diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/blogs/OutputBlogPost.kt b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/blogs/OutputBlogPost.kt
index 6a63a2f59..55466c108 100644
--- a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/blogs/OutputBlogPost.kt
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/blogs/OutputBlogPost.kt
@@ -1,25 +1,21 @@
 package org.briarproject.briar.headless.blogs
 
-import org.briarproject.bramble.api.sync.MessageId
 import org.briarproject.bramble.identity.output
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.blog.BlogPostHeader
 import org.briarproject.briar.api.blog.MessageType
 import org.briarproject.briar.headless.json.JsonDict
 
-internal fun BlogPostHeader.output(body: String): JsonDict {
-    val dict = JsonDict(
+internal fun BlogPostHeader.output(body: String) = JsonDict(
         "body" to body,
         "author" to author.output(),
         "authorStatus" to authorStatus.output(),
         "type" to type.output(),
         "id" to id.bytes,
+        "parentId" to parentId?.bytes,
         "read" to isRead,
         "rssFeed" to isRssFeed,
         "timestamp" to timestamp,
         "timestampReceived" to timeReceived
     )
-    if (parentId != null) dict["parentId"] = (parentId as MessageId).bytes
-    return dict
-}
 
 internal fun MessageType.output() = name.toLowerCase()
diff --git a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/json/JsonDict.kt b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/json/JsonDict.kt
index 09a82d5d6..00e23fb29 100644
--- a/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/json/JsonDict.kt
+++ b/briar-headless/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/headless/json/JsonDict.kt
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 package org.briarproject.briar.headless.json
 
-class JsonDict(vararg pairs: Pair<String, Any>) : HashMap<String, Any>(pairs.size) {
+class JsonDict(vararg pairs: Pair<String, Any?>) : HashMap<String, Any?>(pairs.size) {
     init {
         putAll(pairs)
     }
 
-    fun putAll(vararg pairs: Pair<String, Any>) {
+    fun putAll(vararg pairs: Pair<String, Any?>) {
         for (p in pairs) put(p.first, p.second)
     }
 }