diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index d4de20f..9c3bfa4 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, Response, Depends
 from sqlmodel import Session, select
 from typing import Annotated
-import datetime
+import datetime, re
 
 from database.feed import Feed, FeedCreate, FeedPublic, FeedUpdate
-from utils.feed_generator import generate_feed_of_user, USER_NOT_FOUND, CANNOT_ACCESS_INSTANCE, INVALID_HANDLE
+from utils.feed_generator import generate_feed_of_user, USER_NOT_FOUND, CANNOT_ACCESS_INSTANCE
 from utils.database import get_session, create_db_and_tables
 
 app = FastAPI()
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ def on_startup():
 
 @app.get("/feed/{user_handle}")
 def get_feed_of_user(user_handle: str, session: SessionDep):
+    # validate user's handle
+    HANDLE_PATTERN = "@[a-zA-Z0-9_]+@[^\t\n\r\f\v]+"
+    if re.match(HANDLE_PATTERN, user_handle) is None:
+        return HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="The handle is invalid.")
+
     # get feed on database
     feed_db = session.exec(select(Feed).where(Feed.handle == user_handle)).first()
     
@@ -31,8 +36,6 @@ def get_feed_of_user(user_handle: str, session: SessionDep):
         return HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="The user cannot be found.")
     if feed == CANNOT_ACCESS_INSTANCE:
         return HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Cannot access the instance.")
-    if feed == INVALID_HANDLE:
-        return HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="The handle is invalid.")
     
     # cache new feed
     if feed_db:
diff --git a/utils/feed_generator.py b/utils/feed_generator.py
index 4d36b15..fdd680e 100644
--- a/utils/feed_generator.py
+++ b/utils/feed_generator.py
@@ -6,21 +6,11 @@ CANNOT_ACCESS_INSTANCE = 2
 INVALID_HANDLE = 3
 
 
-def parse_handle(user_handle: str) -> list[str] | None:
-    # validate user's handle
-    HANDLE_PATTERN = "@[a-zA-Z0-9_]+@[^\t\n\r\f\v]+"
-    if re.match(HANDLE_PATTERN, user_handle) is None:
-        return None
-    
-    # parse user's handle
-    return user_handle.split("@")[1:]
-
-
 def get_statuses_of_user(user_handle: str) -> list[dict] | str:
-    parsed_handle = parse_handle(user_handle)
-    if parsed_handle is None:
-        return INVALID_HANDLE
-    [username, instance] = parsed_handle
+    # parsed_handle = parse_handle(user_handle)
+    # if parsed_handle is None:
+    #     return INVALID_HANDLE
+    [username, instance] = user_handle.split("@")[1:]
 
     try:
         account_lookup = requests.get(f"https://{instance}/api/v1/accounts/lookup?acct={username}")