diff --git a/data/model/emote-set.model.go b/data/model/emote-set.model.go
index 4bb56d74..bffb47f2 100644
--- a/data/model/emote-set.model.go
+++ b/data/model/emote-set.model.go
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ func (x *modelizer) EmoteSet(v structures.EmoteSet) EmoteSetModel {
 
 	if v.Owner != nil {
 		u := x.User(*v.Owner).ToPartial()
+		u.Connections = nil // clear the connections field of emote set owners as it's not needed here
+
 		owner = &u
 	} else if !v.OwnerID.IsZero() {
 		owner = &UserPartialModel{ID: v.OwnerID}
@@ -71,6 +73,12 @@ func (x *modelizer) ActiveEmote(v structures.ActiveEmote) ActiveEmoteModel {
 	var data *EmotePartialModel
 
 	if v.Emote != nil {
+		// TODO: This is a workaround due to active emote flags not being implemented
+		// this mirrors the emote's flags to the value in the active emote
+		if v.Emote.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth) {
+			v.Flags = v.Flags.Set(structures.ActiveEmoteFlagZeroWidth)
+		}
+
 		e := x.Emote(*v.Emote).ToPartial()
 		data = &e
 	}
diff --git a/data/model/emote.model.go b/data/model/emote.model.go
index 1fad2205..34f55089 100644
--- a/data/model/emote.model.go
+++ b/data/model/emote.model.go
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ func (x *modelizer) Emote(v structures.Emote) EmoteModel {
 
 	if v.Owner != nil {
 		u := x.User(*v.Owner).ToPartial()
+		u.Connections = nil // clear the connections field of emote owners as it's not needed here
+
 		owner = &u
 	}
 
diff --git a/data/model/user.gql.model.go b/data/model/user.gql.model.go
index b89de514..4fc691fb 100644
--- a/data/model/user.gql.model.go
+++ b/data/model/user.gql.model.go
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ func (xm UserModel) GQL() *model.User {
 }
 
 func (xm UserPartialModel) GQL() *model.UserPartial {
+	connections := make([]*model.UserConnection, len(xm.Connections))
+	for i, c := range xm.Connections {
+		connections[i] = c.GQL()
+	}
+
 	return &model.UserPartial{
 		ID:          xm.ID,
 		Type:        string(xm.UserType),
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@ func (xm UserPartialModel) GQL() *model.UserPartial {
 		CreatedAt:   xm.ID.Timestamp(),
 		Style:       xm.Style.GQL(),
 		Roles:       xm.RoleIDs,
+		Connections: connections,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/data/model/user.model.go b/data/model/user.model.go
index 9e67418c..d408414d 100644
--- a/data/model/user.model.go
+++ b/data/model/user.model.go
@@ -24,17 +24,18 @@ type UserModel struct {
 	Style       UserStyle             `json:"style"`
 	Editors     []UserEditorModel     `json:"editors,omitempty"`
 	RoleIDs     []primitive.ObjectID  `json:"roles"`
-	Connections []UserConnectionModel `json:"connections"`
+	Connections []UserConnectionModel `json:"connections,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type UserPartialModel struct {
-	ID          primitive.ObjectID   `json:"id"`
-	UserType    UserTypeModel        `json:"type,omitempty" enums:",BOT,SYSTEM"`
-	Username    string               `json:"username"`
-	DisplayName string               `json:"display_name"`
-	AvatarURL   string               `json:"avatar_url,omitempty"`
-	Style       UserStyle            `json:"style"`
-	RoleIDs     []primitive.ObjectID `json:"roles"`
+	ID          primitive.ObjectID    `json:"id"`
+	UserType    UserTypeModel         `json:"type,omitempty" enums:",BOT,SYSTEM"`
+	Username    string                `json:"username"`
+	DisplayName string                `json:"display_name"`
+	AvatarURL   string                `json:"avatar_url,omitempty"`
+	Style       UserStyle             `json:"style"`
+	RoleIDs     []primitive.ObjectID  `json:"roles"`
+	Connections []UserConnectionModel `json:"connections"`
 }
 
 type UserStyle struct {
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ func (um UserModel) ToPartial() UserPartialModel {
 		Style:       um.Style,
 		DisplayName: um.DisplayName,
 		RoleIDs:     um.RoleIDs,
+		Connections: um.Connections,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/data/mutate/emote.mutation.go b/data/mutate/emote.mutation.go
index b59e4106..a3f6b53a 100644
--- a/data/mutate/emote.mutation.go
+++ b/data/mutate/emote.mutation.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (m *Mutate) EditEmote(ctx context.Context, eb *structures.EmoteBuilder, opt
 					structures.EmoteFlagsContentTwitchDisallowed,
 				}
 				for _, flag := range privilegedBits {
-					if f&flag != init.Flags&flag {
+					if f.Has(flag) {
 						return errors.ErrInsufficientPrivilege().SetDetail("Not allowed to modify flag %s", flag.String())
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/data/mutate/emote_set.active_emote.mutation.go b/data/mutate/emote_set.active_emote.mutation.go
index acb0aaf9..ca3bbb71 100644
--- a/data/mutate/emote_set.active_emote.mutation.go
+++ b/data/mutate/emote_set.active_emote.mutation.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func (m *Mutate) EditEmotesInSet(ctx context.Context, esb *structures.EmoteSetBu
 		// ADD EMOTE
 		case structures.ListItemActionAdd:
 			// Handle emote privacy
-			if utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(tgt.emote.Flags), int64(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate)) {
+			if tgt.emote.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate) {
 				usable := false
 				// Usable if actor has Bypass Privacy permission
 				if actor.HasPermission(structures.RolePermissionBypassPrivacy) {
@@ -172,12 +172,12 @@ func (m *Mutate) EditEmotesInSet(ctx context.Context, esb *structures.EmoteSetBu
 				if !usable {
 					return errors.ErrInsufficientPrivilege().SetFields(errors.Fields{
 						"EMOTE_ID": tgt.ID.Hex(),
-					}).SetDetail("emote is private")
+					}).SetDetail("Private Emote")
 				}
 			}
 
 			// Check zero-width permission
-			if set.Owner == nil || tgt.emote.Flags&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0 && !set.Owner.HasPermission(structures.RolePermissionFeatureZeroWidthEmoteType) {
+			if set.Owner == nil || tgt.emote.Flags.Value()&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0 && !set.Owner.HasPermission(structures.RolePermissionFeatureZeroWidthEmoteType) {
 				return errors.ErrInsufficientPrivilege().SetDetail("You must be a subscriber to use zero-width emotes")
 			}
 
diff --git a/data/mutate/emote_set.create.mutation.go b/data/mutate/emote_set.create.mutation.go
index d69d69ec..1357556b 100644
--- a/data/mutate/emote_set.create.mutation.go
+++ b/data/mutate/emote_set.create.mutation.go
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ type EmoteSetMutationSetEmoteItem struct {
 	Action structures.ListItemAction
 	ID     primitive.ObjectID
 	Name   string
-	Flags  structures.ActiveEmoteFlag
+	Flags  structures.BitField[structures.ActiveEmoteFlag]
 
 	emote *structures.Emote
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 90cf0838..4f9b7c37 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/h2non/filetype v1.1.3
 	github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.13.0
-	github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221016024045-2dd13e9f94b0
+	github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221017024442-4139fcc3eb8d
 	github.com/seventv/compactdisc v0.0.0-20220830002302-eb0e50b2ee91
 	github.com/seventv/image-processor/go v0.0.0-20220930061650-07bfacb8a36b
 	github.com/seventv/message-queue/go v0.0.0-20220721124044-9fd23bda9643
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 47cc73c6..9b8d4211 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -442,10 +442,10 @@ github.com/savsgio/gotils v0.0.0-20220530130905-52f3993e8d6d h1:Q+gqLBOPkFGHyCJx
 github.com/savsgio/gotils v0.0.0-20220530130905-52f3993e8d6d/go.mod h1:Gy+0tqhJvgGlqnTF8CVGP0AaGRjwBtXs/a5PA0Y3+A4=
 github.com/sergi/go-diff v1.1.0 h1:we8PVUC3FE2uYfodKH/nBHMSetSfHDR6scGdBi+erh0=
 github.com/sergi/go-diff v1.1.0/go.mod h1:STckp+ISIX8hZLjrqAeVduY0gWCT9IjLuqbuNXdaHfM=
-github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20220930065455-7356f20dcaae h1:uBgnys9WqishgKFq1OdGRKD0VQVzbc6PVVCujBfNTvU=
-github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20220930065455-7356f20dcaae/go.mod h1:jHHFe3uNMyzb/ReDqMvaI/A1euvV/PW/G+2PhcWQqWw=
 github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221016024045-2dd13e9f94b0 h1:zBgRfDjQx/I9Rb/Ozw6gJ6OJ6nXeCGP+NOR9iCgeRXo=
 github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221016024045-2dd13e9f94b0/go.mod h1:jHHFe3uNMyzb/ReDqMvaI/A1euvV/PW/G+2PhcWQqWw=
+github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221017024442-4139fcc3eb8d h1:rDxbKNIvxzZTXqMLsCuIRCO957mmmjN61KvUIIt6S/s=
+github.com/seventv/common v0.0.0-20221017024442-4139fcc3eb8d/go.mod h1:jHHFe3uNMyzb/ReDqMvaI/A1euvV/PW/G+2PhcWQqWw=
 github.com/seventv/compactdisc v0.0.0-20220830002302-eb0e50b2ee91 h1:Ea9415Yq3xZNNrKSlq4XyOViZ0gFWgqOKRxsN0ILOhk=
 github.com/seventv/compactdisc v0.0.0-20220830002302-eb0e50b2ee91/go.mod h1:f9JVdhYnBwWk8Rn2w0lL0rWXxZAkWuYBAdvMq1f+eno=
 github.com/seventv/image-processor/go v0.0.0-20220930061650-07bfacb8a36b h1:mRFpu2jZwswMQNEATI4K2xolqLj7ws4w/QRI18NqAG0=
diff --git a/internal/gql/v2/helpers/transform.go b/internal/gql/v2/helpers/transform.go
index 2063df74..d3b121c1 100644
--- a/internal/gql/v2/helpers/transform.go
+++ b/internal/gql/v2/helpers/transform.go
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ func EmoteStructureToModel(s structures.Emote, cdnURL string) *model.Emote {
 		vis |= int(v2structures.EmoteVisibilityUnlisted)
 	}
 
-	if utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(s.Flags), int64(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth)) {
+	if s.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth) {
 		vis |= int(v2structures.EmoteVisibilityZeroWidth)
 	}
 
-	if utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(s.Flags), int64(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate)) {
+	if s.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate) {
 		vis |= int(v2structures.EmoteVisibilityPrivate)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/mutation/mutation.emote.go b/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/mutation/mutation.emote.go
index 5faf6b8a..1e20ae08 100644
--- a/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/mutation/mutation.emote.go
+++ b/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/mutation/mutation.emote.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) EditEmote(ctx context.Context, opt model.EmoteInput, reason *
 
 	if opt.Visibility != nil {
 		vis := int64(*opt.Visibility)
-		flags := emote.Flags
+		flags := emote.Flags.Value()
 
 		readModRequests := func() error {
 			// Fetch mod request
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) EditEmote(ctx context.Context, opt model.EmoteInput, reason *
 			flags |= structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate
 		}
 
-		eb.SetFlags(flags)
+		eb.SetFlags(structures.BitField[structures.EmoteFlag](flags))
 	}
 
 	if err = r.Ctx.Inst().Mutate.EditEmote(ctx, eb, mutate.EmoteEditOptions{
diff --git a/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/user/user.go b/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/user/user.go
index 38e797dd..65f85bbc 100644
--- a/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/user/user.go
+++ b/internal/gql/v2/resolvers/user/user.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) Emotes(ctx context.Context, obj *model.User) ([]*model.Emote,
 			em.Name = emote.Name
 		}
 
-		zw := emote.Emote.Flags&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0
+		zw := emote.Emote.Flags.Value()&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0
 		if zw && !utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(obj.Permissions), int64(structures.RolePermissionFeatureZeroWidthEmoteType)) {
 			continue // omit zero-width if unprivileged
 		}
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (r *Resolver) EmoteIds(ctx context.Context, obj *model.User) ([]string, err
 		}
 
 		if e.Emote != nil {
-			zw := e.Emote.Flags&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0
+			zw := e.Emote.Flags.Value()&structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth != 0
 			if zw && !utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(obj.Permissions), int64(structures.RolePermissionFeatureZeroWidthEmoteType)) {
 				continue // omit zero-width if unprivileged
 			}
diff --git a/internal/gql/v3/resolvers/emote/emote.ops.go b/internal/gql/v3/resolvers/emote/emote.ops.go
index 0a7e741e..d342a15f 100644
--- a/internal/gql/v3/resolvers/emote/emote.ops.go
+++ b/internal/gql/v3/resolvers/emote/emote.ops.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func (r *ResolverOps) Update(ctx context.Context, obj *model.EmoteOps, params mo
 		}
 		// Edit flags
 		if params.Flags != nil {
-			f := structures.EmoteFlag(*params.Flags)
+			f := structures.BitField[structures.EmoteFlag](structures.EmoteFlag(*params.Flags))
 			eb.SetFlags(f)
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/rest/v3/routes/emotes/emotes.create.go b/internal/rest/v3/routes/emotes/emotes.create.go
index 8e5eaa51..24c719c9 100644
--- a/internal/rest/v3/routes/emotes/emotes.create.go
+++ b/internal/rest/v3/routes/emotes/emotes.create.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seventv/common/structures/v3"
 	"github.com/seventv/common/structures/v3/query"
 	"github.com/seventv/common/svc/s3"
-	"github.com/seventv/common/utils"
 	"github.com/seventv/image-processor/go/container"
 	"github.com/seventv/image-processor/go/task"
 	messagequeue "github.com/seventv/message-queue/go"
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ func (r *create) Handler(ctx *rest.Ctx) rest.APIError {
 	var (
 		name  string
 		tags  []string
-		flags structures.EmoteFlag
+		flags structures.BitField[structures.EmoteFlag]
 	)
 
 	// these validations are all "free" as in we can do them before we download the file they try to upload.
@@ -137,11 +136,11 @@ func (r *create) Handler(ctx *rest.Ctx) rest.APIError {
 	// Validate: Flags
 	{
 		if args.Flags != 0 {
-			if utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(args.Flags), int64(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate)) {
-				flags |= structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate
+			if args.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate) {
+				flags.Set(structures.EmoteFlagsPrivate)
 			}
-			if utils.BitField.HasBits(int64(args.Flags), int64(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth)) {
-				flags |= structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth
+			if args.Flags.Has(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth) {
+				flags.Set(structures.EmoteFlagsZeroWidth)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -376,12 +375,12 @@ func (r *create) Handler(ctx *rest.Ctx) rest.APIError {
 }
 
 type createData struct {
-	Name        string               `json:"name"`
-	Description string               `json:"description"`
-	ParentID    *primitive.ObjectID  `json:"parent_id"`
-	Diverged    bool                 `json:"diverged"`
-	Tags        []string             `json:"tags"`
-	Flags       structures.EmoteFlag `json:"flags"`
+	Name        string                                    `json:"name"`
+	Description string                                    `json:"description"`
+	ParentID    *primitive.ObjectID                       `json:"parent_id"`
+	Diverged    bool                                      `json:"diverged"`
+	Tags        []string                                  `json:"tags"`
+	Flags       structures.BitField[structures.EmoteFlag] `json:"flags"`
 }
 
 var (