diff --git a/core/footer.php b/core/footer.php
index ecd6ceb..6200363 100644
--- a/core/footer.php
+++ b/core/footer.php
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-<!-- this is such a lonely file... -->
-	</div>		
+<?php
+function display_footer() {
+?>
+	</div>	
 </body>
 </html>
+<?php
+}
+?>
diff --git a/core/header.php b/core/header.php
index c26f4d3..68d1c4e 100644
--- a/core/header.php
+++ b/core/header.php
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 <?php
-// Load in display variables
-$title = $title ?? '~chan';
-
-// Start handing session stuff
-session_start();
+function display_header($title = "~chan") {
+	// Load in display variables
+	$title = $title ?? '~chan';
+	
+	// Start handing session stuff
+	session_start();
 ?>
 <!--
 # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - #
@@ -43,19 +44,22 @@ session_start();
 		<span>
 			<b>profile:</b>	(
 <?php
-if (($_SESSION['logged_in'] ?? 0) == 1) {
-	// I just decided to echo everything out here since the <?php ?\> syntax was ugly
-	echo "<a href=\"/profile.php\">profile</a>";
-	echo " / ";
-	echo "<a href=\"logout.php\">log out</a>";
-	echo " )";
-} else {
-	echo "<a href=\"/register.php\">register</a>";
-	echo " / ";
-	echo "<a href=\"/login.php\">login</a>";
-	echo " )";
-}
+	if (($_SESSION['logged_in'] ?? 0) == 1) {
+		// I just decided to echo everything out here since the <?php ?\> syntax was ugly
+		echo "<a href=\"/profile.php\">profile</a>";
+		echo " / ";
+		echo "<a href=\"logout.php\">log out</a>";
+		echo " )";
+	} else {
+		echo "<a href=\"/register.php\">register</a>";
+		echo " / ";
+		echo "<a href=\"/login.php\">login</a>";
+		echo " )";
+	}
 ?>
 		</span>
 	</div>
 	<div class="main">
+<?php
+}
+?>
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index a4d90f2..ca7c0a2 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 <?php
 $path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
-require($path . '/core/header.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/header.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/footer.php');
+
+display_header();
 ?>
 
 <div style="
@@ -12,6 +15,5 @@ require($path . '/core/header.php');
 		hello there!
 	</div>
 <?php
-require($path . '/core/footer.php');
-# the end...
+display_footer();
 ?>
diff --git a/login.php b/login.php
index 400628a..00ca9d8 100644
--- a/login.php
+++ b/login.php
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 <?php
-// if a login was submitted
-if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
-	
-}
-
-$title = "~chan - login";
 $path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
-include($path . '/core/header.php');
-?>
+require_once($path . '/core/header.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/footer.php');
 
+display_header("~chan - login");
+?>
 <div style="
 	margin: auto;
 	width: 300px;
@@ -34,6 +30,5 @@ include($path . '/core/header.php');
 </div>
 
 <?php
-include($path . '/core/footer.php');
-# the end...
+display_footer();
 ?>
diff --git a/register.php b/register.php
index 369cada..0c4a4f0 100644
--- a/register.php
+++ b/register.php
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 <?php
-// page vars
-$title = "~chan - register";
-
-// imports
 $path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
-require($path . '/core/header.php');
-require($path . '/core/security.php');
-require($path . '/core/database.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/header.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/footer.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/security.php');
+require_once($path . '/core/database.php');
 
 //TODO: email / invite registration
 
@@ -75,6 +72,7 @@ if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
 	//TODO: Tell the user they have been registered 
 }
 
+display_header("~chan - register");
 ?>
 <div style="
 	margin: auto;
@@ -130,6 +128,5 @@ if(isset($_GET['login_failed'])) {
 	</form>
 </div>
 <?php
-require($path . '/core/footer.php');
-# the end...
+display_footer();
 ?>