diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/commands/follow.rs b/radicle-cli/src/commands/follow.rs
index f8bbc928..de5e083a 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/commands/follow.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/commands/follow.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ pub fn follow(
         Ok(updated) => updated,
         Err(e) if e.is_connection_err() => {
             let mut config = profile.policies_mut()?;
-            config.follow(&nid, alias.as_deref())?
+            config.follow(&nid, alias.as_ref())?
         }
         Err(e) => return Err(e.into()),
     };
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/service.rs b/radicle-node/src/service.rs
index dde23a78..c5eba798 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/service.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/service.rs
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ where
             Command::Follow(id, alias, resp) => {
                 let seeded = self
                     .policies
-                    .follow(&id, alias.as_deref())
+                    .follow(&id, alias.as_ref())
                     .expect("Service::command: error following node");
                 resp.send(seeded).ok();
             }
diff --git a/radicle/src/node/policy/store.rs b/radicle/src/node/policy/store.rs
index ee9bcbef..87ff0e3b 100644
--- a/radicle/src/node/policy/store.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/node/policy/store.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ impl Store<Write> {
     }
 
     /// Follow a node.
-    pub fn follow(&mut self, id: &NodeId, alias: Option<&str>) -> Result<bool, Error> {
+    pub fn follow(&mut self, id: &NodeId, alias: Option<&Alias>) -> Result<bool, Error> {
         let mut stmt = self.db.prepare(
             "INSERT INTO `following` (id, alias)
              VALUES (?1, ?2)
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ impl Store<Write> {
         )?;
 
         stmt.bind((1, id))?;
-        stmt.bind((2, alias.unwrap_or_default()))?;
+        stmt.bind((2, alias.map_or("", |alias| alias.as_str())))?;
         stmt.next()?;
 
         Ok(self.db.change_count() > 0)
@@ -410,10 +410,11 @@ mod test {
     fn test_follow_and_unfollow_node() {
         let id = arbitrary::gen::<NodeId>(1);
         let mut db = Store::open(":memory:").unwrap();
+        let eve = Alias::new("eve");
 
-        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some("eve")).unwrap());
+        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some(&eve)).unwrap());
         assert!(db.is_following(&id).unwrap());
-        assert!(!db.follow(&id, Some("eve")).unwrap());
+        assert!(!db.follow(&id, Some(&eve)).unwrap());
         assert!(db.unfollow(&id).unwrap());
         assert!(!db.is_following(&id).unwrap());
     }
@@ -463,7 +464,7 @@ mod test {
         let id = arbitrary::gen::<NodeId>(1);
         let mut db = Store::open(":memory:").unwrap();
 
-        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some("eve")).unwrap());
+        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some(&Alias::new("eve"))).unwrap());
         assert_eq!(
             db.follow_policy(&id).unwrap().unwrap().alias,
             Some(Alias::from_str("eve").unwrap())
@@ -471,7 +472,7 @@ mod test {
         assert!(db.follow(&id, None).unwrap());
         assert_eq!(db.follow_policy(&id).unwrap().unwrap().alias, None);
         assert!(!db.follow(&id, None).unwrap());
-        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some("alice")).unwrap());
+        assert!(db.follow(&id, Some(&Alias::new("alice"))).unwrap());
         assert_eq!(
             db.follow_policy(&id).unwrap().unwrap().alias,
             Some(Alias::new("alice"))
@@ -532,11 +533,11 @@ mod test {
         let (long, long_ids) = input.long();
 
         for id in short_ids {
-            db.follow(id, Some(short.as_str())).unwrap();
+            db.follow(id, Some(short)).unwrap();
         }
 
         for id in long_ids {
-            db.follow(id, Some(long.as_str())).unwrap();
+            db.follow(id, Some(long)).unwrap();
         }
 
         node::properties::test_reverse_lookup(&db, input)