diff --git a/Zotlabs/Lib/Libzotdir.php b/Zotlabs/Lib/Libzotdir.php
index 0c4ac6e50..30472dee4 100644
--- a/Zotlabs/Lib/Libzotdir.php
+++ b/Zotlabs/Lib/Libzotdir.php
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class Libzotdir {
 			'$forumsurl' => $forumsurl,
 			'$safemode'  => array('safemode', t('Safe Mode'),$safe_mode,'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&safe="+(this.checked ? 1 : 0)\''),
 			'$pubforums' => array('pubforums', t('Groups Only'),(($pubforums == 1) ? true : false),'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&type="+(this.checked ? 1 : 0)\''),
-			'$collections' => array('collections', t('Collections Only'),(($pubforums == 2) ? true : false),'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&type="+(this.checked ? 2 : 0)\''),
+//			'$collections' => array('collections', t('Collections Only'),(($pubforums == 2) ? true : false),'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&type="+(this.checked ? 2 : 0)\''),
 			'$hide_local' => $hide_local,
 			'$globaldir' => array('globaldir', t('This Website Only'), 1-intval($globaldir),'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&global="+(this.checked ? 0 : 1)\''),
 			'$activedir' => array('activedir', t('Recently Updated'), intval($activedir),'',array(t('No'), t('Yes')),' onchange=\'window.location.href="' . $forumsurl . '&active="+(this.checked ? 1 : 0)\''),
diff --git a/Zotlabs/Lib/ThreadItem.php b/Zotlabs/Lib/ThreadItem.php
index d549b844c..81b9e2b27 100644
--- a/Zotlabs/Lib/ThreadItem.php
+++ b/Zotlabs/Lib/ThreadItem.php
@@ -914,6 +914,7 @@ class ThreadItem {
 			'$anonurl'  => [ 'anonurl',  t('Your website URL (optional)') ],
 			'$auto_save_draft' => $feature_auto_save_draft,
 			'$save' => $permanent_draft,
+			'$top' => $this->is_toplevel()
 		));
 
 		return $comment_box;
diff --git a/Zotlabs/Module/Poke.php b/Zotlabs/Module/Poke.php
index b3e3de847..90d4f9495 100644
--- a/Zotlabs/Module/Poke.php
+++ b/Zotlabs/Module/Poke.php
@@ -1,76 +1,53 @@
 <?php
-namespace Zotlabs\Module; /** @file */
+namespace Zotlabs\Module;
 
 use App;
 use Zotlabs\Lib\Apps;
+use Zotlabs\Lib\Activity;
+use Zotlabs\Lib\Libsync;
 use Zotlabs\Web\Controller;
 
-/**
- *
- * Poke, prod, finger, or otherwise do unspeakable things to somebody - who must be a connection in your address book
- * This function can be invoked with the required arguments (verb and cid and private and possibly parent) silently via ajax or
- * other web request. You must be logged in and connected to a channel. 
- * If the required arguments aren't present, we'll display a simple form to choose a recipient and a verb.
- * parent is a special argument which let's you attach this activity as a comment to an existing conversation, which
- * may have started with somebody else poking (etc.) somebody, but this isn't necessary. This can be used in the adult
- * plugin version to have entire conversations where Alice poked Bob, Bob fingered Alice, Alice hugged Bob, etc.  
- *
- * private creates a private conversation with the recipient. Otherwise your channel's default post privacy is used.
- *
- */
-
 
 class Poke extends Controller {
 
 	function init() {
-	
-		if(! local_channel())
-			return;
 
-		if(! Apps::system_app_installed(local_channel(), 'Poke')) {
+		$uid = local_channel();
+		if (! $uid) {
+ 			return;
+		}
+
+		if (! Apps::system_app_installed($uid, 'Poke')) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$channel = App::get_channel();
+
+		$verbs = get_poke_verbs();
+
+		if (isset($_REQUEST['pokeverb']) && array_key_exists(trim($_REQUEST['pokeverb']),$verbs)) {
+			set_pconfig($uid,'system','pokeverb',trim($_REQUEST['pokeverb']));
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$verb = get_pconfig($uid,'system','pokeverb','poke');
+		
+		if (! array_key_exists($verb,$verbs)) {
 			return;
 		}
 	
-		$uid = local_channel();
-		$channel = App::get_channel();
+		$activity = $verbs[$verb][0];
 	
-		$verb = notags(trim($_REQUEST['verb']));
-		
-		if(! $verb) 
-			return;
-	
-		$verbs = get_poke_verbs();
-	
-		if(! array_key_exists($verb,$verbs))
-			return;
-	
-		$activity = ACTIVITY_POKE . '#' . urlencode($verbs[$verb][0]);
-	
-		$contact_id = intval($_REQUEST['cid']);
-
 		$xchan = trim($_REQUEST['xchan']);
 
-		if(! ($contact_id || $xchan))
+		if (! $xchan) {
 			return;
-	
-		$parent = ((x($_REQUEST,'parent')) ? intval($_REQUEST['parent']) : 0);
-	
-		logger('poke: verb ' . $verb . ' contact ' . $contact_id, LOGGER_DEBUG);
-	
-	
-		if($contact_id) {
-			$r = q("SELECT * FROM abook left join xchan on xchan_hash = abook_xchan where abook_id = %d and abook_channel = %d LIMIT 1",
-				intval($contact_id),
-				intval($uid)
-			);
-		}
-		if($xchan) {
-			$r = q("SELECT * FROM xchan where xchan_hash like ( '%s' ) LIMIT 1",
-				dbesc($xchan . '%')
-			);
 		}
+	
+		$r = q("SELECT * FROM xchan where xchan_hash = '%s' LIMIT 1",
+			dbesc($xchan)
+		);
 			
-		if(! $r) {
+		if (! $r) {
 			logger('poke: no target.');
 			return;
 		}
@@ -78,73 +55,52 @@ class Poke extends Controller {
 		$target = $r[0];
 		$parent_item = null;
 	
-		if($parent) {
-			$r = q("select mid, item_private, owner_xchan, allow_cid, allow_gid, deny_cid, deny_gid 
-				from item where id = %d and parent = %d and uid = %d limit 1",
-				intval($parent),
-				intval($parent),
-				intval($uid)
-			);
-			if($r) {
-				$parent_item  = $r[0];
-				$parent_mid   = $r[0]['mid'];
-				$item_private = $r[0]['item_private'];
-				$allow_cid    = $r[0]['allow_cid'];
-				$allow_gid    = $r[0]['allow_gid'];
-				$deny_cid     = $r[0]['deny_cid'];
-				$deny_gid     = $r[0]['deny_gid'];
-			}
+		$item_private = 1;
+		
+		if ($target) {	
+			$allow_cid     = '<' . $target['abook_xchan']. '>';
+			$allow_gid     = EMPTY_STR;
+			$deny_cid      = EMPTY_STR;
+			$deny_gid      = EMPTY_STR;
 		}
-		elseif($contact_id) {
-	
-			$item_private = ((x($_GET,'private')) ? intval($_GET['private']) : 0);
-	
-			$allow_cid     = (($item_private) ? '<' . $target['abook_xchan']. '>' : $channel['channel_allow_cid']);
-			$allow_gid     = (($item_private) ? '' : $channel['channel_allow_gid']);
-			$deny_cid      = (($item_private) ? '' : $channel['channel_deny_cid']);
-			$deny_gid      = (($item_private) ? '' : $channel['channel_deny_gid']);
-		}
-	
 	
 		$arr = [];
 	
-
-
 		$arr['item_wall']     = 1;
-		$arr['owner_xchan']   = (($parent_item) ? $parent_item['owner_xchan'] : $channel['channel_hash']);
-		$arr['parent_mid']    = (($parent_mid) ? $parent_mid : '');
-		$arr['title']         = '';
+		$arr['owner_xchan']   = $channel['channel_hash'];
+		$arr['author_xchan']  = $channel['channel_hash'];
 		$arr['allow_cid']     = $allow_cid;
 		$arr['allow_gid']     = $allow_gid;
 		$arr['deny_cid']      = $deny_cid;
 		$arr['deny_gid']      = $deny_gid;
-		$arr['verb']          = $activity;
-		$arr['item_private']  = $item_private;
-		$arr['obj_type']      = ACTIVITY_OBJ_PERSON;
+		$arr['verb']          = 'Create';
+		$arr['item_private']  = 1;
+		$arr['obj_type']      = 'Note';
 		$arr['body']          = '[zrl=' . $channel['xchan_url'] . ']' . $channel['xchan_name'] . '[/zrl]' . ' ' . t($verbs[$verb][0]) . ' ' . '[zrl=' . $target['xchan_url'] . ']' . $target['xchan_name'] . '[/zrl]';
 	
-		$obj = array(
-			'type' => ACTIVITY_OBJ_PERSON,
-			'title' => $target['xchan_name'],
-			'id' => $target['xchan_hash'],
-			'link' => array(
-				array('rel' => 'alternate', 'type' => 'text/html', 'href' => $target['xchan_url']),
-				array('rel' => 'photo', 'type' => $target['xchan_photo_mimetype'], 'href' => $target['xchan_photo_l'])
-			),
-		);
-	
-		$arr['obj'] = json_encode($obj);
 	
 		$arr['item_origin']   = 1;
 		$arr['item_wall']     = 1;
-		$arr['item_unseen']   = 1;
-		if(! $parent_item)
-			$item['item_thread_top'] = 1;
-	
-	
-		post_activity_item($arr);
-	
-		return;
+
+		$obj = Activity::encode_item($arr,((get_config('system','activitypub', ACTIVITYPUB_ENABLED)) ? true : false));	
+
+		$i = post_activity_item($arr);
+
+		if ($i['success']) {
+			$item_id = $i['item_id'];
+			$r = q("select * from item where id = %d",
+				intval($item_id)
+			);
+			if ($r) {
+				xchan_query($r);
+				$sync_item = fetch_post_tags($r);
+				Libsync::build_sync_packet($uid, [  'item' => [ encode_item($sync_item[0],true) ] ] );
+			}
+			
+			info(sprintf( t('You %1$s %2$s'),t($verbs[$verb][0]), $target['xchan_name']));  
+		}
+
+		json_return_and_die([ 'success' => true ]);
 	}
 	
 	
@@ -157,11 +113,8 @@ class Poke extends Controller {
 		}
 
 		if(! Apps::system_app_installed(local_channel(), 'Poke')) {
-			//Do not display any associated widgets at this point
-			App::$pdl = '';
-
-			$o = '<b>Poke App (Not Installed):</b><br>';
-			$o .= t('Poke somebody in your addressbook');
+			$o = '<b>' . t('Poke App (Not Installed)') . '</b><br>';
+			$o .= t('Poke or do something else to somebody');
 			return $o;
 		}
 
@@ -170,54 +123,28 @@ class Poke extends Controller {
 		$name = '';
 		$id = '';
 	
-		if(intval($_REQUEST['c'])) {
-			$r = q("select abook_id, xchan_name from abook left join xchan on abook_xchan = xchan_hash 
-				where abook_id = %d and abook_channel = %d limit 1",
-				intval($_REQUEST['c']),
-				intval(local_channel())
-			);
-			if($r) {
-				$name = $r[0]['xchan_name'];
-				$id = $r[0]['abook_id'];
-			}
-		}
-	
-		$parent = ((x($_REQUEST,'parent')) ? intval($_REQUEST['parent']) : '0');
-	
 		$verbs = get_poke_verbs();
 	
 		$shortlist = [];
-		foreach($verbs as $k => $v)
-			if($v[1] !== 'NOTRANSLATION')
-				$shortlist[] = array($k,$v[1]);
-	
-	
-		$poke_basic = get_config('system','poke_basic');
-		if($poke_basic) {
-			$title = t('Poke');
-			$desc = t('Poke somebody');
-		}
-		else {
-			$title = t('Poke/Prod');
-			$desc = t('Poke, prod or do other things to somebody');
+		$current = get_pconfig(local_channel(),'system','pokeverb','poke');
+		foreach($verbs as $k => $v) {
+			$shortlist[] = [ $k,$v[1], (($k === $current) ? true : false) ];
 		}
+		
+	
+		$title = t('Poke');
+		$desc = t('Poke, prod or do other things to somebody');
 	
 		$o = replace_macros(get_markup_template('poke_content.tpl'),array(
 			'$title' => $title,
-			'$poke_basic' => $poke_basic,
 			'$desc' => $desc,
 			'$clabel' => t('Recipient'),
-			'$choice' => t('Choose what you wish to do to recipient'),
+			'$choice' => t('Choose your default action'),
 			'$verbs' => $shortlist,
-			'$parent' => $parent,
-			'$prv_desc' => t('Make this post private'),
-			'$private' => array('private', t('Make this post private'), false, ''),
 			'$submit' => t('Submit'),
-			'$name' => $name,
 			'$id' => $id
 		));
 	
 		return $o;
-	
 	}
 }
diff --git a/app/poke.apx b/app/poke.apd
similarity index 100%
rename from app/poke.apx
rename to app/poke.apd
diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index 97c8ba5f8..2d0d4262c 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -927,8 +927,9 @@ function thread_author_menu($item, $mode = '') {
 		}
 	}
 
+	$poke_label = ucfirst( t(get_pconfig($local_channel,'system','pokeverb','poke')) );
+
 	if($contact) {
-		$poke_link = z_root() . '/poke/?f=&c=' . $contact['abook_id'];
 		if (! (isset($contact['abook_self']) && intval($contact['abook_self']))) {  
 			$contact_url = z_root() . '/connedit/' . $contact['abook_id'];
 		}
@@ -998,6 +999,16 @@ function thread_author_menu($item, $mode = '') {
 		];
 	}
 
+	if (Apps::system_app_installed($local_channel,'Poke')) {
+		$menu[] = [ 
+			'menu'   => 'poke',
+			'title'  => $poke_label,
+			'icon'   => 'fw',
+			'action' => 'doPoke(\'' . urlencode($item['author_xchan']) . '\'); return false;',
+			'href'   => '#'
+		];
+	}
+
 	if (local_channel()) {
 		$menu[] = [
 			'menu'   => 'superblocksite',
diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index 1b8414be8..f01a98ee1 100644
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ function post_activity_item($arr, $allow_code = false, $deliver = true) {
 		$arr['mimetype'] = 'text/bbcode';
 	}
 
-    if (! isset($arr['mid']) && $arr['mid']) {
+    if (! (isset($arr['mid']) && $arr['mid'])) {
         $arr['uuid'] = ((isset($arr['uuid'])) ? $arr['uuid'] : new_uuid());
     }
     $arr['mid']          = ((isset($arr['mid'])) ? $arr['mid'] : z_root() . '/item/' . $arr['uuid']);
@@ -493,7 +493,6 @@ function post_activity_item($arr, $allow_code = false, $deliver = true) {
 		$arr['plink'] = substr(z_root() . '/channel/' . $channel['channel_address'] . '/?f=&mid=' . urlencode($arr['mid']),0,190);
 	}
 
-
 	// for the benefit of plugins, we will behave as if this is an API call rather than a normal online post
 
 	$_REQUEST['api_source'] = 1;
diff --git a/include/photo_factory.php b/include/photo_factory.php
index 474a6d082..2e51a8aad 100644
--- a/include/photo_factory.php
+++ b/include/photo_factory.php
@@ -389,9 +389,11 @@ function import_remote_xchan_photo($photo, $xchan, $thing = false) {
 		// continue using our cached copy, although we still need to figure out the type
 		// for the benefit of upstream callers that may require it
 
-		$info = getimagesize('cache/xp/' . $hash . '-4' . (($thing) ? '.obj' : EMPTY_STR));
-		if (isset($info) && is_array($info) && array_key_exists('mime',$info)) {
-			$type = $info['mime'];
+		if (file_exists($cached_file)) {
+			$info = getimagesize($cached_file);
+			if (isset($info) && is_array($info) && array_key_exists('mime',$info)) {
+				$type = $info['mime'];
+			}
 		}
 		
 		$photo = z_root() . '/xp/' . $hash . '-4' . (($thing) ? '.obj' : EMPTY_STR);
diff --git a/view/js/main.js b/view/js/main.js
index 9bc7f5c11..f23f0acdb 100644
--- a/view/js/main.js
+++ b/view/js/main.js
@@ -261,6 +261,12 @@ function handle_comment_form(e) {
 	}
 }
 
+function doreply(parent, ident) {
+	showHideCommentBox(parent);
+	openClose('wall-item-comment-wrapper-' + ident.toString());
+}
+
+
 function commentClose(obj, id) {
 	if(obj.value === '') {
 		obj.value = aStr.comment;
@@ -434,6 +440,12 @@ function doFollowAuthor(url) {
 	return true;
 }
 
+function doPoke(xchan) {
+	$.get('poke?xchan=' + xchan, function(data) { notificationsUpdate(); });
+	return true;
+}
+
+
 
 function update_role_text() {
 	var new_role = $("#id_permissions_role").val();
diff --git a/view/theme/redbasic/css/style.css b/view/theme/redbasic/css/style.css
index 8966ca224..5b37640ce 100644
--- a/view/theme/redbasic/css/style.css
+++ b/view/theme/redbasic/css/style.css
@@ -1203,12 +1203,15 @@ img.mail-conv-sender-photo {
 	font-size: 1rem;
 }
 
-
 .comment-edit-text {
-	border: 1px solid #ccc;
+	border: 1px solid #007bff;
 	border-radius: $radius;
 }
 
+.comment-edit-text.toplevel {
+	border: 1px solid #ccc;
+}
+
 .divgrow-showmore {
 	display: block;
 	border-top: 1px dashed #ccc;
diff --git a/view/tpl/comment_item.tpl b/view/tpl/comment_item.tpl
index 683b77d8d..fc10da5c0 100755
--- a/view/tpl/comment_item.tpl
+++ b/view/tpl/comment_item.tpl
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 					{{$anon_extras}}
 				</div>
 				{{/if}}
-				<textarea id="comment-edit-text-{{$id}}" class="comment-edit-text" placeholder="{{$comment}}" name="body" ondragenter="linkdropper(event);" ondragleave="linkdropexit(event);" ondragover="linkdropper(event);" ondrop="linkdrop(event);" ></textarea>
+				<textarea id="comment-edit-text-{{$id}}" class="comment-edit-text  {{if $top}}toplevel{{/if}}" placeholder="{{$comment}}" name="body" ondragenter="linkdropper(event);" ondragleave="linkdropexit(event);" ondragover="linkdropper(event);" ondrop="linkdrop(event);" ></textarea>
 				<div id="comment-tools-{{$id}}" class="pt-2 comment-tools">
 					<div id="comment-edit-bb-{{$id}}" class="btn-toolbar pull-left">
 						{{if $feature_markup}}
diff --git a/view/tpl/conv_item.tpl b/view/tpl/conv_item.tpl
index e909dd626..da5e98d8e 100755
--- a/view/tpl/conv_item.tpl
+++ b/view/tpl/conv_item.tpl
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@
 							</button>
 							{{/if}}
 							{{if $item.comment && $item.thread_level > 1 && $item.thread_level < $item.thread_max }}
-							<button type="button" title="{{$item.comment_lbl}}" class="btn btn-outline-secondary btn-sm" onclick="openClose('wall-item-comment-wrapper-{{$item.id}}'); $('#comment-edit-text-{{$item.id}}').click(); return false;">
+							<button type="button" title="{{$item.comment_lbl}}" class="btn btn-outline-secondary btn-sm" onclick="doreply({{$item.parent}},{{$item.id}}); return false;">
 								<i class="fa fa-reply"></i>
 							</button>
 							{{/if}}
diff --git a/view/tpl/poke_content.tpl b/view/tpl/poke_content.tpl
index 36d67c131..3bb693c1a 100755
--- a/view/tpl/poke_content.tpl
+++ b/view/tpl/poke_content.tpl
@@ -5,44 +5,22 @@
     </div>
     <div class="section-content-wrapper">
 
-	<div id="poke-desc">{{$desc}}</div>
+		<div id="poke-desc">{{$desc}}</div>
+		<br>
+		<br>
 
-<br>
-<br>
+		<form action="poke" method="get">
 
+		<div class="form-group field custom">
+			<label for="poke-verb-select" id="poke-verb-lbl">{{$choice}}</label>
+			<select class="form-control" name="pokeverb" id="poke-verb-select" >
+			{{foreach $verbs as $v}}
+			<option value="{{$v.0}}"{{if $v.2}} selected="selected"{{/if}}>{{$v.0}}</option>
+			{{/foreach}}
+			</select>
+		</div>
 
-<form action="poke" method="get">
-
-
-<div class="form-group field input">
-	<label id="poke-recip-label" for="poke-recip">{{$clabel}}</label>
-	<input class="form-control" id="poke-recip" type="text" value="{{$name}}" name="pokename" autocomplete="off" />
-</div>
-
-	<input id="poke-recip-complete" type="hidden" value="{{$id}}" name="cid" />
-	<input id="poke-parent" type="hidden" value="{{$parent}}" name="parent" />
-
-
-{{if $poke_basic}}
-<input type="hidden" name="verb" value="poke" />
-{{else}}
-<div class="form-group field custom">
-	<label for="poke-verb-select" id="poke-verb-lbl">{{$choice}}</label>
-	<select class="form-control" name="verb" id="poke-verb-select" >
-	{{foreach $verbs as $v}}
-	<option value="{{$v.0}}">{{$v.1}}</option>
-	{{/foreach}}
-	</select>
-</div>
-{{/if}}
-
-{{if ! $parent}}
-{{include file="field_checkbox.tpl" field=$private}}
-{{/if}}
-
-<input type="submit" name="submit" value="{{$submit}}" />
-</form>
-
-
-    </div>
+		<input type="submit" name="submit" value="{{$submit}}" >
+		</form>
+	</div>
 </div>