diff --git a/proto/cofd_api.proto b/proto/cofd_api.proto
index 238167f..45dfeca 100644
--- a/proto/cofd_api.proto
+++ b/proto/cofd_api.proto
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ package models.proto.cofd.api;
 
 message CharacterIdentifier {
   string owner = 1;
-  int32 character_id = 2;
+  int32 id = 2;
 }
 
 //Update basic information about a Chronicles of Darkness (or
 //derivative system) character sheet. This is a straight overwrite of
 //all basic information on the sheet.
 message UpdateBasicInfoRequest {
-  CharacterIdentifier id = 1;
+  CharacterIdentifier character = 1;
   reserved 2;
   // string owner = 1;
   // int32 character_id = 2;
diff --git a/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.d.ts b/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.d.ts
index 36e9340..b5269b7 100644
--- a/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.d.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.d.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ export class CharacterIdentifier extends jspb.Message {
   getOwner(): string;
   setOwner(value: string): void;
 
-  getCharacterId(): number;
-  setCharacterId(value: number): void;
+  getId(): number;
+  setId(value: number): void;
 
   serializeBinary(): Uint8Array;
   toObject(includeInstance?: boolean): CharacterIdentifier.AsObject;
@@ -24,15 +24,15 @@ export class CharacterIdentifier extends jspb.Message {
 export namespace CharacterIdentifier {
   export type AsObject = {
     owner: string,
-    characterId: number,
+    id: number,
   }
 }
 
 export class UpdateBasicInfoRequest extends jspb.Message {
-  hasId(): boolean;
-  clearId(): void;
-  getId(): CharacterIdentifier | undefined;
-  setId(value?: CharacterIdentifier): void;
+  hasCharacter(): boolean;
+  clearCharacter(): void;
+  getCharacter(): CharacterIdentifier | undefined;
+  setCharacter(value?: CharacterIdentifier): void;
 
   getName(): string;
   setName(value: string): void;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class UpdateBasicInfoRequest extends jspb.Message {
 
 export namespace UpdateBasicInfoRequest {
   export type AsObject = {
-    id?: CharacterIdentifier.AsObject,
+    character?: CharacterIdentifier.AsObject,
     name: string,
     gender: string,
     concept: string,
diff --git a/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.js b/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.js
index d4a29f1..883bc96 100644
--- a/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.js
+++ b/src/frontend/_proto/cofd_api_pb.js
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.toObject = function(op
 proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.toObject = function(includeInstance, msg) {
   var f, obj = {
     owner: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 1, ""),
-    characterId: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 2, 0)
+    id: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 2, 0)
   };
 
   if (includeInstance) {
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.deserializeBinaryFromReader = fu
       break;
     case 2:
       var value = /** @type {number} */ (reader.readInt32());
-      msg.setCharacterId(value);
+      msg.setId(value);
       break;
     default:
       reader.skipField();
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.serializeBinaryToWriter = functi
       f
     );
   }
-  f = message.getCharacterId();
+  f = message.getId();
   if (f !== 0) {
     writer.writeInt32(
       2,
@@ -357,10 +357,10 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.setOwner = function(va
 
 
 /**
- * optional int32 character_id = 2;
+ * optional int32 id = 2;
  * @return {number}
  */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.getCharacterId = function() {
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.getId = function() {
   return /** @type {number} */ (jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(this, 2, 0));
 };
 
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.getCharacterId = funct
  * @param {number} value
  * @return {!proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier} returns this
  */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.setCharacterId = function(value) {
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.prototype.setId = function(value) {
   return jspb.Message.setProto3IntField(this, 2, value);
 };
 
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.toObject = function
  */
 proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.toObject = function(includeInstance, msg) {
   var f, obj = {
-    id: (f = msg.getId()) && proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.toObject(includeInstance, f),
+    character: (f = msg.getCharacter()) && proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.toObject(includeInstance, f),
     name: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 3, ""),
     gender: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 4, ""),
     concept: jspb.Message.getFieldWithDefault(msg, 5, ""),
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.deserializeBinaryFromReader =
     case 1:
       var value = new proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier;
       reader.readMessage(value,proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier.deserializeBinaryFromReader);
-      msg.setId(value);
+      msg.setCharacter(value);
       break;
     case 3:
       var value = /** @type {string} */ (reader.readString());
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.serializeBinary = f
  */
 proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.serializeBinaryToWriter = function(message, writer) {
   var f = undefined;
-  f = message.getId();
+  f = message.getCharacter();
   if (f != null) {
     writer.writeMessage(
       1,
@@ -549,10 +549,10 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.serializeBinaryToWriter = fun
 
 
 /**
- * optional CharacterIdentifier id = 1;
+ * optional CharacterIdentifier character = 1;
  * @return {?proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier}
  */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.getId = function() {
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.getCharacter = function() {
   return /** @type{?proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier} */ (
     jspb.Message.getWrapperField(this, proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier, 1));
 };
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.getId = function()
  * @param {?proto.models.proto.cofd.api.CharacterIdentifier|undefined} value
  * @return {!proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest} returns this
 */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.setId = function(value) {
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.setCharacter = function(value) {
   return jspb.Message.setWrapperField(this, 1, value);
 };
 
@@ -571,8 +571,8 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.setId = function(va
  * Clears the message field making it undefined.
  * @return {!proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest} returns this
  */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.clearId = function() {
-  return this.setId(undefined);
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.clearCharacter = function() {
+  return this.setCharacter(undefined);
 };
 
 
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.clearId = function(
  * Returns whether this field is set.
  * @return {boolean}
  */
-proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.hasId = function() {
+proto.models.proto.cofd.api.UpdateBasicInfoRequest.prototype.hasCharacter = function() {
   return jspb.Message.getField(this, 1) != null;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/scripts/characters/edit.ts b/src/frontend/scripts/characters/edit.ts
index eef32bd..c83a1a2 100644
--- a/src/frontend/scripts/characters/edit.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/scripts/characters/edit.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import * as api from "../api";
 
     function characterId(): CharacterIdentifier {
         const id = new CharacterIdentifier();
-        id.setCharacterId(parseInt(CHARACTER_ID));
+        id.setId(parseInt(CHARACTER_ID));
         id.setOwner(USERNAME);
         return id;
     }
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ import * as api from "../api";
         async function updateInfo() {
             const params = new UpdateBasicInfoRequest();
 
-            params.setId(characterId());
+            params.setCharacter(characterId());
             params.setName(getTextValue("#characterName"));
             params.setAge(getIntValue("#age"));
             params.setConcept(getTextValue("#concept"));
diff --git a/src/models/proto/cofd.rs b/src/models/proto/cofd.rs
index fd952c5..cbfd61a 100644
--- a/src/models/proto/cofd.rs
+++ b/src/models/proto/cofd.rs
@@ -14,21 +14,30 @@ pub mod api {
     //include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/models.proto.cofd.api.rs"));
     tonic::include_proto!("models.proto.cofd.api");
 
-    /// Trait to take ownership of CharacterIdentifiers while avoiding
-    /// clone. The identifier is extracted out of the type, leaving a
-    /// default value in its place.
+    use std::borrow::Cow;
+
+    /// Trait to extract values out of a CharacterIdentifier whose
+    /// instance may or may not exist on an API request.
     pub trait DefaultCharacterIdentifier {
-        /// Take ownership of a CharacterIdentifier by taking it out
-        /// of the containing type, leaving behind a default value
-        /// (None, in the case of Option) in its place.
-        fn extract(&mut self) -> CharacterIdentifier;
+        /// Retrieve the specified owner, or a default fallback (empty
+        /// string). Will not allocate if the owner is present in the
+        /// request.
+        fn owner(&self) -> Cow<'_, str>;
+
+        /// Retrieve the character ID specified, or the default i32
+        /// value (0).
+        fn id(&self) -> i32;
     }
 
     impl DefaultCharacterIdentifier for Option<CharacterIdentifier> {
-        /// Extract the identifier, or a default one if the identifier
-        /// is not specified for some reason.
-        fn extract(&mut self) -> CharacterIdentifier {
-            self.take().unwrap_or_default()
+        fn owner(&self) -> Cow<'_, str> {
+            self.as_ref()
+                .map(|ident| Cow::from(&ident.owner))
+                .unwrap_or_default()
+        }
+
+        fn id(&self) -> i32 {
+            self.as_ref().map(|ident| ident.id).unwrap_or_default()
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/api/cofd.rs b/src/routes/api/cofd.rs
index 4116a1e..a773ace 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/cofd.rs
+++ b/src/routes/api/cofd.rs
@@ -40,12 +40,13 @@ fn find_skill<'a>(sheet: &'a mut CofdSheet, skill_name: &'a str) -> Option<&'a m
 
 #[post("/rpc/cofd/update_basic_info", data = "<req>")]
 pub(super) async fn update_basic_info<'a>(
-    mut req: Proto<UpdateBasicInfoRequest>,
+    req: Proto<UpdateBasicInfoRequest>,
     conn: TenebrousDbConn<'_>,
-    logged_in_user: Option<&User>,
+    user: Option<&User>,
 ) -> Result<Proto<ApiResult>, Error> {
-    let id = req.id.extract();
-    let mut character = load_character(&conn, logged_in_user, &id.owner, id.character_id).await?;
+    let mut character =
+        load_character(&conn, user, &req.character.owner(), req.character.id()).await?;
+
     let mut sheet: CofdSheet = character.try_deserialize()?;
 
     println!("name will now be {}", req.name);