diff --git a/controller/account.go b/controller/account.go
index a2879c39..cf1e70df 100644
--- a/controller/account.go
+++ b/controller/account.go
@@ -33,11 +33,7 @@ func (self *createAccountHandler) handleDirectCreate(params identity.CreateAccou
 		return identity.NewCreateAccountBadRequest().WithPayload("missing email or password")
 	}
 
-	token, err := generateApiToken()
-	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Errorf("error generating api token: %v", err)
-		return identity.NewCreateAccountInternalServerError().WithPayload(rest_model_zrok.ErrorMessage(err.Error()))
-	}
+	token := createToken()
 	a := &store.Account{
 		Email:    params.Body.Email,
 		Password: hashPassword(params.Body.Password),
@@ -67,11 +63,7 @@ func (self *createAccountHandler) handleVerifiedCreate(params identity.CreateAcc
 		logrus.Errorf("missing email")
 		return identity.NewCreateAccountBadRequest().WithPayload("missing email")
 	}
-	token, err := generateApiToken()
-	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Errorf("error generating api token: %v", err)
-		return identity.NewCreateAccountInternalServerError().WithPayload(rest_model_zrok.ErrorMessage(err.Error()))
-	}
+	token := createToken()
 	if err := sendVerificationEmail(params.Body.Email, token, self.cfg); err != nil {
 		logrus.Error(err)
 		return identity.NewCreateAccountInternalServerError().WithPayload(rest_model_zrok.ErrorMessage(err.Error()))
diff --git a/controller/enable.go b/controller/enable.go
index e70d4a5d..77710ca8 100644
--- a/controller/enable.go
+++ b/controller/enable.go
@@ -93,11 +93,7 @@ func (self *enableHandler) Handle(params identity.EnableParams, principal *rest_
 
 func (_ *enableHandler) createIdentity(email string, client *rest_management_api_client.ZitiEdgeManagement) (*identity_edge.CreateIdentityCreated, error) {
 	iIsAdmin := false
-	iId, err := randomId()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	name := fmt.Sprintf("%v-%v", email, iId)
+	name := createToken()
 	identityType := rest_model_edge.IdentityTypeUser
 	i := &rest_model_edge.IdentityCreate{
 		Enrollment:          &rest_model_edge.IdentityCreateEnrollment{Ott: true},
diff --git a/controller/util.go b/controller/util.go
index e8318521..d149b677 100644
--- a/controller/util.go
+++ b/controller/util.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	errors2 "github.com/go-openapi/errors"
+	"github.com/lithammer/shortuuid/v4"
 	"github.com/openziti-test-kitchen/zrok/rest_model_zrok"
 	"github.com/openziti/edge/rest_management_api_client"
 	"github.com/openziti/edge/rest_util"
@@ -41,12 +42,8 @@ func edgeClient(cfg *ZitiConfig) (*rest_management_api_client.ZitiEdgeManagement
 	return rest_util.NewEdgeManagementClientWithUpdb(cfg.Username, cfg.Password, cfg.ApiEndpoint, caPool)
 }
 
-func generateApiToken() (string, error) {
-	bytes := make([]byte, 64)
-	if _, err := rand.Read(bytes); err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "error generating random api token")
-	}
-	return hex.EncodeToString(bytes), nil
+func createToken() string {
+	return shortuuid.New()
 }
 
 func randomId() (string, error) {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index d6a9c006..c391854b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/josharian/intern v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/lithammer/shortuuid/v4 v4.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/lufia/plan9stats v0.0.0-20211012122336-39d0f177ccd0 // indirect
 	github.com/mailru/easyjson v0.7.7 // indirect
 	github.com/mattn/go-colorable v0.1.12 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a18e0a92..895ce482 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -306,6 +306,8 @@ github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
 github.com/lib/pq v1.2.0/go.mod h1:5WUZQaWbwv1U+lTReE5YruASi9Al49XbQIvNi/34Woo=
 github.com/lib/pq v1.10.0 h1:Zx5DJFEYQXio93kgXnQ09fXNiUKsqv4OUEu2UtGcB1E=
 github.com/lib/pq v1.10.0/go.mod h1:AlVN5x4E4T544tWzH6hKfbfQvm3HdbOxrmggDNAPY9o=
+github.com/lithammer/shortuuid/v4 v4.0.0 h1:QRbbVkfgNippHOS8PXDkti4NaWeyYfcBTHtw7k08o4c=
+github.com/lithammer/shortuuid/v4 v4.0.0/go.mod h1:Zs8puNcrvf2rV9rTH51ZLLcj7ZXqQI3lv67aw4KiB1Y=
 github.com/lufia/plan9stats v0.0.0-20211012122336-39d0f177ccd0 h1:6E+4a0GO5zZEnZ81pIr0yLvtUWk2if982qA3F3QD6H4=
 github.com/lufia/plan9stats v0.0.0-20211012122336-39d0f177ccd0/go.mod h1:zJYVVT2jmtg6P3p1VtQj7WsuWi/y4VnjVBn7F8KPB3I=
 github.com/magiconair/properties v1.8.5/go.mod h1:y3VJvCyxH9uVvJTWEGAELF3aiYNyPKd5NZ3oSwXrF60=