diff --git a/lib/Database.php b/lib/Database.php
index 0330050..7182c6f 100644
--- a/lib/Database.php
+++ b/lib/Database.php
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace JKingWeb\Arsse;
 
-use PasswordGenerator\Generator as PassGen;
 use JKingWeb\DrUUID\UUID;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Query;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ class Database {
         return $out;
     }
 
-    protected function generateIn(array $values, string $type) {
+    protected function generateIn(array $values, string $type): array {
         $out = [
             [], // query clause
             [], // binding types
@@ -122,21 +121,15 @@ class Database {
         return (bool) $this->db->prepare("SELECT count(*) from arsse_users where id = ?", "str")->run($user)->getValue();
     }
 
-    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password = null): string {
+    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password): bool {
         if (!Arsse::$user->authorize($user, __FUNCTION__)) {
             throw new User\ExceptionAuthz("notAuthorized", ["action" => __FUNCTION__, "user" => $user]);
         } elseif ($this->userExists($user)) {
             throw new User\Exception("alreadyExists", ["action" => __FUNCTION__, "user" => $user]);
         }
-        if ($password===null) {
-            $password = (new PassGen)->length(Arsse::$conf->userTempPasswordLength)->get();
-        }
-        $hash = "";
-        if (strlen($password) > 0) {
-            $hash = password_hash($password, \PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
-        }
+        $hash = (strlen($password) > 0) ? password_hash($password, \PASSWORD_DEFAULT) : "";
         $this->db->prepare("INSERT INTO arsse_users(id,password) values(?,?)", "str", "str")->runArray([$user,$hash]);
-        return $password;
+        return true;
     }
 
     public function userRemove(string $user): bool {
@@ -169,21 +162,15 @@ class Database {
         return (string) $this->db->prepare("SELECT password from arsse_users where id = ?", "str")->run($user)->getValue();
     }
 
-    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $password = null): string {
+    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $password): bool {
         if (!Arsse::$user->authorize($user, __FUNCTION__)) {
             throw new User\ExceptionAuthz("notAuthorized", ["action" => __FUNCTION__, "user" => $user]);
         } elseif (!$this->userExists($user)) {
             throw new User\Exception("doesNotExist", ["action" => __FUNCTION__, "user" => $user]);
         }
-        if ($password===null) {
-            $password = (new PassGen)->length(Arsse::$conf->userTempPasswordLength)->get();
-        }
-        $hash = "";
-        if (strlen($password) > 0) {
-            $hash = password_hash($password, \PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
-        }
+        $hash = (strlen($password) > 0) ? password_hash($password, \PASSWORD_DEFAULT) : "";
         $this->db->prepare("UPDATE arsse_users set password = ? where id = ?", "str", "str")->run($hash, $user);
-        return $password;
+        return true;
     }
 
     public function sessionCreate(string $user): string {
diff --git a/lib/User.php b/lib/User.php
index 6e47464..b0b05bc 100644
--- a/lib/User.php
+++ b/lib/User.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace JKingWeb\Arsse;
 
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\User\Internal\Driver as InternalDriver;
+use PasswordGenerator\Generator as PassGen;
 
 class User {
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class User {
         if (!$this->authorize($user, $func)) {
             throw new User\ExceptionAuthz("notAuthorized", ["action" => $func, "user" => $user]);
         }
-        return $this->u->userAdd($user, $password);
+        return $this->u->userAdd($user, $password) ?? $this->u->userAdd($user, $this->generatePassword());
     }
 
     public function remove(string $user): bool {
@@ -103,11 +103,15 @@ class User {
         if (!$this->authorize($user, $func)) {
             throw new User\ExceptionAuthz("notAuthorized", ["action" => $func, "user" => $user]);
         }
-        $out = $this->u->userPasswordSet($user, $newPassword, $oldPassword);
-        if (!$this->u instanceof InternalDriver && Arsse::$db->userExists($user)) {
+        $out = $this->u->userPasswordSet($user, $newPassword, $oldPassword) ?? $this->u->userPasswordSet($user, $this->generatePassword(), $oldPassword);
+        if (Arsse::$db->userExists($user)) {
             // if the password change was successful and the user exists, set the internal password to the same value
             Arsse::$db->userPasswordSet($user, $out);
         }
         return $out;
     }
+
+    protected function generatePassword(): string {
+        return (new PassGen)->length(Arsse::$conf->userTempPasswordLength)->get();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/User/Driver.php b/lib/User/Driver.php
index 91aeaa0..50ef8f3 100644
--- a/lib/User/Driver.php
+++ b/lib/User/Driver.php
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ interface Driver {
     // checks whether a user exists
     public function userExists(string $user): bool;
     // adds a user
-    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password = null): string;
+    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password = null);
     // removes a user
     public function userRemove(string $user): bool;
     // lists all users
     public function userList(): array;
     // sets a user's password; if the driver does not require the old password, it may be ignored
-    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $newPassword = null, string $oldPassword = null): string;
+    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $newPassword = null, string $oldPassword = null);
 }
diff --git a/lib/User/Internal/Driver.php b/lib/User/Internal/Driver.php
index 5d65b76..b6dfe96 100644
--- a/lib/User/Internal/Driver.php
+++ b/lib/User/Internal/Driver.php
@@ -34,8 +34,12 @@ class Driver implements \JKingWeb\Arsse\User\Driver {
         return Arsse::$db->userExists($user);
     }
 
-    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password = null): string {
-        return Arsse::$db->userAdd($user, $password);
+    public function userAdd(string $user, string $password = null) {
+        if (isset($password)) {
+            // only add the user if the password is not null; the user manager will retry with a generated password if null is returned
+            Arsse::$db->userAdd($user, $password);
+        }
+        return $password;
     }
 
     public function userRemove(string $user): bool {
@@ -46,7 +50,8 @@ class Driver implements \JKingWeb\Arsse\User\Driver {
         return Arsse::$db->userList();
     }
 
-    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $newPassword = null, string $oldPassword = null): string {
-        return Arsse::$db->userPasswordSet($user, $newPassword);
+    public function userPasswordSet(string $user, string $newPassword = null, string $oldPassword = null) {
+        // do nothing: the internal database is updated regardless of what the driver does (assuming it does not throw an exception)
+        return $newPassword;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
index ef70406..78d1f81 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Database/SeriesUser.php
@@ -60,35 +60,13 @@ trait SeriesUser {
     }
 
     public function testAddANewUser() {
-        $this->assertSame("", Arsse::$db->userAdd("john.doe@example.org", ""));
+        $this->assertTrue(Arsse::$db->userAdd("john.doe@example.org", ""));
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize("john.doe@example.org", "userAdd");
         $state = $this->primeExpectations($this->data, ['arsse_users' => ['id','name','rights']]);
         $state['arsse_users']['rows'][] = ["john.doe@example.org", null, 0];
         $this->compareExpectations($state);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @depends testGetAPassword
-     * @depends testAddANewUser
-     */
-    public function testAddANewUserWithARandomPassword() {
-        $user1 = "john.doe@example.org";
-        $user2 = "john.doe@example.net";
-        $pass1 = Arsse::$db->userAdd($user1);
-        $pass2 = Arsse::$db->userAdd($user2);
-        $this->assertSame(Arsse::$conf->userTempPasswordLength, strlen($pass1));
-        $this->assertSame(Arsse::$conf->userTempPasswordLength, strlen($pass2));
-        $this->assertNotEquals($pass1, $pass2);
-        $hash1 = Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user1);
-        $hash2 = Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user2);
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize($user1, "userAdd");
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize($user2, "userAdd");
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize($user1, "userPasswordGet");
-        Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize($user2, "userPasswordGet");
-        $this->assertTrue(password_verify($pass1, $hash1), "Failed verifying password of $user1 '$pass1' against hash '$hash1'.");
-        $this->assertTrue(password_verify($pass2, $hash2), "Failed verifying password of $user2 '$pass2' against hash '$hash2'.");
-    }
-
     public function testAddAnExistingUser() {
         $this->assertException("alreadyExists", "User");
         Arsse::$db->userAdd("john.doe@example.com", "");
@@ -136,19 +114,14 @@ trait SeriesUser {
      */
     public function testSetAPassword() {
         $user = "john.doe@example.com";
+        $pass = "secret";
         $this->assertEquals("", Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user));
-        $pass = Arsse::$db->userPasswordSet($user, "secret");
+        $this->assertTrue(Arsse::$db->userPasswordSet($user, $pass));
         $hash = Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user);
         $this->assertNotEquals("", $hash);
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$user)->authorize($user, "userPasswordSet");
         $this->assertTrue(password_verify($pass, $hash), "Failed verifying password of $user '$pass' against hash '$hash'.");
     }
-    public function testSetARandomPassword() {
-        $user = "john.doe@example.com";
-        $this->assertEquals("", Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user));
-        $pass = Arsse::$db->userPasswordSet($user);
-        $hash = Arsse::$db->userPasswordGet($user);
-    }
 
     public function testSetThePasswordOfAMissingUser() {
         $this->assertException("doesNotExist", "User");