diff --git a/mod/item.php b/mod/item.php
index 31336c434..18efd67ba 100644
--- a/mod/item.php
+++ b/mod/item.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
  */
 
 use Friendica\App;
+use Friendica\Content\Item as ItemHelper;
 use Friendica\Content\Text\BBCode;
 use Friendica\Core\Hook;
 use Friendica\Core\Logger;
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			$success = handle_tag($body, $inform, local_user() ? local_user() : $profile_uid, $tag, $network);
+			$success = ItemHelper::replaceTag($body, $inform, local_user() ? local_user() : $profile_uid, $tag, $network);
 			if ($success['replaced']) {
 				$tagged[] = $tag;
 			}
@@ -868,123 +869,3 @@ function item_content(App $a)
 
 	return $o;
 }
-
-/**
- * This function removes the tag $tag from the text $body and replaces it with
- * the appropriate link.
- *
- * @param App     $a
- * @param string  $body     the text to replace the tag in
- * @param string  $inform   a comma-seperated string containing everybody to inform
- * @param integer $profile_uid
- * @param string  $tag      the tag to replace
- * @param string  $network  The network of the post
- *
- * @return array|bool ['replaced' => $replaced, 'contact' => $contact];
- * @throws ImagickException
- * @throws HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
- */
-function handle_tag(&$body, &$inform, $profile_uid, $tag, $network = "")
-{
-	$replaced = false;
-
-	//is it a person tag?
-	if (Tag::isType($tag, Tag::MENTION, Tag::IMPLICIT_MENTION, Tag::EXCLUSIVE_MENTION)) {
-		$tag_type = substr($tag, 0, 1);
-		//is it already replaced?
-		if (strpos($tag, '[url=')) {
-			// Checking for the alias that is used for OStatus
-			$pattern = "/[@!]\[url\=(.*?)\](.*?)\[\/url\]/ism";
-			if (preg_match($pattern, $tag, $matches)) {
-				$data = Contact::getDetailsByURL($matches[1]);
-
-				if ($data["alias"] != "") {
-					$newtag = '@[url=' . $data["alias"] . ']' . $data["nick"] . '[/url]';
-				}
-			}
-
-			return $replaced;
-		}
-
-		//get the person's name
-		$name = substr($tag, 1);
-
-		// Sometimes the tag detection doesn't seem to work right
-		// This is some workaround
-		$nameparts = explode(" ", $name);
-		$name = $nameparts[0];
-
-		// Try to detect the contact in various ways
-		if (strpos($name, 'http://')) {
-			// At first we have to ensure that the contact exists
-			Contact::getIdForURL($name);
-
-			// Now we should have something
-			$contact = Contact::getDetailsByURL($name);
-		} elseif (strpos($name, '@')) {
-			// This function automatically probes when no entry was found
-			$contact = Contact::getDetailsByAddr($name);
-		} else {
-			$contact = false;
-			$fields = ['id', 'url', 'nick', 'name', 'alias', 'network', 'forum', 'prv'];
-
-			if (strrpos($name, '+')) {
-				// Is it in format @nick+number?
-				$tagcid = intval(substr($name, strrpos($name, '+') + 1));
-				$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, ['id' => $tagcid, 'uid' => $profile_uid]);
-			}
-
-			// select someone by nick or attag in the current network
-			if (!DBA::isResult($contact) && ($network != "")) {
-				$condition = ["(`nick` = ? OR `attag` = ?) AND `network` = ? AND `uid` = ?",
-						$name, $name, $network, $profile_uid];
-				$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
-			}
-
-			//select someone by name in the current network
-			if (!DBA::isResult($contact) && ($network != "")) {
-				$condition = ['name' => $name, 'network' => $network, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
-				$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
-			}
-
-			// select someone by nick or attag in any network
-			if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
-				$condition = ["(`nick` = ? OR `attag` = ?) AND `uid` = ?", $name, $name, $profile_uid];
-				$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
-			}
-
-			// select someone by name in any network
-			if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
-				$condition = ['name' => $name, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
-				$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Check if $contact has been successfully loaded
-		if (DBA::isResult($contact)) {
-			if (strlen($inform) && (isset($contact["notify"]) || isset($contact["id"]))) {
-				$inform .= ',';
-			}
-
-			if (isset($contact["id"])) {
-				$inform .= 'cid:' . $contact["id"];
-			} elseif (isset($contact["notify"])) {
-				$inform  .= $contact["notify"];
-			}
-
-			$profile = $contact["url"];
-			$newname = ($contact["name"] ?? '') ?: $contact["nick"];
-		}
-
-		//if there is an url for this persons profile
-		if (isset($profile) && ($newname != "")) {
-			$replaced = true;
-			// create profile link
-			$profile = str_replace(',', '%2c', $profile);
-			$newtag = $tag_type.'[url=' . $profile . ']' . $newname . '[/url]';
-			$body = str_replace($tag_type . $name, $newtag, $body);
-		}
-	}
-
-	return ['replaced' => $replaced, 'contact' => $contact];
-}
diff --git a/src/Content/Item.php b/src/Content/Item.php
index 51a14435e..40deb976c 100644
--- a/src/Content/Item.php
+++ b/src/Content/Item.php
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@
 
 namespace Friendica\Content;
 
+use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\FileTag;
+use Friendica\Model\Tag;
 
 /**
  * A content helper class for displaying items
@@ -100,4 +103,123 @@ class Item
 
 		return [$categories, $folders];
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * This function removes the tag $tag from the text $body and replaces it with
+	 * the appropriate link.
+	 *
+	 * @param string  $body        the text to replace the tag in
+	 * @param string  $inform      a comma-seperated string containing everybody to inform
+	 * @param integer $profile_uid the user id to replace the tag for (0 = anyone)
+	 * @param string  $tag         the tag to replace
+	 * @param string  $network     The network of the post
+	 *
+	 * @return array|bool ['replaced' => $replaced, 'contact' => $contact];
+	 * @throws \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
+	 * @throws \ImagickException
+	 */
+	public static function replaceTag(&$body, &$inform, $profile_uid, $tag, $network = '')
+	{
+		$replaced = false;
+
+		//is it a person tag?
+		if (Tag::isType($tag, Tag::MENTION, Tag::IMPLICIT_MENTION, Tag::EXCLUSIVE_MENTION)) {
+			$tag_type = substr($tag, 0, 1);
+			//is it already replaced?
+			if (strpos($tag, '[url=')) {
+				// Checking for the alias that is used for OStatus
+				$pattern = '/[@!]\[url\=(.*?)\](.*?)\[\/url\]/ism';
+				if (preg_match($pattern, $tag, $matches)) {
+					$data = Contact::getDetailsByURL($matches[1]);
+
+					if ($data['alias'] != '') {
+						$newtag = '@[url=' . $data['alias'] . ']' . $data['nick'] . '[/url]';
+					}
+				}
+
+				return $replaced;
+			}
+
+			//get the person's name
+			$name = substr($tag, 1);
+
+			// Sometimes the tag detection doesn't seem to work right
+			// This is some workaround
+			$nameparts = explode(' ', $name);
+			$name = $nameparts[0];
+
+			// Try to detect the contact in various ways
+			if (strpos($name, 'http://')) {
+				// At first we have to ensure that the contact exists
+				Contact::getIdForURL($name);
+
+				// Now we should have something
+				$contact = Contact::getDetailsByURL($name, $profile_uid);
+			} elseif (strpos($name, '@')) {
+				// This function automatically probes when no entry was found
+				$contact = Contact::getDetailsByAddr($name, $profile_uid);
+			} else {
+				$contact = false;
+				$fields = ['id', 'url', 'nick', 'name', 'alias', 'network', 'forum', 'prv'];
+
+				if (strrpos($name, '+')) {
+					// Is it in format @nick+number?
+					$tagcid = intval(substr($name, strrpos($name, '+') + 1));
+					$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, ['id' => $tagcid, 'uid' => $profile_uid]);
+				}
+
+				// select someone by nick or attag in the current network
+				if (!DBA::isResult($contact) && ($network != '')) {
+					$condition = ["(`nick` = ? OR `attag` = ?) AND `network` = ? AND `uid` = ?",
+						$name, $name, $network, $profile_uid];
+					$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
+				}
+
+				//select someone by name in the current network
+				if (!DBA::isResult($contact) && ($network != '')) {
+					$condition = ['name' => $name, 'network' => $network, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
+					$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
+				}
+
+				// select someone by nick or attag in any network
+				if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
+					$condition = ["(`nick` = ? OR `attag` = ?) AND `uid` = ?", $name, $name, $profile_uid];
+					$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
+				}
+
+				// select someone by name in any network
+				if (!DBA::isResult($contact)) {
+					$condition = ['name' => $name, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
+					$contact = DBA::selectFirst('contact', $fields, $condition);
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Check if $contact has been successfully loaded
+			if (DBA::isResult($contact)) {
+				if (strlen($inform) && (isset($contact['notify']) || isset($contact['id']))) {
+					$inform .= ',';
+				}
+
+				if (isset($contact['id'])) {
+					$inform .= 'cid:' . $contact['id'];
+				} elseif (isset($contact['notify'])) {
+					$inform  .= $contact['notify'];
+				}
+
+				$profile = $contact['url'];
+				$newname = ($contact['name'] ?? '') ?: $contact['nick'];
+			}
+
+			//if there is an url for this persons profile
+			if (isset($profile) && ($newname != '')) {
+				$replaced = true;
+				// create profile link
+				$profile = str_replace(',', '%2c', $profile);
+				$newtag = $tag_type.'[url=' . $profile . ']' . $newname . '[/url]';
+				$body = str_replace($tag_type . $name, $newtag, $body);
+			}
+		}
+
+		return ['replaced' => $replaced, 'contact' => $contact];
+	}
 }