diff --git a/swh/web/common/identifiers.py b/swh/web/common/identifiers.py
--- a/swh/web/common/identifiers.py
+++ b/swh/web/common/identifiers.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
-from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, cast
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional
 from urllib.parse import quote, unquote
 
 from typing_extensions import TypedDict
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
     REVISION,
     SNAPSHOT,
     SWHID,
+    ObjectType,
+    QualifiedSWHID,
     parse_swhid,
-    swhid,
 )
 from swh.web.common import archive
 from swh.web.common.exc import BadInputExc
@@ -63,13 +64,17 @@
             generate a valid identifier
     """
     try:
-        obj_swhid = swhid(
-            object_type,
-            object_id,
-            scheme_version,
-            cast(Dict[str, Any], {k: v for k, v in metadata.items() if v is not None}),
+        decoded_object_type = ObjectType[object_type.upper()]
+        decoded_object_id = hash_to_bytes(object_id)
+        obj_swhid = str(
+            QualifiedSWHID(
+                object_type=decoded_object_type,
+                object_id=decoded_object_id,
+                scheme_version=scheme_version,
+                **metadata,
+            )
         )
-    except ValidationError as e:
+    except (ValidationError, KeyError, ValueError) as e:
         raise BadInputExc("Invalid object (%s) for SWHID. %s" % (object_id, e))
     else:
         return obj_swhid
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_content.py b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_content.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_content.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_content.py
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@
         directory_file["checksums"]["sha1_git"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(REVISION, branch_info["revision"]),
             "path": f"/{directory_file['name']}",
         },
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@
         directory,
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(REVISION, branch_info["revision"]),
         },
     )
@@ -469,11 +469,16 @@
     rev_swhid = gen_swhid(
         REVISION,
         branch_info["revision"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rev_swhid)
 
-    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot, metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},)
+    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(
+        SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"], metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},
+    )
     assert_contains(resp, snp_swhid)
 
 
@@ -517,7 +522,7 @@
         directory_file["checksums"]["sha1_git"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(RELEASE, release_info["id"]),
             "path": f"/{directory_file['name']}",
         },
@@ -529,7 +534,7 @@
         release_info["directory"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(RELEASE, release_info["id"]),
         },
     )
@@ -538,18 +543,26 @@
     rev_swhid = gen_swhid(
         REVISION,
         release_info["target"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rev_swhid)
 
     rel_swhid = gen_swhid(
         RELEASE,
         release_info["id"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rel_swhid)
 
-    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot, metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},)
+    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(
+        SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"], metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},
+    )
     assert_contains(resp, snp_swhid)
 
 
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_directory.py b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_directory.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_directory.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_directory.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@
         directory_subdir["target"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(REVISION, branch_info["revision"]),
             "path": "/",
         },
@@ -250,11 +250,16 @@
     rev_swhid = gen_swhid(
         REVISION,
         branch_info["revision"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rev_swhid)
 
-    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot, metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},)
+    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(
+        SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"], metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},
+    )
     assert_contains(resp, snp_swhid)
 
 
@@ -299,7 +304,7 @@
         directory_subdir["target"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(RELEASE, release_info["id"]),
             "path": "/",
         },
@@ -309,18 +314,26 @@
     rev_swhid = gen_swhid(
         REVISION,
         release_info["target"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rev_swhid)
 
     rel_swhid = gen_swhid(
         RELEASE,
         release_info["id"],
-        metadata={"origin": origin["url"], "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),},
+        metadata={
+            "origin": origin["url"],
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
+        },
     )
     assert_contains(resp, rel_swhid)
 
-    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot, metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},)
+    snp_swhid = gen_swhid(
+        SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"], metadata={"origin": origin["url"],},
+    )
     assert_contains(resp, snp_swhid)
 
 
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_identifiers.py b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_identifiers.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_identifiers.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_identifiers.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
         directory_file["checksums"]["sha1_git"],
         metadata={
             "origin": origin["url"],
-            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot),
+            "visit": gen_swhid(SNAPSHOT, snapshot["id"]),
             "anchor": gen_swhid(REVISION, revision),
         },
     )