diff --git a/doc/api.md b/doc/api.md
index ccd2e7a7e..d522767fd 100644
--- a/doc/api.md
+++ b/doc/api.md
@@ -393,6 +393,27 @@ Object of:
 
 ---
 
+### media/metadata/create (POST,PUT; AUTH)
+
+#### Parameters
+
+Parameters are sent as JSON object:
+
+```
+{
+	"media_id":"1234",
+	"alt_text": {
+		"text":"Here comes the description"
+	}
+}
+```
+
+#### Return values
+
+None
+
+---
+
 ### oauth/request_token (*)
 
 #### Parameters
diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 39a61c983..5665a7fbd 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -1158,15 +1158,16 @@ function api_statuses_update($type)
 	// To-Do: Multiple IDs
 	if (requestdata('media_ids')) {
 		$r = q(
-			"SELECT `resource-id`, `scale`, `nickname`, `type` FROM `photo` INNER JOIN `user` ON `user`.`uid` = `photo`.`uid` WHERE `resource-id` IN (SELECT `resource-id` FROM `photo` WHERE `id` = %d) AND `scale` > 0 AND `photo`.`uid` = %d ORDER BY `photo`.`width` DESC LIMIT 1",
+			"SELECT `resource-id`, `scale`, `nickname`, `type`, `desc` FROM `photo` INNER JOIN `user` ON `user`.`uid` = `photo`.`uid` WHERE `resource-id` IN (SELECT `resource-id` FROM `photo` WHERE `id` = %d) AND `scale` > 0 AND `photo`.`uid` = %d ORDER BY `photo`.`width` DESC LIMIT 1",
 			intval(requestdata('media_ids')),
 			api_user()
 		);
 		if (DBA::isResult($r)) {
 			$phototypes = Image::supportedTypes();
 			$ext = $phototypes[$r[0]['type']];
+			$description = $r[0]['desc'] ?? '';
 			$_REQUEST['body'] .= "\n\n" . '[url=' . System::baseUrl() . '/photos/' . $r[0]['nickname'] . '/image/' . $r[0]['resource-id'] . ']';
-			$_REQUEST['body'] .= '[img]' . System::baseUrl() . '/photo/' . $r[0]['resource-id'] . '-' . $r[0]['scale'] . '.' . $ext . '[/img][/url]';
+			$_REQUEST['body'] .= '[img=' . System::baseUrl() . '/photo/' . $r[0]['resource-id'] . '-' . $r[0]['scale'] . '.' . $ext . ']' . $description . '[/img][/url]';
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1239,6 +1240,65 @@ function api_media_upload()
 /// @TODO move to top of file or somewhere better
 api_register_func('api/media/upload', 'api_media_upload', true, API_METHOD_POST);
 
+/**
+ * Updates media meta data (picture descriptions)
+ *
+ * @param string $type Return type (atom, rss, xml, json)
+ *
+ * @return array|string
+ * @throws BadRequestException
+ * @throws ForbiddenException
+ * @throws ImagickException
+ * @throws InternalServerErrorException
+ * @throws TooManyRequestsException
+ * @throws UnauthorizedException
+ * @see https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/tweets/post-and-engage/api-reference/post-statuses-update
+ *
+ * @todo Compare the corresponding Twitter function for correct return values
+ */
+function api_media_metadata_create($type)
+{
+	$a = \get_app();
+
+	if (api_user() === false) {
+		Logger::info('no user');
+		throw new ForbiddenException();
+	}
+
+	api_get_user($a);
+
+	$postdata = Network::postdata();
+
+	if (empty($postdata)) {
+		throw new BadRequestException("No post data");
+	}
+
+	$data = json_decode($postdata, true);
+	if (empty($data)) {
+		throw new BadRequestException("Invalid post data");
+	}
+
+	if (empty($data['media_id']) || empty($data['alt_text'])) {
+		throw new BadRequestException("Missing post data values");
+	}
+
+	if (empty($data['alt_text']['text'])) {
+		throw new BadRequestException("No alt text.");
+	}
+
+	Logger::info('Updating metadata', ['media_id' => $data['media_id']]);
+
+	$condition =  ['id' => $data['media_id'], 'uid' => api_user()];
+	$photo = DBA::selectFirst('photo', ['resource-id'], $condition);
+	if (!DBA::isResult($photo)) {
+		throw new BadRequestException("Metadata not found.");
+	}
+
+	DBA::update('photo', ['desc' => $data['alt_text']['text']], ['resource-id' => $photo['resource-id']]);
+}
+
+api_register_func('api/media/metadata/create', 'api_media_metadata_create', true, API_METHOD_POST);
+
 /**
  * @param string $type    Return format (atom, rss, xml, json)
  * @param int    $item_id
diff --git a/mod/dfrn_notify.php b/mod/dfrn_notify.php
index e75d975a8..3f0ecba00 100644
--- a/mod/dfrn_notify.php
+++ b/mod/dfrn_notify.php
@@ -16,11 +16,12 @@ use Friendica\Model\User;
 use Friendica\Protocol\DFRN;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Diaspora;
 use Friendica\Util\Strings;
+use Friendica\Util\Network;
 
 function dfrn_notify_post(App $a) {
 	Logger::log(__function__, Logger::TRACE);
 
-	$postdata = file_get_contents('php://input');
+	$postdata = Network::postdata();
 
 	if (empty($_POST) || !empty($postdata)) {
 		$data = json_decode($postdata);
diff --git a/mod/pubsub.php b/mod/pubsub.php
index e5ede6c80..d10d7031d 100644
--- a/mod/pubsub.php
+++ b/mod/pubsub.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Protocol\OStatus;
 use Friendica\Util\Strings;
+use Friendica\Util\Network;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 
 function hub_return($valid, $body)
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ function pubsub_init(App $a)
 
 function pubsub_post(App $a)
 {
-	$xml = file_get_contents('php://input');
+	$xml = Network::postdata();
 
 	Logger::log('Feed arrived from ' . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] . ' for ' .  $a->cmd . ' with user-agent: ' . $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']);
 	Logger::log('Data: ' . $xml, Logger::DATA);
diff --git a/mod/receive.php b/mod/receive.php
index db1287ea6..182a1df8c 100644
--- a/mod/receive.php
+++ b/mod/receive.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\Logger;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Diaspora;
+use Friendica\Util\Network;
 
 /**
  * @param App $a App
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ function receive_post(App $a)
 	Logger::log('mod-diaspora: receiving post', Logger::DEBUG);
 
 	if (empty($_POST['xml'])) {
-		$postdata = file_get_contents("php://input");
+		$postdata = Network::postdata();
 		if ($postdata == '') {
 			throw new \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException();
 		}
diff --git a/mod/salmon.php b/mod/salmon.php
index ba1bc8d46..67e467a73 100644
--- a/mod/salmon.php
+++ b/mod/salmon.php
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ use Friendica\Protocol\OStatus;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Salmon;
 use Friendica\Util\Crypto;
 use Friendica\Util\Strings;
+use Friendica\Util\Network;
 
 function salmon_post(App $a, $xml = '') {
 
 	if (empty($xml)) {
-		$xml = file_get_contents('php://input');
+		$xml = Network::postdata();
 	}
 
 	Logger::log('new salmon ' . $xml, Logger::DATA);
diff --git a/src/Module/Inbox.php b/src/Module/Inbox.php
index 5367adb7e..2cc273b13 100644
--- a/src/Module/Inbox.php
+++ b/src/Module/Inbox.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\Protocol\ActivityPub;
 use Friendica\Util\HTTPSignature;
+use Friendica\Util\Network;
 
 /**
  * ActivityPub Inbox
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ class Inbox extends BaseModule
 	{
 		$a = self::getApp();
 
-		$postdata = file_get_contents('php://input');
+		$postdata = Network::postdata();
 
 		if (empty($postdata)) {
 			throw new \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\BadRequestException();
diff --git a/src/Util/Network.php b/src/Util/Network.php
index 75b928bea..cd66abe0b 100644
--- a/src/Util/Network.php
+++ b/src/Util/Network.php
@@ -342,6 +342,16 @@ class Network
 		return $curlResponse;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Return raw post data from a post request
+	 *
+	 * @return string post data
+	 */
+	public static function postdata()
+	{
+		return file_get_contents('php://input');
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @brief Check URL to see if it's real
 	 *