diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index ea83fba0e..8785660d6 100644
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ function can_comment_on_post($observer_xchan, $item) {
 			return true;
 			break;
 		case 'any connections':
+		case 'specific':
 		case 'contacts':
 		case '':
 
@@ -1193,8 +1194,9 @@ function map_scope($scope, $strip = false) {
 			return 'site: ' . App::get_hostname();
 		case PERMS_PENDING:
 			return 'any connections';
-		case PERMS_SPECIFIC:
-			return 'specific';
+// uncomment a few releases after the corresponding changes are made in can_comment_on_post. Here it was done on 2021-11-18 			
+//		case PERMS_SPECIFIC:
+//			return 'specific';
 		case PERMS_CONTACTS:
 		default:
 			return 'contacts';
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 8455c97bd..ca67406a0 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -3256,9 +3256,6 @@ function item_url_replace($channel,&$item,$old,$new,$oldnick = '') {
 			json_url_replace('/' . $oldnick . '/' ,'/' . $channel['channel_address'] . '/' ,$item['target']);
 	}
 
-	$root_replaced = null;
-	$nick_replaced = null;
-
 	$item['body'] = str_replace($old, $new, $item['body']);
 
 	if($oldnick && ($oldnick !== $channel['channel_address'])) {