diff --git a/api.py b/api.py
index 1ab8815..13c4023 100644
--- a/api.py
+++ b/api.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def CreateChannel(google_user, client, instance_id, args):
   instance = models.Instance.FindOrCreate(instance_id, client)
 
   token = channel.create_channel(
-      client_id=str(instance),
+      client_id=str(instance.id()),
       duration_minutes=config.CHANNEL_DURATION_SECONDS / 60)
   events = []
   if google_user:
diff --git a/channel.py b/channel.py
index 8ffdcd2..7385e01 100644
--- a/channel.py
+++ b/channel.py
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ class OnChannelConnect(webapp2.RequestHandler):
   @utils.local_namespace
   @db.transactional()
   def post(self):
-    instance_key = self.request.get('from')
-    instance = models.Instance.get(instance_key)
+    instance_id = self.request.get('from')
+    instance = models.Instance.get_by_id(instance_id)
     instance.active = True
     instance.put()
 
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ class OnChannelConnect(webapp2.RequestHandler):
 class OnChannelDisconnect(webapp2.RequestHandler):
   @utils.local_namespace
   def post(self):
-    instance_key = self.request.get('from')
-    instance = models.Instance.get(instance_key)
+    instance_id = self.request.get('from')
+    instance = models.Instance.get_by_id(instance_id)
 
     subscriptions = models.Subscription.all().filter('instance =', instance)
     for subscription in subscriptions:
diff --git a/lib/models.py b/lib/models.py
index 2c26291..e02c959 100644
--- a/lib/models.py
+++ b/lib/models.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class Subscription(db.Model):
   def SendMessage(self, msg):
     instance_key = Subscription.instance.get_value_for_datastore(self)
     channel.send_message(
-        str(instance_key),
+        str(instance_key.id()),
         json.dumps(msg, default=utils.EncodeJSON))