diff --git a/api/src/services/parts/parts.js b/api/src/services/parts/parts.js
index 017ad9c..1b96b42 100644
--- a/api/src/services/parts/parts.js
+++ b/api/src/services/parts/parts.js
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ export const createPart = async ({ input }) => {
 export const updatePart = async ({ id, input }) => {
   requireAuth()
   await requireOwnership({partId: id})
+  if(input.title) {
+    input.title = input.title.replace(/([^a-zA-Z\d_:])/g, '-')
+  }
   return db.part.update({
     data: foreignKeyReplacement(input),
     where: { id },
diff --git a/api/src/services/users/users.js b/api/src/services/users/users.js
index 8ab78f6..f0c8a01 100644
--- a/api/src/services/users/users.js
+++ b/api/src/services/users/users.js
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ export const updateUser = ({ id, input }) => {
 export const updateUserByUserName = async ({ userName, input }) => {
   requireAuth()
   await requireOwnership({userName})
+  if(input.userName) {
+    input.userName = input.userName.replace(/([^a-zA-Z\d_:])/g, '-')
+  }
   return db.user.update({
     data: input,
     where: { userName },
diff --git a/web/src/components/EmojiReaction/EmojiReaction.js b/web/src/components/EmojiReaction/EmojiReaction.js
index 9d583bd..7f7fbf5 100644
--- a/web/src/components/EmojiReaction/EmojiReaction.js
+++ b/web/src/components/EmojiReaction/EmojiReaction.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const EmojiReaction = ({ emotes, userEmotes, onEmote = () => {}, className }) =>
             <span
               className={getActiveClasses(
                 "rounded-full tracking-wide hover:bg-indigo-100 p-1 mx-px transform hover:-translate-y-px transition-all duration-150 border-indigo-400",
-                {'border': currentUser && userEmotes.includes(emote.emoji)}
+                {'border': currentUser && userEmotes?.includes(emote.emoji)}
               )}
               style={textShadow}
               key={`${emote.emoji}--${i}`}
diff --git a/web/src/components/PartProfile/PartProfile.js b/web/src/components/PartProfile/PartProfile.js
index 178c64b..874e0ad 100644
--- a/web/src/components/PartProfile/PartProfile.js
+++ b/web/src/components/PartProfile/PartProfile.js
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ const PartProfile = ({
     navigate(routes.part2({userName: userPart.userName, partTitle: part.title}))},
   [currentUser])
   const [input, setInput] = useState({
-    title: part.title,
-    mainImage: part.mainImage,
-    description: part.description,
+    title: part?.title,
+    mainImage: part?.mainImage,
+    description: part?.description,
   })
   const setProperty = (property, value) => setInput({
     ...input,
     [property]: value,
   })
-  const onTitleChange = ({target}) => setProperty('title', target.value)
+  const onTitleChange = ({target}) => setProperty('title', target.value.replace(/([^a-zA-Z\d_:])/g, '-'))
   const onDescriptionChange = (description) => setProperty('description', description())
   const onImageUpload = ({cloudinaryPublicId}) => setProperty('mainImage', cloudinaryPublicId)
   const onEditSaveClick = () => {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ const PartProfile = ({
             <h3 className="text-indigo-800 text-lg font-roboto tracking-wider mb-4" >Comments</h3>
 
             <ul>
-              {part.Comment.map(({text, user, id}) => (
+              {part?.Comment.map(({text, user, id}) => (
                 <li key={id} className="flex mb-6">
                   <div className="w-8 h-8 overflow-hidden rounded-full border border-indigo-300 shadow flex-shrink-0">
                     <ImageUploader
diff --git a/web/src/components/UserProfile/UserProfile.js b/web/src/components/UserProfile/UserProfile.js
index b7bcc6d..985e51c 100644
--- a/web/src/components/UserProfile/UserProfile.js
+++ b/web/src/components/UserProfile/UserProfile.js
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ const UserProfile = ({user, isEditable, loading, onSave, error}) => {
             />
           </div>
           <div className="ml-6 flex flex-col justify-between">
-            <ProfileTextInput fields={editableTextFields} onChange={(textFields) => setInput({
+            <ProfileTextInput fields={editableTextFields} onChange={({userName, name}) => setInput({
               ...input,
-              ...textFields,
+              name,
+              userName: userName.replace(/([^a-zA-Z\d_:])/g, '-'),
             })} isEditable={isEditable}/>
             {isEditable ?
               <Button className="bg-indigo-200" iconName="plus" onClick={() => onSave(user.userName, input)}>Save Profile</Button> : // TODO replace pencil with a save icon
diff --git a/web/src/helpers/emote.js b/web/src/helpers/emote.js
index fd80382..6f9cb95 100644
--- a/web/src/helpers/emote.js
+++ b/web/src/helpers/emote.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export const countEmotes = (reactions) => {
+export const countEmotes = (reactions = []) => {
   // would be good to do this sever side
   // counting unique emojis, and limiting to the 5 largest
   const emoteCounts = {}