diff --git a/lib/bootstrap.js b/lib/bootstrap.js
index 9699b630..2557d011 100644
--- a/lib/bootstrap.js
+++ b/lib/bootstrap.js
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ const path = require('path'),
   dbOps = require('./services/db-operations'),
   siteService = require('./services/sites'),
   references = require('./services/references'),
+  { createUserUri } = require('./services/metadata'),
   highland = require('highland'),
-  { encode } = require('./services/buffer'),
   locals = require('./locals');
 var log = require('./services/logger').setup({
     file: __filename,
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ function load(data, site) {
     ).then(_.flatten);
   });
   promisePagesOps = saveObjects(`${prefix}/_pages/`, compData._pages, (name, item) => [getPutOperation(name, item)]);
-  promiseUsersOps = saveObjects('', compData._users, (name, item) => [getPutOperation(`/_users/${encode(`${item.username}@${item.provider}`)}`, item)]);
+  promiseUsersOps = saveObjects('', compData._users, (name, item) => [getPutOperation(`/_users/${createUserUri(item)}`, item)]);
 
   /* eslint max-params: ["error", 5] */
   return bluebird.join(promiseComponentsOps, promisePagesOps, promiseUrisOps, promiseListsOps, promiseUsersOps, function (componentsOps, pagesOps, urisOps, listsOps, userOps) {
diff --git a/lib/services/metadata.js b/lib/services/metadata.js
index 468f97b9..b91ff6f7 100644
--- a/lib/services/metadata.js
+++ b/lib/services/metadata.js
@@ -2,10 +2,23 @@
 
 const _ = require('lodash'),
   bus = require('./bus'),
+  { encode } = require('./buffer'),
   { replaceVersion } = require('clayutils'),
   sitesService = require('./sites');
 var db = require('./db');
 
+/**
+ * Creates the id for a user
+ *
+ * @param {Object} user
+ * @param {string} user.username
+ * @param {string} user.provider
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+function createUserUri({ username = '', provider = '' }) {
+  return encode(`${username}@${provider}`);
+}
+
 /**
  * Either return the user object or
  * the system for a specific action
@@ -14,18 +27,15 @@ var db = require('./db');
  * @returns {Object}
  */
 function userOrRobot(user) {
-  if (user && _.get(user, 'username') && _.get(user, 'provider')) {
-    return user;
-  } else {
-    // no actual user, this was an api key
-    return {
-      username: 'robot',
-      provider: 'clay',
-      imageUrl: 'clay-avatar', // kiln will supply a clay avatar
-      name: 'Clay',
-      auth: 'admin'
-    };
-  }
+  const { username, provider } = user && _.get(user, 'username') && _.get(user, 'provider')
+    ? user
+    : { username: 'robot', provider: 'clay' };
+
+  return {
+    id: createUserUri({ username, provider }),
+    username,
+    provider
+  };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -71,7 +81,7 @@ function createPage(ref, user) {
       title: '',
       authors: [],
       users,
-      history: [{action: 'create', timestamp: NOW, users }],
+      history: [{ action: 'create', timestamp: NOW, users }],
       siteSlug: sitesService.getSiteFromPrefix(ref.substring(0, ref.indexOf('/_pages'))).slug
     };
 
@@ -283,6 +293,8 @@ module.exports.publishLayout = publishLayout;
 module.exports.unpublishPage = unpublishPage;
 module.exports.userOrRobot = userOrRobot;
 module.exports.checkProps = checkProps;
+module.exports.createUserUri = createUserUri;
 
 // For testing
+module.exports.userOrRobot = userOrRobot;
 module.exports.setDb = mock => db = mock;
diff --git a/lib/services/metadata.test.js b/lib/services/metadata.test.js
index c153a7b4..db0854d6 100644
--- a/lib/services/metadata.test.js
+++ b/lib/services/metadata.test.js
@@ -257,6 +257,25 @@ describe(_.startCase(filename), function () {
           expect(resp).to.eql(errMsg);
         });
     });
+  });
+
+  describe('userOrRobot', function () {
+    const fn = lib[this.title];
+
+    it('should return the user object', function () {
+      const username = 'pizza@everyday',
+        provider = 'doesntmatter',
+        userOrRobot = fn({ username, provider }),
+        expectedValue = { id: 'cGl6emFAZXZlcnlkYXlAZG9lc250bWF0dGVy', username, provider };
 
+      expect(userOrRobot).to.eql(expectedValue);
+    });
+
+    it('should return the system user (robot) object', function () {
+      const userOrRobot = fn(),
+        expectedValue = { id: 'cm9ib3RAY2xheQ==', username: 'robot', provider: 'clay' };
+
+      expect(userOrRobot).to.eql(expectedValue);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 818e75f3..d19ea16f 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2182,7 +2182,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "commander": {
           "version": "2.15.1",
-          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-2.15.1.tgz",
+          "resolved": "http://registry.npmjs.org/commander/-/commander-2.15.1.tgz",
           "integrity": "sha512-VlfT9F3V0v+jr4yxPc5gg9s62/fIVWsd2Bk2iD435um1NlGMYdVCq+MjcXnhYq2icNOizHr1kK+5TI6H0Hy0ag==",
           "dev": true
         },