diff --git a/lib/auth/auth.lisp b/lib/auth/auth.lisp
index 14173ce..0b9a4e9 100644
--- a/lib/auth/auth.lisp
+++ b/lib/auth/auth.lisp
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
   (:local-nicknames (:config :scopes/config)
                     (:core :scopes/core)
                     (:shape :scopes/shape)
-                    (:util :scopes/util))
+                    (:util :scopes/util)
+                    (:b64 :qbase64))
   (:export #:config #:setup
            #:simple-credentials
            #:login))
@@ -71,5 +72,7 @@
 ;;;; auxiliary functions
 
 (defun digest (pw)
-  (ironclad:digest-sequence 
-    :sha3/256 (flexi-streams:string-to-octets pw :external-format :utf8)))
+  (b64:encode-bytes
+    (ironclad:digest-sequence 
+      :sha3/256 (flexi-streams:string-to-octets pw :external-format :utf8))
+    :scheme :uri))
diff --git a/lib/auth/scopes-auth.asd b/lib/auth/scopes-auth.asd
index 932ec1f..d6bdbfb 100644
--- a/lib/auth/scopes-auth.asd
+++ b/lib/auth/scopes-auth.asd
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   :homepage "https://www.cyberconcepts.org"
   :description "Authentication services"
   :depends-on (:scopes
-               :flexi-streams :ironclad)
+               :flexi-streams :ironclad :qbase64)
   :components ((:file "auth"))
   :long-description "scopes framework: authentication services."
   ;;#.(uiop:read-file-string