diff --git a/socketserver/server/backend.go b/socketserver/server/backend.go
index c0f9342b..9b8c5995 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/backend.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/backend.go
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ func getCacheKey(remoteCommand, data string) string {
 // The POST arguments are `cmd`, `args`, `channel`, and `scope`.
 // The `scope` argument is required because no attempt is made to infer the scope from the command, unlike /cached_pub.
 func HTTPBackendUncachedPublish(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	b := Backend
 	r.ParseForm()
-	formData, err := UnsealRequest(r.Form)
+	formData, err := b.UnsealRequest(r.Form)
 	if err != nil {
 		w.WriteHeader(403)
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "Error: %v", err)
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ func (backend *backendInfo) SendRemoteCommand(remoteCommand, data string, auth A
 		formData.Set("authenticated", "0")
 	}
 
-	sealedForm, err := SealRequest(formData)
+	sealedForm, err := backend.SealRequest(formData)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -227,7 +228,12 @@ func (backend *backendInfo) SendRemoteCommand(remoteCommand, data string, auth A
 }
 
 // SendAggregatedData sends aggregated emote usage and following data to the backend server.
-func (backend *backendInfo) SendAggregatedData(sealedForm url.Values) error {
+func (backend *backendInfo) SendAggregatedData(form url.Values) error {
+	sealedForm, err := backend.SealRequest(form)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	resp, err := backend.HTTPClient.PostForm(postStatisticsURL, sealedForm)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -278,7 +284,7 @@ func (backend *backendInfo) sendTopicNotice(topic string, added bool) error {
 		formData.Set("added", "f")
 	}
 
-	sealedForm, err := SealRequest(formData)
+	sealedForm, err := backend.SealRequest(formData)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/socketserver/server/commands.go b/socketserver/server/commands.go
index b780b579..3d0156a1 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/commands.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/commands.go
@@ -390,13 +390,7 @@ func aggregateDataSender_do() {
 		reportForm.Set("emotes", string(emoteJSON))
 	}
 
-	form, err := SealRequest(reportForm)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("error reporting aggregate data:", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	err = Backend.SendAggregatedData(form)
+	err = Backend.SendAggregatedData(reportForm)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Println("error reporting aggregate data:", err)
 		return
diff --git a/socketserver/server/handlecore.go b/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
index dd840348..da3c7a3d 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func SetupServerAndHandle(config *ConfigFile, serveMux *http.ServeMux) {
 	serveMux.HandleFunc("/uncached_pub", HTTPBackendUncachedPublish)
 	serveMux.HandleFunc("/cached_pub", HTTPBackendCachedPublish)
 
-	announceForm, err := SealRequest(url.Values{
+	announceForm, err := Backend.SealRequest(url.Values{
 		"startup": []string{"1"},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/socketserver/server/publisher.go b/socketserver/server/publisher.go
index 88463c22..7a1726f9 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/publisher.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/publisher.go
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func GetCommandsOfType(match BacklogCacheType) []Command {
 
 func HTTPBackendDropBacklog(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	r.ParseForm()
-	formData, err := UnsealRequest(r.Form)
+	formData, err := Backend.UnsealRequest(r.Form)
 	if err != nil {
 		w.WriteHeader(403)
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "Error: %v", err)
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func HTTPBackendDropBacklog(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 // `scope` is implicit in the command
 func HTTPBackendCachedPublish(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	r.ParseForm()
-	formData, err := UnsealRequest(r.Form)
+	formData, err := Backend.UnsealRequest(r.Form)
 	if err != nil {
 		w.WriteHeader(403)
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "Error: %v", err)
diff --git a/socketserver/server/utils.go b/socketserver/server/utils.go
index b2618cd2..9552e7bb 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/utils.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/utils.go
@@ -24,15 +24,11 @@ func FillCryptoRandom(buf []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func New4KByteBuffer() interface{} {
-	return make([]byte, 0, 4096)
-}
-
 func copyString(s string) string {
 	return string([]byte(s))
 }
 
-func SealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
+func (backend *backendInfo) SealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
 	var nonce [24]byte
 	var err error
 
@@ -41,7 +37,7 @@ func SealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	cipherMsg := box.SealAfterPrecomputation(nil, []byte(form.Encode()), &nonce, &backendSharedKey)
+	cipherMsg := box.SealAfterPrecomputation(nil, []byte(form.Encode()), &nonce, &backend.sharedKey)
 
 	bufMessage := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	enc := base64.NewEncoder(base64.URLEncoding, bufMessage)
@@ -67,7 +63,7 @@ func SealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
 var ErrorShortNonce = errors.New("Nonce too short.")
 var ErrorInvalidSignature = errors.New("Invalid signature or contents")
 
-func UnsealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
+func (backend *backendInfo) UnsealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
 	var nonce [24]byte
 
 	nonceString := form.Get("nonce")
@@ -87,7 +83,7 @@ func UnsealRequest(form url.Values) (url.Values, error) {
 	cipherBuffer := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	cipherBuffer.ReadFrom(dec)
 
-	message, ok := box.OpenAfterPrecomputation(nil, cipherBuffer.Bytes(), &nonce, &backendSharedKey)
+	message, ok := box.OpenAfterPrecomputation(nil, cipherBuffer.Bytes(), &nonce, &backend.sharedKey)
 	if !ok {
 		Statistics.BackendVerifyFails++
 		return nil, ErrorInvalidSignature