diff --git a/engine/server/application/CentralServer/src/shared/CentralServer.cpp b/engine/server/application/CentralServer/src/shared/CentralServer.cpp
index f9feb1d9..427f9fac 100755
--- a/engine/server/application/CentralServer/src/shared/CentralServer.cpp
+++ b/engine/server/application/CentralServer/src/shared/CentralServer.cpp
@@ -2877,11 +2877,11 @@ void CentralServer::sendMetricsToWebAPI()
 		
 #ifdef _DEBUG
 		if (api.submit()) {
-			bool status = api.getRespValue<bool>("status");
+			bool status = api.getNullableValue<bool>("status");
 			
 			if (status)
 			{
-				std::string message = api.getRespValue<std::string>("message");
+				std::string message = api.getString("message");
 				
 				if (message.empty())
 				{
diff --git a/engine/server/application/LoginServer/src/shared/ClientConnection.cpp b/engine/server/application/LoginServer/src/shared/ClientConnection.cpp
index 52425044..65c94369 100755
--- a/engine/server/application/LoginServer/src/shared/ClientConnection.cpp
+++ b/engine/server/application/LoginServer/src/shared/ClientConnection.cpp
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ void ClientConnection::validateClient(const std::string & id, const std::string
 		
 		if (api.submit())
 		{
-			bool status = api.getRespValue<bool>("status");
-			uname = api.getRespValue<std::string>("username");
+			bool status = api.getNullableValue<bool>("status");
+			uname = api.getString("username");
 
 			if (status && !uname.empty())
 			{
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ void ClientConnection::validateClient(const std::string & id, const std::string
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				std::string msg = api.getRespValue<std::string>("message");
+				std::string msg = api.getString("message");
 				if (msg.empty())
 				{
 					msg = "Invalid username or password.";
diff --git a/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.cpp b/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.cpp
index ecf84038..13ad61ae 100644
--- a/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.cpp
+++ b/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,16 @@ bool webAPI::setData(std::string &data)
 	return false;
 }
 
+std::string webAPI::getString(const std::string &slot)
+{
+	if (!this->responseData.empty() && !slot.empty() && responseData.count(slot))
+	{
+		return this->responseData[slot].get<std::string>();
+	}
+	
+	return std::string("");
+}
+
 bool webAPI::submit(const int &reqType, const int &getPost, const int &respType)
 {
 	if (reqType == DTYPE::JSON) // json request
diff --git a/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.h b/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.h
index e371129f..001a8cc1 100644
--- a/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.h
+++ b/external/3rd/library/webAPI/webAPI.h
@@ -52,11 +52,14 @@ namespace StellaBellum
 
 		// set a standard request string
 		bool setData(std::string &data); // all or nothing
+		
+		// get a string from a given slot
+		std::string getString(const std::string &slot);
 
 		// set json key and value for request
-		template<typename T> bool addJsonData(std::string key, T value)
+		template<typename T> bool addJsonData(const std::string &key, const T &value)
 		{
-			if (!key.empty())
+			if (!key.empty() && responseData.count(key) == 0) // only alow one of a given key for now, unless we support nesting later
 			{
 				this->requestData[key] = value;
 				return true;
@@ -66,14 +69,14 @@ namespace StellaBellum
 		}
 
 		// get json response slot
-		template<typename T> T getRespValue(std::string slot)
+		template<typename T> T getNullableValue(const std::string &slot)
 		{
-			if (!this->responseData.is_null() && !slot.empty() && !this->responseData[slot].is_null())
+			if (!this->responseData.empty() && !slot.empty() && responseData.count(slot))
 			{
 				return this->responseData[slot].get<T>();
 			}
-
-			return static_cast<T>(NULL);
+			
+			return 0;
 		}
 
 	private: