diff --git a/client/commonFramework/bindings.js b/client/commonFramework/bindings.js
index dc36502f67..0c4d5b6fc4 100644
--- a/client/commonFramework/bindings.js
+++ b/client/commonFramework/bindings.js
@@ -81,9 +81,15 @@ window.common = (function(global) {
             data = {
               id: common.challengeId,
               name: common.challengeName,
-              challengeType: common.challengeType
+              challengeType: +common.challengeType
             };
-            $.post('/completed-challenge/', data)
+            $.ajax({
+              url: '/completed-challenge/',
+              type: 'POST',
+              data: JSON.stringify(data),
+              contentType: 'application/json',
+              dataType: 'json'
+            })
               .success(function(res) {
                 if (!res) {
                   return;
@@ -92,7 +98,7 @@ window.common = (function(global) {
                   common.challengeId;
               })
               .fail(function() {
-                window.location.href = '/challenges';
+                window.location.replace(window.location.href);
               });
 
             break;
@@ -106,7 +112,13 @@ window.common = (function(global) {
               githubLink
             };
 
-            $.post('/completed-zipline-or-basejump/', data)
+            $.ajax({
+              url: '/completed-zipline-or-basejump/',
+              type: 'POST',
+              data: JSON.stringify(data),
+              contentType: 'application/json',
+              dataType: 'json'
+            })
               .success(function() {
                 window.location.href = '/challenges/next-challenge?id=' +
                   common.challengeId;
diff --git a/client/commonFramework/show-completion.js b/client/commonFramework/show-completion.js
index f579f4626d..86d852a660 100644
--- a/client/commonFramework/show-completion.js
+++ b/client/commonFramework/show-completion.js
@@ -57,21 +57,31 @@ window.common = (function(global) {
         `;
         console.error(err);
       }
-      const data = {
+      const data = JSON.stringify({
         id: common.challengeId,
         name: common.challengeName,
         completedWith: didCompleteWith,
-        challengeType: common.challengeType,
+        challengeType: +common.challengeType,
         solution,
         timezone
-      };
-
-      $.post('/completed-challenge/', data, function(res) {
-        if (res) {
-          window.location =
-            '/challenges/next-challenge?id=' + common.challengeId;
-        }
       });
+
+      $.ajax({
+        url: '/completed-challenge/',
+        type: 'POST',
+        data,
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        dataType: 'json'
+      })
+        .success(function(res) {
+          if (res) {
+            window.location =
+              '/challenges/next-challenge?id=' + common.challengeId;
+          }
+        })
+        .fail(function() {
+          window.location.replace(window.location.href);
+        });
     });
   };
 
diff --git a/client/commonFramework/step-challenge.js b/client/commonFramework/step-challenge.js
index fc0378d883..15ee010f2d 100644
--- a/client/commonFramework/step-challenge.js
+++ b/client/commonFramework/step-challenge.js
@@ -149,38 +149,45 @@ window.common = (function({ $, common = { init: [] }}) {
     e.preventDefault();
 
     $('#submit-challenge')
-    .attr('disabled', 'true')
-    .removeClass('btn-primary')
-    .addClass('btn-warning disabled');
+      .attr('disabled', 'true')
+      .removeClass('btn-primary')
+      .addClass('btn-warning disabled');
 
     var $checkmarkContainer = $('#checkmark-container');
     $checkmarkContainer.css({ height: $checkmarkContainer.innerHeight() });
 
     $('#challenge-checkmark')
-    .addClass('zoomOutUp')
-    .delay(1000)
-    .queue(function(next) {
-      $(this).replaceWith(
-        '<div id="challenge-spinner" ' +
-          'class="animated zoomInUp inner-circles-loader">' +
-          'submitting...</div>'
-      );
-      next();
-    });
+      .addClass('zoomOutUp')
+      .delay(1000)
+      .queue(function(next) {
+        $(this).replaceWith(
+          '<div id="challenge-spinner" ' +
+            'class="animated zoomInUp inner-circles-loader">' +
+            'submitting...</div>'
+        );
+        next();
+      });
 
-    $.post(
-      '/completed-challenge/', {
+    $.ajax({
+      url: '/completed-challenge/',
+      type: 'POST',
+      data: JSON.stringify({
         id: common.challengeId,
         name: common.challengeName,
-        challengeType: common.challengeType
-      },
-      function(res) {
+        challengeType: +common.challengeType
+      }),
+      contentType: 'application/json',
+      dataType: 'json'
+    })
+      .success(function(res) {
         if (res) {
           window.location =
             '/challenges/next-challenge?id=' + common.challengeId;
         }
-      }
-    );
+      })
+      .fail(function() {
+        window.location.replace(window.location.href);
+      });
   }
 
   common.init.push(function($) {
diff --git a/server/boot/challenge.js b/server/boot/challenge.js
index ca222579ad..33f1418f5b 100644
--- a/server/boot/challenge.js
+++ b/server/boot/challenge.js
@@ -515,8 +515,28 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   }
 
   function completedChallenge(req, res, next) {
+    req.checkBody('id', 'id must be a ObjectId').isMongoId();
+
+    req.checkBody('name', 'name must be at least 3 characters')
+      .isString()
+      .isLength({ min: 3 });
+
+    req.checkBody('challengeType', 'challengeType must be an integer')
+      .isNumber()
+      .isInt();
     const type = accepts(req).type('html', 'json', 'text');
 
+    const errors = req.validationErrors(true);
+
+    if (errors) {
+      if (type === 'json') {
+        return res.status(403).send({ errors });
+      }
+
+      log('errors', errors);
+      return res.sendStatus(403);
+    }
+
     const completedDate = Date.now();
     const {
       id,
@@ -543,6 +563,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
     const points = alreadyCompleted ?
       user.progressTimestamps.length :
       user.progressTimestamps.length + 1;
+
     return user.update$(updateData)
       .doOnNext(({ count }) => log('%s documents updated', count))
       .subscribe(
@@ -561,37 +582,34 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   }
 
   function completedZiplineOrBasejump(req, res, next) {
+    const type = accepts(req).type('html', 'json', 'text');
+    req.checkBody('id', 'id must be an ObjectId').isMongoId();
+    req.checkBody('name', 'Name must be at least 3 characters')
+      .isString()
+      .isLength({ min: 3 });
+    req.checkBody('challengeType', 'must be a number')
+      .isNumber()
+      .isInt();
+    req.checkBody('solution', 'solution must be a url').isURL();
+
+    const errors = req.validationErrors(true);
+
+    if (errors) {
+      if (type === 'json') {
+        return res.status(403).send({ errors });
+      }
+      log('errors', errors);
+      return res.sendStatus(403);
+    }
+
     const { user, body = {} } = req;
 
-    let completedChallenge;
-    // backwards compatibility
-    // please remove once in production
-    // to allow users to transition to new client code
-    if (body.challengeInfo) {
-
-      if (!body.challengeInfo.challengeId) {
-        req.flash('error', { msg: 'No id returned during save' });
-        return res.sendStatus(403);
-      }
-
-      completedChallenge = {
-        id: body.challengeInfo.challengeId,
-        name: body.challengeInfo.challengeName || '',
-        completedDate: Date.now(),
-
-        challengeType: +body.challengeInfo.challengeType === 4 ? 4 : 3,
-
-        solution: body.challengeInfo.publicURL,
-        githubLink: body.challengeInfo.githubURL
-      };
-    } else {
-      completedChallenge = _.pick(
-        body,
-        [ 'id', 'name', 'solution', 'githubLink', 'challengeType' ]
-      );
-      completedChallenge.challengeType = +completedChallenge.challengeType;
-      completedChallenge.completedDate = Date.now();
-    }
+    const completedChallenge = _.pick(
+      body,
+      [ 'id', 'name', 'solution', 'githubLink', 'challengeType' ]
+    );
+    completedChallenge.challengeType = +completedChallenge.challengeType;
+    completedChallenge.completedDate = Date.now();
 
     if (
       !completedChallenge.solution ||
@@ -603,18 +621,30 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
     ) {
       req.flash('errors', {
         msg: 'You haven\'t supplied the necessary URLs for us to inspect ' +
-        'your work.'
+          'your work.'
       });
       return res.sendStatus(403);
     }
 
 
     const {
+      alreadyCompleted,
       updateData
     } = buildUserUpdate(req.user, completedChallenge.id, completedChallenge);
 
-    return user.updateTo$(updateData)
-      .doOnNext(() => res.status(200).send(true))
+    return user.update$(updateData)
+      .doOnNext(({ count }) => log('%s documents updated', count))
+      .doOnNext(() => {
+        if (type === 'json') {
+          return res.send({
+            alreadyCompleted,
+            points: alreadyCompleted ?
+              user.progressTimestamps.length :
+              user.progressTimestamps.length + 1
+          });
+        }
+        res.status(200).send(true);
+      })
       .subscribe(() => {}, next);
   }
 
diff --git a/server/middlewares/validator.js b/server/middlewares/validator.js
index b40765bc89..7405525bef 100644
--- a/server/middlewares/validator.js
+++ b/server/middlewares/validator.js
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 import validator from 'express-validator';
 
-export default validator.bind(validator, {
-  customValidators: {
-    matchRegex: function matchRegex(param, regex) {
-      return regex.test(param);
+export default function() {
+  return validator({
+    customValidators: {
+      matchRegex(param, regex) {
+        return regex.test(param);
+      },
+      isString(value) {
+        return typeof value === 'string';
+      },
+      isNumber(value) {
+        return typeof value === 'number';
+      }
     }
-  }
-});
+  });
+}