diff --git a/backend/app/server.py b/backend/app/server.py
index 5cdfde69..b171b0f9 100644
--- a/backend/app/server.py
+++ b/backend/app/server.py
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Annotated, Optional
 
 import orjson
-from fastapi import FastAPI, Form, Request, UploadFile
+from fastapi import Cookie, FastAPI, Form, Request, UploadFile
 from fastapi.staticfiles import StaticFiles
 from gizmo_agent import agent, ingest_runnable
 from langchain.schema.runnable import RunnableConfig
 from langserve import add_routes
+from typing_extensions import TypedDict
 
 from app.storage import (
     get_thread_messages,
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@
 
 
 def attach_user_id_to_config(
-    config: RunnableConfig, request: Request
+    config: RunnableConfig,
+    request: Request,
 ) -> RunnableConfig:
     config["configurable"]["user_id"] = request.cookies["opengpts_user_id"]
     return config
@@ -48,9 +50,9 @@ def ingest_endpoint(files: list[UploadFile], config: str = Form(...)):
 
 
 @app.get("/assistants/")
-def list_assistants_endpoint(req: Request):
+def list_assistants_endpoint(opengpts_user_id: Annotated[str, Cookie()]):
     """List all assistants for the current user."""
-    return list_assistants(req.cookies["opengpts_user_id"])
+    return list_assistants(opengpts_user_id)
 
 
 @app.get("/assistants/public/")
@@ -60,10 +62,20 @@ def list_public_assistants_endpoint(shared_id: Optional[str] = None):
     )
 
 
+class AssistantPayload(TypedDict):
+    name: str
+    config: dict
+    public: bool
+
+
 @app.put("/assistants/{aid}")
-def put_assistant_endpoint(req: Request, aid: str, payload: dict):
+def put_assistant_endpoint(
+    aid: str,
+    payload: AssistantPayload,
+    opengpts_user_id: Annotated[str, Cookie()],
+):
     return put_assistant(
-        req.cookies["opengpts_user_id"],
+        opengpts_user_id,
         aid,
         name=payload["name"],
         config=payload["config"],
@@ -72,19 +84,26 @@ def put_assistant_endpoint(req: Request, aid: str, payload: dict):
 
 
 @app.get("/threads/")
-def list_threads_endpoint(req: Request):
-    return list_threads(req.cookies["opengpts_user_id"])
+def list_threads_endpoint(opengpts_user_id: Annotated[str, Cookie()]):
+    return list_threads(opengpts_user_id)
 
 
 @app.get("/threads/{tid}/messages")
-def get_thread_messages_endpoint(req: Request, tid: str):
-    return get_thread_messages(req.cookies["opengpts_user_id"], tid)
+def get_thread_messages_endpoint(opengpts_user_id: Annotated[str, Cookie()], tid: str):
+    return get_thread_messages(opengpts_user_id, tid)
+
+
+class ThreadPayload(TypedDict):
+    name: str
+    assistant_id: str
 
 
 @app.put("/threads/{tid}")
-def put_thread_endpoint(req: Request, tid: str, payload: dict):
+def put_thread_endpoint(
+    opengpts_user_id: Annotated[str, Cookie()], tid: str, payload: ThreadPayload
+):
     return put_thread(
-        req.cookies["opengpts_user_id"],
+        opengpts_user_id,
         tid,
         assistant_id=payload["assistant_id"],
         name=payload["name"],
diff --git a/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py b/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
index 9b8f4fca..7895c426 100644
--- a/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
+++ b/backend/tests/unit_tests/app/test_app.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ async def test_list_and_create_assistants(redis_client: RedisType) -> None:
             headers=headers,
         )
         assert response.status_code == 200
+
         assert response.json() == []
 
         # Create an assistant
@@ -140,3 +141,21 @@ async def test_threads(redis_client: RedisType) -> None:
                 "thread_id": "1",
             }
         ]
+
+        # Test a bad requests
+        response = await client.put(
+            "/threads/1",
+            json={"name": "bobby", "assistant_id": "bobby"},
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 422
+
+        response = await client.put(
+            "/threads/1",
+            headers={"Cookie": "opengpts_user_id=2"},
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 422
+
+        response = await client.get(
+            "/threads/",
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 422