diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index acf9851..dd5818d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ dependencies = [
         "pyramid_tm",
         "waitress",
         "WebHelpers2",
-        "WuttJamaican[db]>=0.16.1",
+        "WuttJamaican[db]>=0.17.1",
         "zope.sqlalchemy>=1.5",
 ]
 
diff --git a/src/wuttaweb/forms/schema.py b/src/wuttaweb/forms/schema.py
index a43e251..f5f206b 100644
--- a/src/wuttaweb/forms/schema.py
+++ b/src/wuttaweb/forms/schema.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 Form schema types
 """
 
+import uuid as _uuid
+
 import colander
 
 from wuttaweb.db import Session
@@ -246,7 +248,14 @@ class ObjectRef(colander.SchemaType):
 
         # fetch object from DB
         model = self.app.model
-        obj = self.session.get(self.model_class, value)
+        obj = None
+        if isinstance(value, _uuid.UUID):
+            obj = self.session.get(self.model_class, value)
+        else:
+            try:
+                obj = self.session.get(self.model_class, _uuid.UUID(value))
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
 
         # raise error if not found
         if not obj:
diff --git a/src/wuttaweb/templates/base.mako b/src/wuttaweb/templates/base.mako
index 6e5d004..8da535a 100644
--- a/src/wuttaweb/templates/base.mako
+++ b/src/wuttaweb/templates/base.mako
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@
 
     const WuttaFeedbackFormData = {
         referrer: null,
-        userUUID: ${json.dumps(request.user.uuid if request.user else None)|n},
+        userUUID: ${json.dumps(request.user.uuid.hex if request.user else None)|n},
         userName: ${json.dumps(str(request.user) if request.user else None)|n},
         showDialog: false,
         sendingFeedback: false,
diff --git a/tests/forms/test_widgets.py b/tests/forms/test_widgets.py
index 7df8e18..a51ce79 100644
--- a/tests/forms/test_widgets.py
+++ b/tests/forms/test_widgets.py
@@ -146,14 +146,14 @@ class TestRoleRefsWidget(WebTestCase):
 
         # editable values list *excludes* admin (by default)
         html = widget.serialize(field, {admin.uuid, blokes.uuid})
-        self.assertNotIn(admin.uuid, html)
-        self.assertIn(blokes.uuid, html)
+        self.assertNotIn(str(admin.uuid), html)
+        self.assertIn(str(blokes.uuid), html)
 
         # but admin is included for root user
         self.request.is_root = True
         html = widget.serialize(field, {admin.uuid, blokes.uuid})
-        self.assertIn(admin.uuid, html)
-        self.assertIn(blokes.uuid, html)
+        self.assertIn(str(admin.uuid), html)
+        self.assertIn(str(blokes.uuid), html)
 
 
 class TestUserRefsWidget(WebTestCase):
diff --git a/tests/test_auth.py b/tests/test_auth.py
index aa77280..f7705c8 100644
--- a/tests/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/test_auth.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
 
+import uuid as _uuid
 from unittest import TestCase
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ class TestWuttaSecurityPolicy(TestCase):
 
         # invalid identity yields no user
         self.policy = self.make_policy()
-        self.policy.remember(self.request, 'bogus-user-uuid')
+        self.policy.remember(self.request, _uuid.uuid4()) # random uuid
         user = self.policy.identity(self.request)
         self.assertIsNone(user)
 
diff --git a/tests/views/test_common.py b/tests/views/test_common.py
index 0da2822..4d86ba6 100644
--- a/tests/views/test_common.py
+++ b/tests/views/test_common.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class TestCommonView(WebTestCase):
 
             # basic send, with user
             self.request.user = user
-            self.request.POST['user_uuid'] = user.uuid
+            self.request.POST['user_uuid'] = str(user.uuid)
             with patch.object(mod, 'Session', return_value=self.session):
                 context = view.feedback()
             self.assertEqual(context, {'ok': True})