diff --git a/src/app/Observers/SignupCodeObserver.php b/src/app/Observers/SignupCodeObserver.php
index 45463df9..9f90c9fc 100644
--- a/src/app/Observers/SignupCodeObserver.php
+++ b/src/app/Observers/SignupCodeObserver.php
@@ -1,38 +1,39 @@
 <?php
 
 namespace App\Observers;
 
 use App\SignupCode;
 use Carbon\Carbon;
+use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 
 class SignupCodeObserver
 {
     /**
      * Handle the "creating" event.
      *
      * Ensure that the code entry is created with a random code/short_code.
      *
      * @param \App\SignupCode $code The code being created.
      *
      * @return void
      */
     public function creating(SignupCode $code): void
     {
         $code_length = SignupCode::CODE_LENGTH;
         $exp_hours   = env('SIGNUP_CODE_EXPIRY', SignupCode::CODE_EXP_HOURS);
 
         if (empty($code->code)) {
             $code->short_code = SignupCode::generateShortCode();
 
             // FIXME: Replace this with something race-condition free
             while (true) {
-                $code->code = str_random($code_length);
+                $code->code = Str::random($code_length);
                 if (!SignupCode::find($code->code)) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
         }
 
         $code->expires_at = Carbon::now()->addHours($exp_hours);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/Observers/VerificationCodeObserver.php b/src/app/Observers/VerificationCodeObserver.php
index 9b41bc66..755b2898 100644
--- a/src/app/Observers/VerificationCodeObserver.php
+++ b/src/app/Observers/VerificationCodeObserver.php
@@ -1,39 +1,40 @@
 <?php
 
 namespace App\Observers;
 
 use App\VerificationCode;
 use App\SignupCode;
 use Carbon\Carbon;
+use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 
 class VerificationCodeObserver
 {
     /**
      * Handle the "creating" event.
      *
      * Ensure that the code entry is created with a random code/short_code.
      *
      * @param \App\VerificationCode $code The code being created.
      *
      * @return void
      */
     public function creating(VerificationCode $code): void
     {
         $code_length = VerificationCode::CODE_LENGTH;
         $exp_hours   = env('VERIFICATION_CODE_EXPIRY', VerificationCode::CODE_EXP_HOURS);
 
         if (empty($code->code)) {
             $code->short_code = VerificationCode::generateShortCode();
 
             // FIXME: Replace this with something race-condition free
             while (true) {
-                $code->code = str_random($code_length);
+                $code->code = Str::random($code_length);
                 if (!VerificationCode::find($code->code)) {
                     break;
                 }
             }
         }
 
         $code->expires_at = Carbon::now()->addHours($exp_hours);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/Traits/UserSettingsTrait.php b/src/app/Traits/UserSettingsTrait.php
index 72d07a5e..55d06d1a 100644
--- a/src/app/Traits/UserSettingsTrait.php
+++ b/src/app/Traits/UserSettingsTrait.php
@@ -1,114 +1,119 @@
 <?php
 
 namespace App\Traits;
 
 use App\UserSetting;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Cache;
 
 trait UserSettingsTrait
 {
     /**
      * Obtain the value for a setting.
      *
      * Example Usage:
      *
      * ```php
      * $user = User::firstOrCreate(['email' => 'some@other.erg']);
      * $locale = $user->getSetting('locale');
      * ```
      *
      * @param string $key Lookup key
      *
-     * @return string
+     * @return string|null
      */
     public function getSetting(string $key)
     {
         $settings = $this->getCache();
-        $value = array_get($settings, $key);
 
-        return ($value !== '') ? $value : null;
+        if (!array_key_exists($key, $settings)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $value = $settings[$key];
+
+        return empty($value) ? null : $value;
     }
 
     /**
      * Create or update a setting.
      *
      * Example Usage:
      *
      * ```php
      * $user = User::firstOrCreate(['email' => 'some@other.erg']);
      * $user->setSetting('locale', 'en');
      * ```
      *
      * @param string      $key   Setting name
      * @param string|null $value The new value for the setting.
      *
      * @return void
      */
     public function setSetting(string $key, $value)
     {
         $this->storeSetting($key, $value);
         $this->setCache();
     }
 
     /**
      * Create or update multiple settings in one fell swoop.
      *
      * Example Usage:
      *
      * ```php
      * $user = User::firstOrCreate(['email' => 'some@other.erg']);
      * $user->setSettings(['locale', 'en', 'country' => 'GB']);
      * ```
      *
      * @param array $data An associative array of key value pairs.
      *
      * @return void
      */
     public function setSettings(array $data = [])
     {
         foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
             $this->storeSetting($key, $value);
         }
 
         $this->setCache();
     }
 
     private function storeSetting(string $key, $value): void
     {
         if ($value === null || $value === '') {
             UserSetting::where(['user_id' => $this->id, 'key' => $key])->delete();
         } else {
             UserSetting::updateOrCreate(
                 ['user_id' => $this->id, 'key' => $key],
                 ['value' => $value]
             );
         }
     }
 
     private function getCache()
     {
         if (Cache::has('user_settings_' . $this->id)) {
             return Cache::get('user_settings_' . $this->id);
         }
 
         return $this->setCache();
     }
 
     private function setCache()
     {
         if (Cache::has('user_settings_' . $this->id)) {
             Cache::forget('user_settings_' . $this->id);
         }
 
         $cached = [];
         foreach ($this->settings()->get() as $entry) {
             if ($entry->value !== null && $entry->value !== '') {
                 $cached[$entry->key] = $entry->value;
             }
         }
 
         Cache::forever('user_settings_' . $this->id, $cached);
 
         return $this->getCache();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/composer.json b/src/composer.json
index a66cb4fc..6bc7c2a3 100644
--- a/src/composer.json
+++ b/src/composer.json
@@ -1,83 +1,83 @@
 {
     "name": "laravel/laravel",
     "type": "project",
     "description": "The Laravel Framework.",
     "keywords": [
         "framework",
         "laravel"
     ],
     "license": "MIT",
     "repositories": [
         {
             "type": "vcs",
             "url": "https://git.kolab.org/diffusion/PNL/php-net_ldap3.git"
         }
     ],
     "require": {
         "php": "^7.1.3",
         "doctrine/dbal": "^2.9",
         "fideloper/proxy": "^4.0",
         "geoip2/geoip2": "^2.9",
-        "iatstuti/laravel-nullable-fields": "^1.0",
+        "iatstuti/laravel-nullable-fields": "*",
         "kolab/net_ldap3": "dev-master",
-        "laravel/framework": "5.8.*",
+        "laravel/framework": "6.*",
         "laravel/tinker": "^1.0",
         "silviolleite/laravelpwa": "^1.0",
         "spatie/laravel-translatable": "^4.2",
         "swooletw/laravel-swoole": "^2.6",
         "torann/currency": "^1.0",
         "torann/geoip": "^1.0",
         "tymon/jwt-auth": "^1.0"
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "beyondcode/laravel-dump-server": "^1.0",
         "beyondcode/laravel-er-diagram-generator": "^1.3",
         "filp/whoops": "^2.0",
         "fzaninotto/faker": "^1.4",
         "laravel/dusk": "5.9.1",
         "mockery/mockery": "^1.0",
         "nunomaduro/collision": "^3.0",
         "nunomaduro/larastan": "^0.4",
         "phpstan/phpstan": "0.11.19",
         "phpunit/phpunit": "^7.5"
     },
     "config": {
         "optimize-autoloader": true,
         "preferred-install": "dist",
         "sort-packages": true
     },
     "extra": {
         "laravel": {
             "dont-discover": []
         }
     },
     "autoload": {
         "psr-4": {
             "App\\": "app/"
         },
         "classmap": [
             "database/seeds",
             "database/factories",
             "include"
         ]
     },
     "autoload-dev": {
         "psr-4": {
             "Tests\\": "tests/"
         }
     },
     "minimum-stability": "dev",
     "prefer-stable": true,
     "scripts": {
         "post-autoload-dump": [
             "Illuminate\\Foundation\\ComposerScripts::postAutoloadDump",
             "@php artisan package:discover --ansi"
         ],
         "post-root-package-install": [
             "@php -r \"file_exists('.env') || copy('.env.example', '.env');\""
         ],
         "post-create-project-cmd": [
             "@php artisan key:generate --ansi"
         ]
     }
 }