diff --git a/buildbot_netauth/__init__.py b/buildbot_netauth/__init__.py
index 99447de..4bcbbd0 100644
--- a/buildbot_netauth/__init__.py
+++ b/buildbot_netauth/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from buildbot.www import resource
 from buildbot.www.avatar import AvatarBase
 from buildbot.www.auth import UserInfoProviderBase, bytes2unicode
-from twisted.internet import defer
+from twisted.internet import defer, threads
 from twisted.cred.error import UnauthorizedLogin
 
 __version__ = "0.0.1"
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def __init__(self, *, conf: Path | None = None, **kwargs):
 
     def requestAvatarId(self, cred):
         if self.check_credentials(cred.username, cred.password):
-            return defer.succeed(f"{cred.username}@netauth")
+            return defer.succeed(cred.username + b"@netauth")
         return defer.fail(UnauthorizedLogin())
 
     def check_credentials(self, username: str, password: str) -> bool:
@@ -51,39 +51,43 @@ def getUserInfo(self, username):
         if not username:
             return defer.fail(ValueError("username not found"))
 
-        try:
-            entity = self.netauth.entity_info(username)
-
-            if entity is None:
-                return defer.fail(ValueError("entity not found"))
-
-            id = entity.id
-            email = f"{id}@netauth"
-            if (meta := entity.meta) is not None:
-                full_name = meta.display_name or meta.legal_name or id
-                groups = meta.groups or []
-            else:
-                full_name = entity.id
-                groups = []
-
-            return defer.succeed(
-                {
-                    "email": email,
-                    "full_name": full_name,
-                    "groups": groups,
-                }
-            )
-        except netauth.error.NetAuthRpcError as e:
-            return defer.fail(e)
+        def thr():
+            try:
+                entity = self.netauth.entity_info(username)
+
+                if entity is None:
+                    return defer.fail(ValueError("entity not found"))
+
+                id = entity.id
+                email = f"{id}@netauth"
+                if (meta := entity.meta) is not None:
+                    full_name = meta.display_name or meta.legal_name or id
+                    groups = meta.groups or []
+                else:
+                    full_name = entity.id
+                    groups = []
+
+                return defer.succeed(
+                    {
+                        "email": email,
+                        "full_name": full_name,
+                        "groups": groups,
+                    }
+                )
+            except netauth.error.NetAuthRpcError as e:
+                return defer.fail(e)
+        return threads.deferToThread(thr)
 
     def getUserAvatar(self, email, username, size, defaultAvatarUrl):
         print(repr(email), repr(username), repr(size), repr(defaultAvatarUrl))
         username = bytes2unicode(username)
         if username and username.endswith("@netauth"):
-            try:
-                kv = self.netauth.entity_kv_get(username.removesuffix("@netauth"), "avatar")
-                avatar = kv.get("avatar")
-                if avatar:
-                    raise resource.Redirect(avatar[0])
-            except netauth.error.NetAuthRpcError:
-                pass
+            def thr():
+                try:
+                    kv = self.netauth.entity_kv_get(username.removesuffix("@netauth"), "avatar")
+                    avatar = kv.get("avatar")
+                    if avatar:
+                        raise resource.Redirect(avatar[0])
+                except netauth.error.NetAuthRpcError:
+                    pass
+            return threads.deferToThread(thr)