diff --git a/html/user/forum_user_posts.php b/html/user/forum_user_posts.php
index 740e50f89d..34206749c4 100644
--- a/html/user/forum_user_posts.php
+++ b/html/user/forum_user_posts.php
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ if (!$offset) $offset=0;
 $items_per_page = 20;
 
 $user = BoincUser::lookup_id($userid);
+if (!$user) error_page('no such user');
 $logged_in_user = get_logged_in_user(false);
 BoincForumPrefs::lookup($logged_in_user);
 
diff --git a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
index 1624507cf3..15962ec6af 100644
--- a/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
+++ b/html/user/submit_rpc_handler.php
@@ -571,6 +571,9 @@ function create_batch($r) {
     list($user, $user_submit) = check_remote_submit_permissions($r, $app);
     $now = time();
     $batch_name = (string)($r->batch_name);
+    if (!$batch_name) {
+        $batch_name = make_batch_name($user, $app);
+    }
     $batch_name = BoincDb::escape_string($batch_name);
     $expire_time = (double)($r->expire_time);
     $state = BATCH_STATE_INIT;
diff --git a/lib/boinc_submit.py b/lib/boinc_submit.py
index e848dcf041..249fe75d14 100644
--- a/lib/boinc_submit.py
+++ b/lib/boinc_submit.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class BOINC_SERVER:
     def submit_batch(self, batch_desc):
         return self.do_http_post(self.batch_desc_xml(batch_desc, 'submit_batch'))
 
-    def create_batch(self, app_name, batch_name, expire_time):
+    def create_batch(self, app_name, batch_name='', expire_time=0):
         return self.do_http_post(
             self.create_batch_xml(app_name, batch_name, expire_time)
         )
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ class BOINC_SERVER:
     def query_batches(self, get_cpu_time):
         return self.do_http_post(self.query_batches_xml(get_cpu_time))
 
+########## job operations
+
     def query_completed_job(self, job_name):
         return self.do_http_post(self.query_completed_job_xml(job_name))
 
-########## job operations
-
     def abort_jobs(self, job_names):
         return self.do_http_post(self.abort_jobs_xml(job_names))
 
@@ -290,6 +290,13 @@ class BOINC_SERVER:
             '</query_batches>\n'
         ) %(self.authenticator, 1 if get_cpu_time else 0)
 
+    def query_completed_job_xml(self, job_name):
+        return ('<query_completed_job>\n'
+        '<authenticator>%s</authenticator>\n'
+        '<job_name>%s</job_name>\n'
+        '</query_completed_job>\n'
+        ) %(self.authenticator, job_name)
+
     def abort_jobs_xml(self, job_names):
         xml = ('<abort_jobs>\n'
             '<authenticator>%s</authenticator>\n'
diff --git a/lib/submit_api.py b/lib/submit_api.py
index 4a3126de25..679fcc8695 100644
--- a/lib/submit_api.py
+++ b/lib/submit_api.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# THIS IS DEPRECATED.  USE boinc_submit.py INSTEAD
+
 # This file is part of BOINC.
 # http://boinc.berkeley.edu
 # Copyright (C) 2020 University of California