection_t::process_request() {
 
             response_.result(http::status::ok);
         } else if (target == "/retrieve_all") {
-            bodyStream_ << service_node_.get_all_messages(boost::none);
-            response_.result(http::status::ok);
+            process_retrieve_all();
         } else if (target == "/v1/swarms/push_all") {
             response_.result(http::status::ok);
 
@@ -413,7 +411,20 @@ void connection_t::process_snodes_by_pk(const json& params) {
         return;
     }
 
-    const auto pubKey = params["pubKey"].get<std::string>();
+    auto pubKey = params["pubKey"].get<std::string>();
+
+    if (pubKey.size() != 64) {
+
+        if (pubKey.size() == 66) {
+            /// Note signal prepends `05` to each pubkey
+            pubKey = pubKey.substr(2, std::string::npos);
+        } else {
+            response_.result(http::status::bad_request);
+            bodyStream_ << "invalid json: pubKey should be 64/66 characters long";
+            BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(error) << "Bad client request: no `pubKey` field";
+            return;
+        }
+    }
 
     std::vector<sn_record_t> nodes = service_node_.get_snodes_by_pk(pubKey);
 
@@ -439,6 +450,32 @@ void connection_t::process_snodes_by_pk(const json& params) {
 
 }
 
+void connection_t::process_retrieve_all() {
+
+    std::vector<Item> all_entries;
+
+    bool res = service_node_.get_all_messages(all_entries);
+
+    if (!res) {
+        response_.result(http::status::internal_server_error);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    json messages = json::array();
+
+    for (auto& entry : all_entries) {
+        json item;
+        item["data"] = entry.bytes;
+        messages.push_back(item);
+    }
+
+    json res_body;
+    res_body["messages"] = messages;
+
+    bodyStream_ << res_body.dump();
+    response_.result(http::status::ok);
+}
+
 void connection_t::process_retrieve(const json& params) {
 
     constexpr const char* fields[] = {"pubKey", "lastHash"};
@@ -467,28 +504,28 @@ void connection_t::process_retrieve(const json& params) {
         return;
     }
 
-    pt::ptree root;
-    pt::ptree messagesNode;
+    json res_body;
+    json messages = json::array();
 
     for (const auto& item : items) {
-        pt::ptree messageNode;
-        messageNode.put("hash", item.hash);
-        messageNode.put("expiration", item.expirationTimestamp);
-        messageNode.put("data", item.bytes);
-        messagesNode.push_back(std::make_pair("", messageNode));
+        json message;
+        message["hash"] = item.hash;
+        message["expiration"] = item.expirationTimestamp;
+        message["data"] = item.bytes;
+        messages.push_back(message);
     }
-    if (messagesNode.size() != 0) {
-        root.add_child("messages", messagesNode);
-        root.put("lastHash", items.back().hash);
+
+    res_body["messages"] = messages;
+
+    if (!items.empty()) {
         BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(trace)
             << "Successfully retrieved messages for " << pubKey.substr(0, 2)
             << "..." << pubKey.substr(pubKey.length() - 3, pubKey.length() - 1);
     }
-    std::ostringstream buf;
-    pt::write_json(buf, root);
+
     response_.result(http::status::ok);
     response_.set(http::field::content_type, "application/json");
-    bodyStream_ << buf.str();
+    bodyStream_ << res_body.dump();
 }
 
 void connection_t::process_client_req() {
diff --git a/httpserver/http_connection.h b/httpserver/http_connection.h
index cc1746a..8c33b8c 100644
--- a/httpserver/http_connection.h
+++ b/httpserver/http_connection.h
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 #include <boost/beast/core.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/http.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/version.hpp>
-#include <boost/property_tree/json_parser.hpp>
-#include <boost/property_tree/ptree.hpp>
+#include <boost/format.hpp>
 #include "../external/json.hpp"
 
 template <typename T>
@@ -20,14 +19,11 @@ class ServiceNode;
 }
 
 namespace http = boost::beast::http; // from <boost/beast/http.hpp>
-namespace pt = boost::property_tree; // from <boost/property_tree/>
 
 using request_t = http::request<http::string_body>;
 
 using http_callback_t = std::function<void(std::shared_ptr<std::string>)>;
 
-using rpc_function = std::function<void(const pt::ptree&)>;
-
 namespace loki {
 
 void make_http_request(boost::asio::io_context& ioc, std::string ip,
@@ -91,7 +87,6 @@ class connection_t : public std::enable_shared_from_this<connection_t> {
 
     /// TODO: move these if possible
     std::map<std::string, std::string> header_;
-    std::map<std::string, rpc_function> rpc_endpoints_;
 
     // The timer for putting a deadline on connection processing.
     boost::asio::basic_waitable_timer<std::chrono::steady_clock> deadline_;
@@ -126,6 +121,8 @@ class connection_t : public std::enable_shared_from_this<connection_t> {
 
     void process_snodes_by_pk(const nlohmann::json& params);
 
+    void process_retrieve_all();
+
     /// Asynchronously transmit the response message.
     void write_response();
 
diff --git a/httpserver/service_node.cpp b/httpserver/service_node.cpp
index 28d0e22..f088915 100644
--- a/httpserver/service_node.cpp
+++ b/httpserver/service_node.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 
 #include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include <boost/bind.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/log/trivial.hpp>
 
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ bool ServiceNode::process_store(const message_ptr msg) {
     return true;
 }
 
-bool ServiceNode::process_push(const message_ptr msg) { save_if_new(msg); }
+void ServiceNode::process_push(const message_ptr msg) { save_if_new(msg); }
 
 void ServiceNode::save_if_new(const message_ptr msg) {
 
@@ -353,33 +354,11 @@ bool ServiceNode::retrieve(const std::string& pubKey,
     return db_->retrieve(pubKey, items, last_hash);
 }
 
-std::string ServiceNode::get_all_messages(boost::optional<const std::string&> pk) {
+bool ServiceNode::get_all_messages(std::vector<Item>& all_entries) {
 
     BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(trace) << "get all messages";
 
-    pt::ptree messages;
-
-    std::vector<Item> all_entries;
-
-    bool res = db_->retrieve(*pk, all_entries, "");
-
-    for (auto& entry : all_entries) {
-        pt::ptree msg_node;
-        msg_node.put("data", entry.bytes);
-        messages.push_back(std::make_pair("", msg_node));
-    }
-
-    pt::ptree root;
-
-    if (!res || messages.empty())
-        return "";
-
-    root.add_child("messages", messages);
-
-    std::ostringstream buf;
-    pt::write_json(buf, root);
-
-    return buf.str();
+    return db_->retrieve("", all_entries, "");
 }
 
 std::string ServiceNode::serialize_all() const {
diff --git a/httpserver/service_node.h b/httpserver/service_node.h
index e1d5cac..86f3029 100644
--- a/httpserver/service_node.h
+++ b/httpserver/service_node.h
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class ServiceNode {
     bool process_store(const message_ptr msg);
 
     /// Process message relayed from another SN from our swarm
-    bool process_push(const message_ptr msg);
+    void process_push(const message_ptr msg);
 
     /// Process incoming blob of messages: add to DB if new
     void process_push_all(std::shared_ptr<std::string> blob);
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class ServiceNode {
     void purge_outdated();
 
     /// return all messages for a particular PK (in JSON)
-    std::string get_all_messages(boost::optional<const std::string&> pk);
+    bool get_all_messages(std::vector<service_node::storage::Item>& all_entries);
 
     bool retrieve(const std::string& pubKey, const std::string& last_hash,
                   std::vector<service_node::storage::Item>& items);
diff --git a/httpserver/swarm.cpp b/httpserver/swarm.cpp
index 5c4ca74..939d2db 100644
--- a/httpserver/swarm.cpp
+++ b/httpserver/swarm.cpp
@@ -119,9 +119,7 @@ SwarmEvents Swarm::update_swarms(const all_swarms_t& swarms) {
 }
 
 swarm_id_t get_swarm_by_pk(const std::vector<SwarmInfo>& all_swarms,
-                           std::string pk) {
-
-    assert(pk.size() == 64);
+                           const std::string& pk) {
 
     // TODO: handle errors
     // TODO: get rid of allocations?
diff --git a/httpserver/swarm.h b/httpserver/swarm.h
index 2000564..912c43a 100644
--- a/httpserver/swarm.h
+++ b/httpserver/swarm.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ struct SwarmInfo {
 using all_swarms_t = std::vector<SwarmInfo>;
 
 swarm_id_t get_swarm_by_pk(const std::vector<SwarmInfo>& all_swarms,
-                           std::string pk);
+                           const std::string& pk);
 
 struct SwarmEvents {