diff --git a/main.lua b/main.lua
index e514ab3..71699f6 100644
--- a/main.lua
+++ b/main.lua
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ local WANTED_SCRIPTS = {
 local compiled_chain = {}
 
 for module_name, module_config in pairs(WANTED_SCRIPTS) do
-    module = require(module_name)
-    table.insert(compiled_chain, {module, module_config})
+    local module = require(module_name)
+    local module_state = module.init(module_config)
+    -- TODO is it possible to make module_config readonly?
+    table.insert(compiled_chain, {module, module_config, module_state})
 end
 
 local function onRequest()
@@ -28,12 +30,12 @@ local function onRequest()
     -- find out which modules to call based on their regexes
     local callbacks_to_call = {}
     for _, filter in ipairs(compiled_chain) do
-        local module, module_config = filter[1], filter[2]
+        local module, module_config, state = unpack(filter)
 
         for callback_regex, callback_function in pairs(module.callbacks) do
             local match, error = ngx.re.match(request_uri, callback_regex)
             if match then
-                table.insert(callbacks_to_call, {callback_function, module_config})
+                table.insert(callbacks_to_call, {callback_function, module_config, state})
             end
         end
     end
diff --git a/scripts/webfinger_allowlist.lua b/scripts/webfinger_allowlist.lua
index bb6c561..4575e7e 100644
--- a/scripts/webfinger_allowlist.lua
+++ b/scripts/webfinger_allowlist.lua
@@ -1,24 +1,23 @@
-function webfingerCallback(cfg)
+function webfingerInit(cfg)
+    local accounts_set = {}
+    for _, account in ipairs(cfg.accounts) do
+        accounts_set["acct:" .. account] = true
+    end
+    return accounts_set
+end
+
+function webfingerCallback(cfg, accounts_set)
     local args, err = ngx.req.get_uri_args()
     if err == "truncated" then
-      return false, 'uri args too long'
+      return 400, 'uri args too long'
     end
 
     local resource = args['resource']
-    if resource ~= nil then
-      -- TODO this is O(n) but we can make it O(1) by doing a funny and making
-      -- cfg.accounts be transformed into keys in a table
-      --
-      -- this would require us to do some setup() callback as well as
-      -- the request() callback
-      for _, account in ipairs(cfg.accounts) do
-        if resource == account then
-          return true
-        end
-      end
+    if accounts_set[resource] then
+        return nil
+    else
+        return 404, "Couldn't find user"
     end
-
-    return false
 end
 
 return {
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ return {
     Useful for small instances.
     ]],
     apiVersion=1,
+    init=webfingerInit,
     callbacks = {
         ['/.well-known/webfinger'] = webfingerCallback
     },