diff --git a/.flake8 b/.flake8
deleted file mode 100644
index d557902..0000000
--- a/.flake8
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-[flake8]
-ignore = E203,W504,W191,W503
-exclude = .git
-max-complexity = 10
-max-line-length = 108
-indent-string = '  '
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.txt b/CHANGELOG.txt
index 12a8730..d9c99bb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.txt
+++ b/CHANGELOG.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+[0.2.13]
+- migrated to pyproject and poetry
+- validators added
+- fixed graphql requests for core api
+- uses official redis[hiredis] async
+
 [0.2.12]
 - sigil is back for test
 
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 610e90b..bc420fe 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
+# Use an official Python runtime as a parent image
 FROM python:slim
+
+# Set the working directory in the container to /app
 WORKDIR /app
 
+# Add metadata to the image to describe that the container is listening on port 80
 EXPOSE 80
-COPY requirements.txt .
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y gcc && pip install -r requirements.txt
-COPY . .
-CMD ["python", "server.py"]
+
+# Copy the current directory contents into the container at /app
+COPY . /app
+
+# Install any needed packages specified in pyproject.toml
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y gcc curl && \
+    curl -sSL https://install.python-poetry.org | python - && \
+    poetry config virtualenvs.create false && \
+    poetry install --no-dev
+
+# Run server.py when the container launches
+CMD ["python", "server.py"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..486139e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["poetry-core>=1.0.0"]
+build-backend = "poetry.core.masonry.api"
+
+[tool.poetry]
+name = "discoursio-inbox"
+version = "0.2.13"
+description = "Inbox server for discours.io"
+authors = ["Tony Rewin <anton.rewin@gmail.com>"]
+
+[tool.poetry.dependencies]
+python = "^3.8"
+sentry-sdk = "^1.4.3"
+redis = {extras = ["hiredis"], version = "^3.5.3"}
+ariadne = "^0.13.0"
+starlette = "^0.14.2"
+uvicorn = "^0.15.0"
+httpx = "^0.18.2"
+itsdangerous = "^2.0.1"
+
+[tool.poetry.dev-dependencies]
+pytest = "^6.2.5"
+
+[tool.black]
+line-length = 120
+target-version = ['py312']
+include = '\.pyi?$'
+exclude = '''
+
+(
+  /(
+      \.eggs         # exclude a few common directories in the
+    | \.git          # root of the project
+    | \.hg
+    | \.mypy_cache
+    | \.tox
+    | \.venv
+    | _build
+    | buck-out
+    | build
+    | dist
+  )/
+  | foo.py           # also separately exclude a file named foo.py in
+                     # the root of the project
+)
+'''
+
+[tool.isort]
+multi_line_output = 3
+include_trailing_comma = true
+force_grid_wrap = 0
+use_parentheses = true
+ensure_newline_before_comments = true
+line_length = 120
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index fc4bb1c..0000000
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-sentry-sdk
-redis[hiredis]
-ariadne
-starlette
-uvicorn
-httpx
-itsdangerous
-######## development deps
-isort
-brunette
-flake8
-mypy
-its
diff --git a/resolvers/chats.py b/resolvers/chats.py
index 4e3756c..c7ed614 100644
--- a/resolvers/chats.py
+++ b/resolvers/chats.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import uuid
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
-from validators.chat import Chat
+from validators.inbox import Chat
 from services.auth import login_required
 from services.redis import redis
 from services.schema import mutation
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ async def create_chat(_, info, title="", members=None):
 
     for member_id in members:
         await redis.execute("SADD", f"chats_by_author/{member_id}", chat_id)
+
+    print(f"[resolvers.chatss] creating: {chat}")
+
     await redis.execute("SET", f"chats/{chat_id}", json.dumps(chat))
     await redis.execute("SET", f"chats/{chat_id}/next_message_id", str(0))
 
diff --git a/resolvers/load.py b/resolvers/load.py
index 4b5a8dd..530dfdd 100644
--- a/resolvers/load.py
+++ b/resolvers/load.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from services.core import get_author, get_network
 from services.redis import redis
 from services.auth import login_required
 from services.schema import query
-from validators.chat import Message, Chat, ChatMember
+from validators.inbox import Message, Chat, ChatMember
 from .chats import create_chat
 from .unread import get_unread_counter
 import asyncio
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ async def load_chats(
     if len(cids) == 0:
         print(f"[resolvers.load] no chats for user with id={author_id}")
         r = await create_chat(None, info, members=[2])  # member with id = 2 is discours
-        print(f"[resolvers.load] created chat: {r}")
+        print(f"[resolvers.load] created chat: {r['chat']}")
         cids.append(r["chat"]["id"])
     for cid in cids:
         async with lock:
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ async def load_chats(
                 c["members"] = []
                 for member_id in member_ids:
                     a = await get_author(member_id)
-                    print(f"[resolvers.load] author with id={member_id}: {a}")
                     if a:
                         a["online"] = a.get("id") in members_online
                         c["members"].append(a)
diff --git a/resolvers/messages.py b/resolvers/messages.py
index a47d915..d0dfbae 100644
--- a/resolvers/messages.py
+++ b/resolvers/messages.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import json
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from typing import List
-from validators.chat import Message
+from validators.inbox import Message
 from services.auth import login_required
 from services.presence import notify_message
 from services.redis import redis
diff --git a/services/auth.py b/services/auth.py
index 096eb6b..6f244be 100644
--- a/services/auth.py
+++ b/services/auth.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ async def check_auth(req):
             is_authenticated = user_id is not None
             return is_authenticated, user_id
         except Exception as e:
-            print(f"response contains no proper data: {r}")
+            print(f"{e}: {r}")
             return False, None
 
 
diff --git a/services/core.py b/services/core.py
index 51fcaaf..9b169ad 100644
--- a/services/core.py
+++ b/services/core.py
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}
 
 async def get_author(author_id):
     gql = {
-        "query": "query GetAuthorById($author_id: Int!) { getAuthorById(author_id: $author_id) { id slug userpic name lastSeen } }",
+        "query": '''query GetAuthorById($author_id: Int!) {
+            getAuthorById(author_id: $author_id) { id slug userpic name lastSeen } 
+            }''',
         "operation": "GetAuthorById",
         "variables": {"author_id": author_id},
     }
@@ -18,9 +20,7 @@ async def get_author(author_id):
             response = await client.post(
                 API_BASE, headers=headers, data=json.dumps(gql)
             )
-            print(
-                f"[services.core] get_author response: {response.status_code} {response.text}"
-            )
+            print(f"[services.core] get_author: {response.status_code} {response.text}")
             if response.status_code != 200:
                 return None
             r = response.json()
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ async def get_author(author_id):
 
 async def get_network(author_id: int, limit: int = 50, offset: int = 0) -> list:
     gql = {
-        "query": "query LoadAuthors($author_id: Int!, $limit: Int, $offset: Int) { authorFollowings(author_id: $author_id, limit: $limit, offset: $offset) { id slug userpic name } }",
+        "query": '''query LoadAuthors($author_id: Int!, $limit: Int, $offset: Int) {
+            authorFollowings(author_id: $author_id, limit: $limit, offset: $offset) { 
+                id slug userpic name 
+                }
+            }''',
         "operation": "LoadAuthors",
         "variables": {"author_id": author_id, "limit": limit, "offset": offset},
     }
@@ -60,7 +64,11 @@ async def get_network(author_id: int, limit: int = 50, offset: int = 0) -> list:
 
 async def get_followers(author_id, amount):
     gql = {
-        "query": "query LoadAuthors($author_id: Int!, $limit: Int, $offset: Int) { authorFollowers(author_id: $author_id, limit: $limit) { id slug userpic name } }",
+        "query": '''query LoadAuthors($author_id: Int!, $limit: Int, $offset: Int) {
+            authorFollowers(author_id: $author_id, limit: $limit) {
+                id slug userpic name
+                }
+            }''',
         "operation": "LoadAuthors",
         "variables": {"author_id": author_id, "limit": amount},
     }
@@ -75,5 +83,6 @@ async def get_followers(author_id, amount):
             r = response.json()
             followers = r.get("data", {}).get("authorFollowers", [])
     except Exception as e:
+        print(e)
         followers = []
     return followers
diff --git a/services/presence.py b/services/presence.py
index 11856ca..e35c177 100644
--- a/services/presence.py
+++ b/services/presence.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import json
 from services.redis import redis
-from validators.chat import Message
+from validators.inbox import Message
 
 
 async def notify_message(message: Message, chat_id: str):
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
deleted file mode 100755
index 588918a..0000000
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-[isort]
-# https://github.com/PyCQA/isort
-line_length = 120
-multi_line_output = 3
-include_trailing_comma = true
-force_grid_wrap = 0
-use_parentheses = true
-force_alphabetical_sort = false
-
-[tool:brunette]
-# https://github.com/odwyersoftware/brunette
-line-length = 120
-single-quotes = false
-
-[flake8]
-# https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8
-exclude = .git,__pycache__,.mypy_cache,.vercel
-max-line-length = 120
-max-complexity = 15
-select = B,C,E,F,W,T4,B9
-# E203: Whitespace before ':'
-# E266: Too many leading '#' for block comment
-# E501: Line too long (82 > 79 characters)
-# E722: Do not use bare except, specify exception instead
-# W503: Line break occurred before a binary operator
-# F403: 'from module import *' used; unable to detect undefined names
-# C901: Function is too complex
-ignore = E203,E266,E501,E722,W503,F403,C901
-
-[mypy]
-# https://github.com/python/mypy
-ignore_missing_imports = true
-warn_return_any = false
-warn_unused_configs = true
-disallow_untyped_calls = true
-disallow_untyped_defs = true
-disallow_incomplete_defs = true
-[mypy-api.*]
-ignore_errors = true
diff --git a/validators/chat.py b/validators/inbox.py
similarity index 100%
rename from validators/chat.py
rename to validators/inbox.py