diff --git a/lib/about.js b/lib/about.js
index 8e151f4..b946979 100644
--- a/lib/about.js
+++ b/lib/about.js
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ function linkDest(val) {
   return val ? asString(val) || asString(val.link) : null
 }
 
+function defalsify(val) {
+  return val === 'false' ? false : val
+}
+
 module.exports = function (sbot, id, cb) {
   var aboutByFeed = {}
   pull(
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@ module.exports = function (sbot, id, cb) {
       if (c.name) feedAbout.name = c.name.replace(/^@?/, '@')
       if (c.image) feedAbout.image = linkDest(c.image)
       if (c.description) feedAbout.description = c.description
-      if (c.publicWebHosting && author == c.about) feedAbout.publicWebHosting = c.publicWebHosting
+      if (c.publicWebHosting != null && author === c.about) feedAbout.publicWebHosting = defalsify(c.publicWebHosting)
     }, function (err) {
       if (err) return cb(err)
       // Use whatever properties have the most counts.
diff --git a/render.js b/render.js
index 3879f2f..1a3e378 100644
--- a/render.js
+++ b/render.js
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function toolTipTop() {
 }
 
 function renderAbout(opts, about, showAllHTML = "") {
-  if (about.publicWebHosting == 'false') {
+  if (about.publicWebHosting === false) {
     return pull(
       pull.map(renderMsg.bind(this, opts, '')),
       wrap(toolTipTop() + '<main>', '</main>' + callToAction())
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ function docWrite(str) {
 
 function renderMsg(opts, id, msg) {
   if (opts.renderPrivate == false && typeof(msg.value.content) == 'string') return ''
-  if (msg.author.publicWebHosting == 'false') return h('article', 'User has chosen not to be hosted publicly').outerHTML;
+  if (msg.author.publicWebHosting === false) return h('article', 'User has chosen not to be hosted publicly').outerHTML;
   var c = msg.value.content || {};
   var name = encodeURIComponent(msg.key);
   return h('article#' + name,