diff --git a/functions/pipeline/download/__init__.py b/functions/pipeline/download/__init__.py
index 11a4e295..96f3965a 100644
--- a/functions/pipeline/download/__init__.py
+++ b/functions/pipeline/download/__init__.py
@@ -12,17 +12,17 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
     logging.info('Python HTTP trigger function processed a request.')
 
     image_count = int(req.params.get('imageCount'))
-    user_id = int(req.params.get('userId'))
+    user_name = req.params.get('userName')
 
     # setup response object
     headers = {
         "content-type": "application/json"
     }
-    if not user_id:
+    if not user_name:
         return func.HttpResponse(
             status_code=401,
             headers=headers,
-            body=json.dumps({"error": "invalid userId given or omitted"})
+            body=json.dumps({"error": "invalid userName given or omitted"})
         )
     elif not image_count:
         return func.HttpResponse(
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
         try:
             # DB configuration
             data_access = ImageTagDataAccess(get_postgres_provider())
-
+            user_id = data_access.create_user(user_name)
             image_urls = list(data_access.get_new_images(image_count, user_id))
 
             # TODO: Populate starting json with tags, if any exist... (precomputed or retagging?)
diff --git a/functions/pipeline/onboarding/__init__.py b/functions/pipeline/onboarding/__init__.py
index 7e87ba9a..0961e3f2 100644
--- a/functions/pipeline/onboarding/__init__.py
+++ b/functions/pipeline/onboarding/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import logging
+import json
 import azure.functions as func
 
 from ..shared.db_provider import get_postgres_provider
@@ -13,10 +14,14 @@
 def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
     logging.info('Python HTTP trigger function processed a request.')
 
-    user_id = req.params.get('userId')
+    user_name = req.params.get('userName')
 
-    if not user_id:
-        return func.HttpResponse("userId query parameter invalid or omitted", status_code=401)
+    if not user_name:
+        return func.HttpResponse(
+            status_code=401,
+            headers={ "content-type": "application/json"},
+            body=json.dumps({"error": "invalid userName given or omitted"})
+        )
 
     try:
         req_body = req.get_json()
@@ -49,16 +54,11 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
         image_object_list.append(image)
 
     # TODO: Wrap db access section in try/catch, send an appropriate http response in the event of an error
-    logging.info("Now connecting to database...")
     data_access = ImageTagDataAccess(get_postgres_provider())
-    logging.info("Connected.")
-
-    # Create user id
-    user_id_number = data_access.create_user(user_id)
-    logging.info("User id for {0} is {1}".format(user_id, str(user_id_number)))
+    user_id = data_access.create_user(user_name)
 
     # Add new images to the database, and retrieve a dictionary ImageId's mapped to ImageUrl's
-    image_id_url_map = data_access.add_new_images(image_object_list,user_id_number)
+    image_id_url_map = data_access.add_new_images(image_object_list,user_id)
 
     # Print out dictionary for debugging
     logging.info("Image ID and URL map dictionary:")
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
         update_urls_dictionary[image_id] = permanent_storage_path
 
     logging.info("Now updating permanent URLs in the DB...")
-    data_access.update_image_urls(update_urls_dictionary, user_id_number)
+    data_access.update_image_urls(update_urls_dictionary, user_id)
     logging.info("Done.")
 
     # Construct response string of permanent URLs
diff --git a/functions/pipeline/requirements.txt b/functions/pipeline/requirements.txt
index fbf84768..41de3ac2 100644
--- a/functions/pipeline/requirements.txt
+++ b/functions/pipeline/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 azure-functions==1.0.0a5
 azure-functions-worker==1.0.0a6
-azure-storage
+azure-storage-blob==1.4.0
 grpcio==1.14.2
 grpcio-tools==1.14.2
 protobuf==3.6.1
diff --git a/functions/pipeline/upload/__init__.py b/functions/pipeline/upload/__init__.py
index 417dc1e4..9fd4a701 100644
--- a/functions/pipeline/upload/__init__.py
+++ b/functions/pipeline/upload/__init__.py
@@ -19,11 +19,18 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
         # TODO: Create if check for userId and valid json checks?
         vott_json = req.get_json()
         upload_data = process_vott_json(vott_json)
-        user_id = int(req.params.get('userId'))
-        upload_data['userId'] = user_id
+        user_name = req.params.get('userName')
+
+        if not user_name:
+            return func.HttpResponse(
+                status_code=401,
+                headers={ "content-type": "application/json"},
+                body=json.dumps({"error": "invalid userName given or omitted"})
+            )
 
         # DB configuration
         data_access = ImageTagDataAccess(get_postgres_provider())
+        user_id = data_access.create_user(user_name)
 
         # Update tagged images
         ids_to_tags = upload_data["imageIdToTags"]
@@ -45,9 +52,7 @@ def main(req: func.HttpRequest) -> func.HttpResponse:
         return func.HttpResponse(
             body=json.dumps(upload_data),
             status_code=200,
-            headers={
-                "content-type": "application/json"
-            }
+            headers={ "content-type": "application/json"},
         )
     except Exception as e:
         return func.HttpResponse(
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 9de0ccd9..b6871c9c 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 azure-functions==1.0.0a5
 azure-functions-worker==1.0.0a6
-azure-storage
+azure-storage-blob==1.4.0
 grpcio==1.14.2
 grpcio-tools==1.14.2
 protobuf==3.6.1