diff --git a/lib/phabricator.coffee b/lib/phabricator.coffee
index 87b7c2f..a545c04 100644
--- a/lib/phabricator.coffee
+++ b/lib/phabricator.coffee
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class Phabricator
           cb { error_info: "Sorry, #{project} not found." }
 
 
-  withUser: (msg, user, cb) =>
+  withUser: (from, user, cb) =>
     if @ready() is true
       id = user.phid
       if id
@@ -180,22 +180,26 @@ class Phabricator
       else
         email = user.email_address or user.pagerdutyEmail
         unless email
-          if msg.envelope.user.name is user.name
-            msg.send "Sorry, I can't figure out your email address :( " +
-                     'Can you tell me with `.phab me as you@yourdomain.com`?'
+          if from.name is user.name
+            cb { 
+              error_info: "Sorry, I can't figure out your email address :( " +
+                          'Can you tell me with `.phab me as you@yourdomain.com`?'
+              }
           else
-            msg.send "Sorry, I can't figure #{user.name} email address. " +
-                     "Can you help me with .phab #{user.name} = <email>"
-          msg.finish()
-          return
-        query = { 'emails[0]': email }
-        @phabGet query, 'user.query', (json_body) ->
-          unless json_body['result']['0']?
-            msg.send "Sorry, I cannot find #{email} :("
-            msg.finish()
-            return
-          user.phid = json_body['result']['0']['phid']
-          cb user.phid
+            cb { 
+              error_info: "Sorry, I can't figure #{user.name} email address. " +
+                          "Can you help me with .phab #{user.name} = <email>"
+              }
+        else
+          query = { 'emails[0]': email }
+          @phabGet query, 'user.query', (json_body) ->
+            unless json_body['result']['0']?
+              cb { 
+                error_info:  "Sorry, I cannot find #{email} :(" 
+              }
+            else
+              user.phid = json_body['result']['0']['phid']
+              cb user.phid
 
 
   withUserByPhid: (phid, cb) =>
@@ -275,61 +279,63 @@ class Phabricator
         cb json_body
    
 
-  createTask: (msg, phid, title, description, cb) ->
+  createTask: (user, phid, title, description, cb) ->
     if @ready() is true
-      user = msg.envelope.user
       adapter = @robot.adapterName
       user = @robot.brain.userForName user.name
-      @withUser msg, user, (userPhid) =>
-        @withBotPHID (bot_phid) =>
+      @withUser user, user, (userPhid) =>
+        if userPhid.error_info?
+          cb userPhid
+        else
+          @withBotPHID (bot_phid) =>
+            query = {
+              'transactions[0][type]': 'title',
+              'transactions[0][value]': "#{title}",
+              'transactions[1][type]': 'comment',
+              'transactions[1][value]': "(created by #{user.name} on #{adapter})",
+              'transactions[2][type]': 'subscribers.add',
+              'transactions[2][value][0]': "#{userPhid}",
+              'transactions[3][type]': 'subscribers.remove',
+              'transactions[3][value][0]': "#{bot_phid}",
+              'transactions[4][type]': 'projects.add',
+              'transactions[4][value][]': "#{phid}"
+            }
+            if description?
+              query['transactions[5][type]'] = 'description'
+              query['transactions[5][value]'] = "#{description}"
+            @phabGet query, 'maniphest.edit', (json_body) ->
+              cb json_body
+
+
+  createPaste: (user, title, cb) ->
+    if @ready() is true
+      bot_phid = @robot.brain.data.phabricator.bot_phid
+      adapter = @robot.adapterName
+      user = @robot.brain.userForName user.name
+      @withUser user, user, (userPhid) =>
+        if userPhid.error_info?
+          cb userPhid
+        else
           query = {
             'transactions[0][type]': 'title',
             'transactions[0][value]': "#{title}",
-            'transactions[1][type]': 'comment',
+            'transactions[1][type]': 'text',
             'transactions[1][value]': "(created by #{user.name} on #{adapter})",
             'transactions[2][type]': 'subscribers.add',
             'transactions[2][value][0]': "#{userPhid}",
             'transactions[3][type]': 'subscribers.remove',
-            'transactions[3][value][0]': "#{bot_phid}",
-            'transactions[4][type]': 'projects.add',
-            'transactions[4][value][]': "#{phid}"
+            'transactions[3][value][0]': "#{bot_phid}"
           }
-          if description?
-            query['transactions[5][type]'] = 'description'
-            query['transactions[5][value]'] = "#{description}"
-          @phabGet query, 'maniphest.edit', (json_body) ->
+          @phabGet query, 'paste.edit', (json_body) ->
             cb json_body
 
 
-  createPaste: (msg, title, cb) ->
-    if @ready() is true
-      user = msg.envelope.user
-      bot_phid = @robot.brain.data.phabricator.bot_phid
-      adapter = @robot.adapterName
-      user = @robot.brain.userForName user.name
-      @withUser msg, user, (userPhid) =>
-        query = {
-          'transactions[0][type]': 'title',
-          'transactions[0][value]': "#{title}",
-          'transactions[1][type]': 'text',
-          'transactions[1][value]': "(created by #{user.name} on #{adapter})",
-          'transactions[2][type]': 'subscribers.add',
-          'transactions[2][value][0]': "#{userPhid}",
-          'transactions[3][type]': 'subscribers.remove',
-          'transactions[3][value][0]': "#{bot_phid}"
-        }
-        @phabGet query, 'paste.edit', (json_body) ->
-          cb json_body
-
-
-  recordPhid: (msg, id) ->
-    user = msg.envelope.user
+  recordPhid: (user, id) ->
     user.lastTask = moment().utc()
     user.lastPhid = id
 
 
-  retrievePhid: (msg) ->
-    user = msg.envelope.user
+  retrievePhid: (user) ->
     expires_at = moment(user.lastTask).add(5, 'minutes')
     if user.lastPhid? and moment().utc().isBefore(expires_at)
       user.lastPhid
@@ -337,9 +343,8 @@ class Phabricator
       null
 
 
-  addComment: (msg, id, comment, cb) ->
+  addComment: (user, id, comment, cb) ->
     if @ready() is true
-      user = msg.envelope.user
       query = {
         'objectIdentifier': id,
         'transactions[0][type]': 'comment',
@@ -351,9 +356,8 @@ class Phabricator
         cb json_body
 
 
-  updateStatus: (msg, id, status, comment, cb) ->
+  updateStatus: (user, id, status, comment, cb) ->
     if @ready() is true
-      user = msg.envelope.user
       query = {
         'objectIdentifier': id,
         'transactions[0][type]': 'status',
@@ -372,9 +376,8 @@ class Phabricator
         cb json_body
 
 
-  updatePriority: (msg, id, priority, comment, cb) ->
+  updatePriority: (user, id, priority, comment, cb) ->
     if @ready() is true
-      user = msg.envelope.user
       query = {
         'objectIdentifier': id,
         'transactions[0][type]': 'priority',
diff --git a/scripts/phabs_commands.coffee b/scripts/phabs_commands.coffee
index e7faf17..50b11f7 100644
--- a/scripts/phabs_commands.coffee
+++ b/scripts/phabs_commands.coffee
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
         if projectData.error_info?
           msg.send projectData.error_info
         else
-          phab.createTask msg, projectData.data.phid, name, description, (body) ->
+          phab.createTask msg.envelope.user, projectData.data.phid, name, description, (body) ->
             # console.log body
             if body['error_info']?
               msg.send "#{body['error_info']}"
             else
               id = body['result']['object']['id']
               url = process.env.PHABRICATOR_URL + "/T#{id}"
-              phab.recordPhid msg, id
+              phab.recordPhid msg.envelope.user, id
               msg.send "Task T#{id} created = #{url}"
     msg.finish()
 
@@ -63,13 +63,13 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
   robot.respond /ph(?:ab)? paste (.*)$/, (msg) ->
     phab.withPermission msg, msg.envelope.user, 'phuser', ->
       title = msg.match[1]
-      phab.createPaste msg, title, (body) ->
+      phab.createPaste msg.envelope.user, title, (body) ->
         if body['error_info']?
           msg.send "#{body['error_info']}"
         else
           id = body['result']['object']['id']
           url = process.env.PHABRICATOR_URL + "/paste/edit/#{id}"
-          phab.recordPhid msg, id
+          phab.recordPhid msg.envelope.user, id
           msg.send "Paste P#{id} created = edit on #{url}"
     msg.finish()
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
 
   #   hubot phab Txx - gives information about task Txxx
   robot.respond /ph(?:ab)?(?: T([0-9]+) ?)?$/, (msg) ->
-    id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg)
+    id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg.envelope.user)
     unless id?
       msg.send "Sorry, you don't have any task active right now."
       msg.finish()
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
         phab.withUserByPhid body.result.ownerPHID, (owner) ->
           status = body.result.status
           priority = body.result.priority
-          phab.recordPhid msg, id
+          phab.recordPhid msg.envelope.user, id
           msg.send "T#{id} has status #{status}, " +
                    "priority #{priority}, owner #{owner.name}"
     msg.finish()
@@ -108,13 +108,13 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
   #   hubot phab Txx + <some comment> - add a comment to task Txx
   robot.respond /ph(?:ab)?(?: T([0-9]+))? \+ (.+)$/, (msg) ->
     phab.withPermission msg, msg.envelope.user, 'phuser', ->
-      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg)
+      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg.envelope.user)
       unless id?
         msg.send "Sorry, you don't have any task active right now."
         msg.finish()
         return
       comment = msg.match[2]
-      phab.addComment msg, id, comment, (body) ->
+      phab.addComment msg.envelope.user, id, comment, (body) ->
         if body['error_info']?
           msg.send "oops T#{id} #{body['error_info']}"
         else
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
     '(?: = (.+))?$'
   ), (msg) ->
     phab.withPermission msg, msg.envelope.user, 'phuser', ->
-      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg)
+      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg.envelope.user)
       unless id?
         msg.send "Sorry, you don't have any task active right now."
         msg.finish()
         return
       status = msg.match[2]
       comment = msg.match[3]
-      phab.updateStatus msg, id, status, comment, (body) ->
+      phab.updateStatus msg.envelope.user, id, status, comment, (body) ->
         if body['error_info']?
           msg.send "oops T#{id} #{body['error_info']}"
         else
@@ -148,14 +148,14 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
     '(?: = (.+))?$'
   ), (msg) ->
     phab.withPermission msg, msg.envelope.user, 'phuser', ->
-      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg)
+      id = msg.match[1] ? phab.retrievePhid(msg.envelope.user)
       unless id?
         msg.send "Sorry, you don't have any task active right now."
         msg.finish()
         return
       priority = msg.match[2]
       comment = msg.match[3]
-      phab.updatePriority msg, id, priority, comment, (body) ->
+      phab.updatePriority msg.envelope.user, id, priority, comment, (body) ->
         if body['error_info']?
           msg.send "oops T#{id} #{body['error_info']}"
         else
@@ -171,8 +171,11 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
         msg.send "Sorry, I have no idea who #{name} is. Did you mistype it?"
         msg.finish()
         return
-      phab.withUser msg, assignee, (userPhid) ->
-        msg.send "Hey I know #{name}, he's #{userPhid}"
+      phab.withUser msg.envelope.user, assignee, (userPhid) ->
+        if userPhid.error_info?
+          msg.send userPhid.error_info
+        else
+          msg.send "Hey I know #{name}, he's #{userPhid}"
     msg.finish()
 
   #   hubot phab me as <email> - makes caller known with <email>
@@ -210,20 +213,23 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
       else
         who = msg.match[5]
         what = msg.match[4]
-      id = what ? phab.retrievePhid(msg)
+      id = what ? phab.retrievePhid(msg.envelope.user)
       unless id?
         msg.send "Sorry, you don't have any task active right now."
         msg.finish()
         return
       assignee = robot.brain.userForName(who)
       if assignee?
-        phab.withUser msg, assignee, (userPhid) ->
-          phab.assignTask id, userPhid, (body) ->
-            if body['error_info']?
-              msg.send "#{body['error_info']}"
-            else
-              msg.send "Ok. T#{id} is now assigned to #{assignee.name}"
-            msg.finish()
+        phab.withUser msg.envelope.user, assignee, (userPhid) ->
+          if userPhid.error_info?
+            msg.send userPhid.error_info
+          else
+            phab.assignTask id, userPhid, (body) ->
+              if body['error_info']?
+                msg.send "#{body['error_info']}"
+              else
+                msg.send "Ok. T#{id} is now assigned to #{assignee.name}"
+              msg.finish()
       else
         msg.send "Sorry I don't know who is #{who}, can you .phab #{who} = <email>"
     msg.finish()
diff --git a/scripts/phabs_hear.coffee b/scripts/phabs_hear.coffee
index 10ddd7c..8cc0972 100644
--- a/scripts/phabs_hear.coffee
+++ b/scripts/phabs_hear.coffee
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
             else
               msg.send "#{body['result']['uri']}#{closed} - #{body['result']['title']} " +
                        "(#{body['result']['priority']})"
-            phab.recordPhid msg, id
+            phab.recordPhid msg.envelope.user, id
       
       when 'F' is type
         phab.fileInfo id, (body) ->