diff --git a/src/ffi/dial_ffi.rs b/src/ffi/dial_ffi.rs
index 7b950a0..1c45ef6 100644
--- a/src/ffi/dial_ffi.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/dial_ffi.rs
@@ -87,15 +87,13 @@ fn dial_without_cred(
 
 fn dial_with_cred(
     uri: String,
-    entity: Option<&str>,
+    entity: &str,
     r#type: &str,
     payload: &str,
     allow_insec: bool,
     disable_webrtc: bool,
 ) -> Result<DialBuilder<WithCredentials>> {
-    log::error!("dial_with_cred\n\n\n\n\n");
-    // let creds = RPCCredentials::new(None, String::from(r#type), String::from(payload));
-    let creds = RPCCredentials::new(entity, String::from(r#type), String::from(payload));
+    let creds = RPCCredentials::new(Some(entity.to_string()), String::from(r#type), String::from(payload));
     let c = DialOptions::builder().uri(&uri).with_credentials(creds);
     let c = if disable_webrtc {
         c.disable_webrtc()
@@ -113,7 +111,6 @@ fn dial_with_cred(
 /// When falling to dial it will return a NULL pointer
 /// # Arguments
 /// * `c_uri` a C-style string representing the address of robot you want to connect to
-/// * `c_entity` a C-style string representing the entity passed into the auth API
 /// * `c_type` a C-style string representing the type of robot's secret you want to use, set to NULL if you don't need authentication
 /// * `c_payload` a C-style string that is the robot's secret, set to NULL if you don't need authentication
 /// * `c_allow_insecure` a bool, set to true when allowing insecure connection to your robot
@@ -190,24 +187,12 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dial(
             false => Some(CStr::from_ptr(c_payload)),
         }
     };
-    let entity = {
-        match c_entity.is_null() {
-            true => None,
-            false => Some(CStr::from_ptr(c_entity)),
-        }
-    };
-
     let (server, channel) = match runtime.block_on(async move {
-        let e = match entity {
-            Some(ent) => Some(ent.to_str()?),
-            None => None,
-        };
         let channel = match (r#type, payload) {
             (Some(t), Some(p)) => {
-                log::error!("EMILY before dial_with_cred\n\n\n\n\n");
                 dial_with_cred(
                     uri_str,
-                    e,
+                    CStr::from_ptr(c_entity).to_str()?,
                     t.to_str()?,
                     p.to_str()?,
                     allow_insec,
diff --git a/src/rpc/dial.rs b/src/rpc/dial.rs
index 2cc65c3..24d21b1 100644
--- a/src/rpc/dial.rs
+++ b/src/rpc/dial.rs
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ pub enum ViamChannel {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct RPCCredentials {
-    entity: Option<&'static str>,
+    entity: Option<String>,
     credentials: Credentials,
 }
 
 impl RPCCredentials {
-    pub fn new(entity: Option<&str>, r#type: SecretType, payload: String) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(entity: Option<String>, r#type: SecretType, payload: String) -> Self {
         Self {
             credentials: Credentials { r#type, payload },
             entity,
@@ -569,11 +569,11 @@ impl DialBuilder<WithoutCredentials> {
 async fn get_auth_token(
     channel: &mut Channel,
     creds: Credentials,
-    entity: &str,
+    entity: String,
 ) -> Result<String> {
     let mut auth_service = AuthServiceClient::new(channel);
     let req = AuthenticateRequest {
-        entity: entity.to_string(),
+        entity,
         credentials: Some(creds),
     };
 
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ impl DialBuilder<WithCredentials> {
                 .credentials
                 .unwrap()
                 .entity
-                .unwrap_or_else(|| &domain),
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| domain.clone()),
         )
         .await?;
         log::debug!("{}", log_prefixes::ACQUIRED_AUTH_TOKEN);