diff --git a/bin/load_gen b/bin/load_gen
index 26032661e617ee2f547a07a4bac5f46c892adc49..599efb8f1eaf77d3aea3d9039d7839368e9a3bd1 100755
--- a/bin/load_gen
+++ b/bin/load_gen
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ function poll() {
 }
 
 // always start out by creating a bunch of users
-var NUM_INITIAL_USERS = 1;
+var NUM_INITIAL_USERS = 30;
 
 // if an explicit target was specified, let's output what that means
 // in understandable terms
diff --git a/lib/load_gen/signup.js b/lib/load_gen/signup.js
index 6dd123e40c86714082d229f47b4d5c563dcf88d5..c508976254b5917deb98a1a074a181b72034eb74 100644
--- a/lib/load_gen/signup.js
+++ b/lib/load_gen/signup.js
@@ -113,11 +113,11 @@ exports.startFunc = function(cfg, cb) {
         // process
         wcli.post(cfg, '/wsapi/cert_key', context, {
           email: email,
-          pubkey: keypair.publicKey.toSimpleObject()
-        }, function(r) {
-          var rv = (r.code === 200 && r.body === '"complete"');
-          if (!rv) winston.error("registration_status failed during signup: " + JSON.stringify(r));
-          cb(rv);
+          pubkey: keypair.publicKey.serialize()
+        }, function(resp) {
+          if (typeof resp.body !== 'string') return cb(false);
+          userdb.addCertToUserCtx(context, email, resp.body);
+          cb(true);
         });
       });
     });
diff --git a/lib/load_gen/user_db.js b/lib/load_gen/user_db.js
index 6b97f3902b3abb5e1747bc6bd668000023f2fc94..b7c09ce174ded5fc828f40f6daf3ed8f531c3bee 100644
--- a/lib/load_gen/user_db.js
+++ b/lib/load_gen/user_db.js
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ exports.addKeyToUserCtx = function(ctx, email) {
   // the verifier, but that in turn will drastically increase the
   // cost of the application of load.  ho hum.
   var k = exports.any(keys.keyPairs);
-  ctx.keys[email] = k;
+  ctx.keys[email] = { keyPair: k };
   return k;
-}
+};
+
+exports.addCertToUserCtx = function(ctx, email, cert) {
+  ctx.keys[email].cert = cert;
+};