diff --git a/resources/lib/UnityHTTPD.php b/resources/lib/UnityHTTPD.php
index 7a43f87ed..832d584e5 100644
--- a/resources/lib/UnityHTTPD.php
+++ b/resources/lib/UnityHTTPD.php
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ public static function errorHandler(int $severity, string $message, string $file
         return false;
     }
 
+    /* if key is not found, dies */
     public static function getPostData(string $key): string
     {
         if (!array_key_exists($key, $_POST)) {
@@ -234,19 +235,25 @@ public static function getPostData(string $key): string
         return $_POST[$key];
     }
 
-    /* returns null if not found and not $die_if_not_found */
-    public static function getQueryParameter(string $key, bool $die_if_not_found = true): ?string
+    public static function getOptionalPostData(string $key): ?string
+    {
+        return @$_POST[$key];
+    }
+
+    /* if key is not found, dies */
+    public static function getQueryParameter(string $key): string
     {
         if (!array_key_exists($key, $_GET)) {
-            if ($die_if_not_found) {
-                self::badRequest("\$_GET has no array key '$key'");
-            } else {
-                return null;
-            }
+            self::badRequest("\$_GET has no array key '$key'");
         }
         return $_GET[$key];
     }
 
+    public static function getOptionalQueryParameter(string $key): ?string
+    {
+        return @$_GET[$key];
+    }
+
     public static function getUploadedFileContents(
         string $filename,
         bool $do_delete_tmpfile_after_read = true,
diff --git a/resources/templates/header.php b/resources/templates/header.php
index c91c0ff06..a7f69a860 100644
--- a/resources/templates/header.php
+++ b/resources/templates/header.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     // UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
     if (
         ($_SESSION["is_admin"] ?? false) == true
-        && ($_POST["form_type"] ?? null) == "clearView"
+        && UnityHTTPD::getOptionalPostData("form_type") == "clearView"
     ) {
         unset($_SESSION["viewUser"]);
         UnityHTTPD::redirect(getURL("admin/user-mgmt.php"));
diff --git a/webroot/admin/content.php b/webroot/admin/content.php
index 3f6b6e308..7b595a903 100644
--- a/webroot/admin/content.php
+++ b/webroot/admin/content.php
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@
 
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
-    if (!empty($_POST["pageSel"])) {
-        $SQL->editPage($_POST["pageSel"], $_POST["content"]);
+    if (array_key_exists("pageSel", $_POST)) {
+        $SQL->editPage(
+            UnityHTTPD::getPostData("pageSel"),
+            UnityHTTPD::getPostData("content"),
+        );
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/webroot/admin/notices.php b/webroot/admin/notices.php
index 74a5a7a73..e0412453e 100644
--- a/webroot/admin/notices.php
+++ b/webroot/admin/notices.php
@@ -11,18 +11,24 @@
 
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
-    switch ($_POST["form_type"]) {
+    switch (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("form_type")) {
         case "newNotice":
-            $SQL->addNotice($_POST["title"], $_POST["date"], $_POST["content"]);
-
+            $SQL->addNotice(
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("title"),
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("date"),
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("content"),
+            );
             break;
         case "editNotice":
-            $SQL->editNotice($_POST["id"], $_POST["title"], $_POST["date"], $_POST["content"]);
-
+            $SQL->editNotice(
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("id"),
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("title"),
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("date"),
+                UnityHTTPD::getPostData("content")
+            );
             break;
         case "delNotice":
-            $SQL->deleteNotice($_POST["id"]);
-
+            $SQL->deleteNotice(UnityHTTPD::getPostData("id"));
             break;
     }
 }
diff --git a/webroot/admin/pi-mgmt.php b/webroot/admin/pi-mgmt.php
index 9fee7ebd9..3ae35a695 100644
--- a/webroot/admin/pi-mgmt.php
+++ b/webroot/admin/pi-mgmt.php
@@ -17,31 +17,36 @@
     return new UnityUser(UnityHTTPD::getPostData("uid"), $LDAP, $SQL, $MAILER, $WEBHOOK);
 };
 
+$getPIGroupFromPost = function () {
+    global $LDAP, $SQL, $MAILER, $WEBHOOK;
+    return new UnityGroup(UnityHTTPD::getPostData("pi"), $LDAP, $SQL, $MAILER, $WEBHOOK);
+};
+
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
-    switch ($_POST["form_type"]) {
+    switch (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("form_type")) {
         case "req":
             $form_user = $getUserFromPost();
-            if ($_POST["action"] == "Approve") {
+            if (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Approve") {
                 $group = $form_user->getPIGroup();
                 $group->approveGroup();
-            } elseif ($_POST["action"] == "Deny") {
+            } elseif (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Deny") {
                 $group = $form_user->getPIGroup();
                 $group->denyGroup();
             }
             break;
         case "reqChild":
             $form_user = $getUserFromPost();
-            $parent_group = new UnityGroup($_POST["pi"], $LDAP, $SQL, $MAILER, $WEBHOOK);
-            if ($_POST["action"] == "Approve") {
+            $parent_group = $getPIGroupFromPost();
+            if (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Approve") {
                 $parent_group->approveUser($form_user);
-            } elseif ($_POST["action"] == "Deny") {
+            } elseif (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Deny") {
                 $parent_group->denyUser($form_user);
             }
             break;
         case "remUserChild":
             $form_user = $getUserFromPost();
-            $parent = new UnityGroup($_POST["pi"], $LDAP, $SQL, $MAILER, $WEBHOOK);
+            $parent = $getPIGroupFromPost();
             $parent->removeUser($form_user);
             break;
     }
diff --git a/webroot/admin/user-mgmt.php b/webroot/admin/user-mgmt.php
index fb7b35cf9..8d0068d54 100644
--- a/webroot/admin/user-mgmt.php
+++ b/webroot/admin/user-mgmt.php
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@
 
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
-    switch ($_POST["form_type"]) {
+    switch (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("form_type")) {
         case "viewAsUser":
-            $_SESSION["viewUser"] = $_POST["uid"];
+            $_SESSION["viewUser"] = UnityHTTPD::getPostData("uid");
             UnityHTTPD::redirect(getURL("panel/account.php"));
             break; /** @phpstan-ignore deadCode.unreachable */
     }
diff --git a/webroot/api/content/index.php b/webroot/api/content/index.php
index 7f5715544..801427d97 100644
--- a/webroot/api/content/index.php
+++ b/webroot/api/content/index.php
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 
 require_once __DIR__ . "/../../../resources/autoload.php";
 
-$CHAR_WRAP = digits2int(UnityHTTPD::getQueryParameter("line_wrap", false) ?? "80");
+$CHAR_WRAP = digits2int(UnityHTTPD::getOptionalQueryParameter("line_wrap") ?? "80");
 $content_name = UnityHTTPD::getQueryParameter("content_name");
 echo $SQL->getPage($content_name)["content"];
diff --git a/webroot/js/ajax/ssh_generate.php b/webroot/js/ajax/ssh_generate.php
index be99c0a2a..44561d5c3 100644
--- a/webroot/js/ajax/ssh_generate.php
+++ b/webroot/js/ajax/ssh_generate.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 $private = EC::createKey('Ed25519');
 $public = $private->getPublicKey();
 $public_str = $public->toString('OpenSSH');
-if (UnityHTTPD::getQueryParameter("type", false) == "ppk") {
+if (UnityHTTPD::getOptionalQueryParameter("type") == "ppk") {
     $private_str = $private->toString('PuTTY');
 } else {
     $private_str = $private->toString('OpenSSH');
diff --git a/webroot/panel/account.php b/webroot/panel/account.php
index 8889621e6..6c5922ec1 100644
--- a/webroot/panel/account.php
+++ b/webroot/panel/account.php
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
             $USER->setSSHKeys($keys);
             break;
         case "loginshell":
-            $USER->setLoginShell($_POST["shellSelect"]);
+            $USER->setLoginShell(UnityHTTPD::getPostData("shellSelect"));
             break;
         case "pi_request":
             if ($USER->isPI()) {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
             if ($SQL->requestExists($USER->uid, UnitySQL::REQUEST_BECOME_PI)) {
                 UnityHTTPD::badRequest("already requested to be PI");
             }
-            if ($_POST["tos"] != "agree") {
+            if (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("tos") != "agree") {
                 UnityHTTPD::badRequest("user did not agree to terms of service");
             }
             $USER->getPIGroup()->requestGroup($SEND_PIMESG_TO_ADMINS);
diff --git a/webroot/panel/groups.php b/webroot/panel/groups.php
index 73cf95e2e..016802d26 100644
--- a/webroot/panel/groups.php
+++ b/webroot/panel/groups.php
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
     if (isset($_POST["form_type"])) {
-        switch ($_POST["form_type"]) {
+        switch (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("form_type")) {
             case "addPIform":
                 $pi_account = $getPIGroupFromPost();
-                if ($_POST["tos"] != "agree") {
+                if (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("tos") != "agree") {
                     UnityHTTPD::badRequest("user did not agree to terms of service");
                 }
                 if ($pi_account->exists()) {
diff --git a/webroot/panel/pi.php b/webroot/panel/pi.php
index 6ac080cb8..c8d75e908 100644
--- a/webroot/panel/pi.php
+++ b/webroot/panel/pi.php
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
 
 if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
     UnityHTTPD::validatePostCSRFToken();
-    switch ($_POST["form_type"]) {
+    switch (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("form_type")) {
         case "userReq":
             $form_user = $getUserFromPost();
-            if ($_POST["action"] == "Approve") {
+            if (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Approve") {
                 $group->approveUser($form_user);
-            } elseif ($_POST["action"] == "Deny") {
+            } elseif (UnityHTTPD::getPostData("action") == "Deny") {
                 $group->denyUser($form_user);
             }
             break;