diff --git a/clients/clients.go b/clients/clients.go
index 46b5bbf..79dc37b 100644
--- a/clients/clients.go
+++ b/clients/clients.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package clients
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
@@ -289,21 +288,11 @@ func (c *Clients) onBotOptionsEvent(client *mautrix.Client, event *mevt.Event) {
 	}
 	// these options fully clobber what was there previously.
 
-	var options types.BotOptionsContent
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(event.Content.VeryRaw, &options); err != nil {
-		log.WithFields(log.Fields{
-			log.ErrorKey:     err,
-			"room_id":        event.RoomID,
-			"bot_user_id":    client.UserID,
-			"set_by_user_id": event.Sender,
-		}).Error("Failed to parse bot options")
-	}
-
 	opts := types.BotOptions{
 		UserID:      client.UserID,
 		RoomID:      event.RoomID,
 		SetByUserID: event.Sender,
-		Options:     options,
+		Options:     event.Content.Parsed.(*types.BotOptionsContent),
 	}
 	if _, err := c.db.StoreBotOptions(opts); err != nil {
 		log.WithFields(log.Fields{
@@ -340,6 +329,8 @@ func (c *Clients) onRoomMemberEvent(client *mautrix.Client, event *mevt.Event) {
 	}
 }
 
+var StateBotOptionsEvent = mevt.Type{Type: "m.room.bot.options", Class: mevt.StateEventType}
+
 func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 	config := botClient.config
 	client, err := mautrix.NewClient(config.HomeserverURL, config.UserID, config.AccessToken)
@@ -356,10 +347,10 @@ func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 	botClient.verificationSAS = &sync.Map{}
 
 	syncer := client.Syncer.(*mautrix.DefaultSyncer)
+	syncer.ParseEventContent = true
 
 	// Add m.room.bot.options to mautrix's TypeMap so that it parses it as a valid event
-	var StateBotOptions = mevt.Type{Type: "m.room.bot.options", Class: mevt.StateEventType}
-	mevt.TypeMap[StateBotOptions] = reflect.TypeOf(&types.BotOptionsContent{})
+	mevt.TypeMap[StateBotOptionsEvent] = reflect.TypeOf(types.BotOptionsContent{})
 
 	nebStore := &matrix.NEBStore{
 		InMemoryStore: *mautrix.NewInMemoryStore(),
@@ -382,7 +373,7 @@ func (c *Clients) initClient(botClient *BotClient) error {
 		c.onMessageEvent(botClient, event)
 	})
 
-	syncer.OnEventType(mevt.Type{Type: "m.room.bot.options", Class: mevt.StateEventType}, func(_ mautrix.EventSource, event *mevt.Event) {
+	syncer.OnEventType(StateBotOptionsEvent, func(_ mautrix.EventSource, event *mevt.Event) {
 		c.onBotOptionsEvent(botClient.Client, event)
 	})
 
diff --git a/services/github/github.go b/services/github/github.go
index ae71aac..772c362 100644
--- a/services/github/github.go
+++ b/services/github/github.go
@@ -76,11 +76,6 @@ type Service struct {
 	RealmID string
 }
 
-type Options struct {
-	DefaultRepo    string   `json:"default_repo,omitempty"`
-	NewIssueLabels []string `json:"new_issue_labels,omitempty"`
-}
-
 func (s *Service) requireGithubClientFor(userID id.UserID) (cli *gogithub.Client, resp interface{}, err error) {
 	cli = s.githubClientFor(userID, false)
 	if cli == nil {
@@ -176,9 +171,18 @@ func (s *Service) cmdGithubCreate(roomID id.RoomID, userID id.UserID, args []str
 	// Look for a default if the first arg doesn't look like an owner/repo
 	ownerRepoGroups := ownerRepoRegex.FindStringSubmatch(args[0])
 
+	logger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+		"room_id":     roomID,
+		"bot_user_id": s.ServiceUserID(),
+	})
+	options, err := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if len(ownerRepoGroups) == 0 {
 		// look for a default repo
-		defaultRepo := s.defaultRepo(roomID)
+		defaultRepo := options.DefaultRepo
 		if defaultRepo == "" {
 			return &mevt.MessageEventContent{
 				MsgType: mevt.MsgNotice,
@@ -212,12 +216,10 @@ func (s *Service) cmdGithubCreate(roomID id.RoomID, userID id.UserID, args []str
 		title = &joinedTitle
 	}
 
-	labels := s.newIssueLabels(roomID)
-
 	issue, res, err := cli.Issues.Create(context.Background(), ownerRepoGroups[1], ownerRepoGroups[2], &gogithub.IssueRequest{
 		Title:  title,
 		Body:   desc,
-		Labels: &labels,
+		Labels: &options.NewIssueLabels,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithField("err", err).Print("Failed to create issue")
@@ -747,16 +749,16 @@ func (s *Service) Register(oldService types.Service, client types.MatrixClient)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *Service) loadBotOptions(roomID id.RoomID, logger *log.Entry) (result map[string]interface{}, err error) {
+func (s *Service) loadBotOptions(roomID id.RoomID, logger *log.Entry) (result types.GithubOptions, err error) {
 	opts, err := database.GetServiceDB().LoadBotOptions(s.ServiceUserID(), roomID)
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-			logger.Info("no bot options")
-			return make(map[string]interface{}), nil
+			logger.Info("no bot options specified - using defaults")
+			return types.GithubOptions{}, nil
 		} else {
 			err := errors.New("Failed to load bot options")
 			logger.WithError(err).Error(err)
-			return nil, err
+			return types.GithubOptions{}, err
 		}
 	}
 	// Expect opts to look like:
@@ -766,13 +768,7 @@ func (s *Service) loadBotOptions(roomID id.RoomID, logger *log.Entry) (result ma
 	//      new_issue_labels: [ "label1", .. ]
 	//   }
 	// }
-	ghOpts, ok := opts.Options["github"].(map[string]interface{})
-	if !ok {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("Failed to cast bot options as github options")
-		logger.WithField("options", opts.Options).Error(err)
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return ghOpts, nil
+	return opts.Options.Github, nil
 }
 
 // defaultRepo returns the default repo for the given room, or an empty string.
@@ -781,38 +777,9 @@ func (s *Service) defaultRepo(roomID id.RoomID) string {
 		"room_id":     roomID,
 		"bot_user_id": s.ServiceUserID(),
 	})
-	ghOpts, err := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
-	}
-	defaultRepo, ok := ghOpts["default_repo"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		logger.WithField("default_repo", ghOpts["default_repo"]).Error(
-			"Failed to cast default repo as a string",
-		)
-		return ""
-	}
-	return defaultRepo
-}
-
-func (s *Service) newIssueLabels(roomID id.RoomID) []string {
-	logger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
-		"room_id":     roomID,
-		"bot_user_id": s.ServiceUserID(),
-	})
-	ghOpts, err := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
-	if err != nil {
-		return make([]string, 0)
-	}
-	newIssueLabels, ok := ghOpts["new_issue_labels"].([]interface{})
-	if !ok {
-		return make([]string, 0)
-	}
-	newIssueLabelsUnboxed := make([]string, 0)
-	for _, s := range newIssueLabels {
-		newIssueLabelsUnboxed = append(newIssueLabelsUnboxed, s.(string))
-	}
-	return newIssueLabelsUnboxed
+	// ignore any errors, we treat it the same as no options and log inside the method
+	ghOpts, _ := s.loadBotOptions(roomID, logger)
+	return ghOpts.DefaultRepo
 }
 
 func (s *Service) githubClientFor(userID id.UserID, allowUnauth bool) *gogithub.Client {
diff --git a/types/service.go b/types/service.go
index f567e20..7726017 100644
--- a/types/service.go
+++ b/types/service.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
-	"github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/github"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -14,8 +13,13 @@ import (
 	"maunium.net/go/mautrix/id"
 )
 
+type GithubOptions struct {
+	DefaultRepo    string   `json:"default_repo,omitempty"`
+	NewIssueLabels []string `json:"new_issue_labels,omitempty"`
+}
+
 type BotOptionsContent struct {
-	Github github.Options `json:"github"`
+	Github GithubOptions `json:"github"`
 }
 
 // BotOptions for a given bot user in a given room
@@ -23,7 +27,7 @@ type BotOptions struct {
 	RoomID      id.RoomID
 	UserID      id.UserID
 	SetByUserID id.UserID
-	Options     BotOptionsContent
+	Options     *BotOptionsContent
 }
 
 // Poller represents a thing which can poll. Services should implement this method signature to support polling.