diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index a81a3bdb20..b1d1646240 100644
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -327,122 +327,3 @@ function subscribe_to_hub($url, array $importer, array $contact, $hubmode = 'sub
 	return;
 
 }
-
-function drop_items(array $items)
-{
-	$uid = 0;
-
-	if (!Session::isAuthenticated()) {
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if (!empty($items)) {
-		foreach ($items as $item) {
-			$owner = Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $item], local_user());
-
-			if ($owner && !$uid) {
-				$uid = $owner;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-function drop_item($id, $return = '')
-{
-	$a = DI::app();
-
-	// locate item to be deleted
-
-	$fields = ['id', 'uid', 'guid', 'contact-id', 'deleted', 'gravity', 'parent'];
-	$item = Item::selectFirstForUser(local_user(), $fields, ['id' => $id]);
-
-	if (!DBA::isResult($item)) {
-		notice(DI::l10n()->t('Item not found.') . EOL);
-		DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
-	}
-
-	if ($item['deleted']) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	$contact_id = 0;
-
-	// check if logged in user is either the author or owner of this item
-	if (Session::getRemoteContactID($item['uid']) == $item['contact-id']) {
-		$contact_id = $item['contact-id'];
-	}
-
-	if ((local_user() == $item['uid']) || $contact_id) {
-		// Check if we should do HTML-based delete confirmation
-		if (!empty($_REQUEST['confirm'])) {
-			// <form> can't take arguments in its "action" parameter
-			// so add any arguments as hidden inputs
-			$query = explode_querystring(DI::args()->getQueryString());
-			$inputs = [];
-
-			foreach ($query['args'] as $arg) {
-				if (strpos($arg, 'confirm=') === false) {
-					$arg_parts = explode('=', $arg);
-					$inputs[] = ['name' => $arg_parts[0], 'value' => $arg_parts[1]];
-				}
-			}
-
-			return Renderer::replaceMacros(Renderer::getMarkupTemplate('confirm.tpl'), [
-				'$method' => 'get',
-				'$message' => DI::l10n()->t('Do you really want to delete this item?'),
-				'$extra_inputs' => $inputs,
-				'$confirm' => DI::l10n()->t('Yes'),
-				'$confirm_url' => $query['base'],
-				'$confirm_name' => 'confirmed',
-				'$cancel' => DI::l10n()->t('Cancel'),
-			]);
-		}
-		// Now check how the user responded to the confirmation query
-		if (!empty($_REQUEST['canceled'])) {
-			DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $item['guid']);
-		}
-
-		$is_comment = ($item['gravity'] == GRAVITY_COMMENT) ? true : false;
-		$parentitem = null;
-		if (!empty($item['parent'])){
-			$fields = ['guid'];
-			$parentitem = Item::selectFirstForUser(local_user(), $fields, ['id' => $item['parent']]);
-		}
-
-		// delete the item
-		Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $item['id']], local_user());
-
-		$return_url = hex2bin($return);
-
-		// removes update_* from return_url to ignore Ajax refresh
-		$return_url = str_replace("update_", "", $return_url);
-
-		// Check if delete a comment
-		if ($is_comment) {
-			// Return to parent guid
-			if (!empty($parentitem)) {
-				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $parentitem['guid']);
-				//NOTREACHED
-			}
-			// In case something goes wrong
-			else {
-				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
-				//NOTREACHED
-			}
-		}
-		else {
-			// if unknown location or deleting top level post called from display
-			if (empty($return_url) || strpos($return_url, 'display') !== false) {
-				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
-				//NOTREACHED
-			} else {
-				DI::baseUrl()->redirect($return_url);
-				//NOTREACHED
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		notice(DI::l10n()->t('Permission denied.') . EOL);
-		DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $item['guid']);
-		//NOTREACHED
-	}
-}
diff --git a/mod/item.php b/mod/item.php
index 6b99051328..38ff3b2a3e 100644
--- a/mod/item.php
+++ b/mod/item.php
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ use Friendica\Content\Text\BBCode;
 use Friendica\Core\Hook;
 use Friendica\Core\Logger;
 use Friendica\Core\Protocol;
+use Friendica\Core\Renderer;
 use Friendica\Core\Session;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Core\Worker;
@@ -67,7 +68,10 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 
 	if (!empty($_REQUEST['dropitems'])) {
 		$arr_drop = explode(',', $_REQUEST['dropitems']);
-		drop_items($arr_drop);
+		foreach ($arr_drop as $item) {
+			Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $item], $uid);
+		}
+
 		$json = ['success' => 1];
 		System::jsonExit($json);
 	}
@@ -850,7 +854,9 @@ function item_content(App $a)
 
 	if (($a->argc >= 3) && ($a->argv[1] === 'drop') && intval($a->argv[2])) {
 		if (DI::mode()->isAjax()) {
-			$o = Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $a->argv[2]], local_user());
+			Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $a->argv[2]], local_user());
+			// ajax return: [<item id>, 0 (no perm) | <owner id>]
+			System::jsonExit([intval($a->argv[2]), local_user()]);
 		} else {
 			if (!empty($a->argv[3])) {
 				$o = drop_item($a->argv[2], $a->argv[3]);
@@ -859,12 +865,112 @@ function item_content(App $a)
 				$o = drop_item($a->argv[2]);
 			}
 		}
-
-		if (DI::mode()->isAjax()) {
-			// ajax return: [<item id>, 0 (no perm) | <owner id>]
-			System::jsonExit([intval($a->argv[2]), intval($o)]);
-		}
 	}
 
 	return $o;
 }
+
+/**
+ * @param int    $id
+ * @param string $return
+ * @return string
+ * @throws HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
+ */
+function drop_item(int $id, string $return = '')
+{
+	// locate item to be deleted
+	$fields = ['id', 'uid', 'guid', 'contact-id', 'deleted', 'gravity', 'parent'];
+	$item = Item::selectFirstForUser(local_user(), $fields, ['id' => $id]);
+
+	if (!DBA::isResult($item)) {
+		notice(DI::l10n()->t('Item not found.') . EOL);
+		DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
+	}
+
+	if ($item['deleted']) {
+		return '';
+	}
+
+	$contact_id = 0;
+
+	// check if logged in user is either the author or owner of this item
+	if (Session::getRemoteContactID($item['uid']) == $item['contact-id']) {
+		$contact_id = $item['contact-id'];
+	}
+
+	if ((local_user() == $item['uid']) || $contact_id) {
+		// Check if we should do HTML-based delete confirmation
+		if (!empty($_REQUEST['confirm'])) {
+			// <form> can't take arguments in its "action" parameter
+			// so add any arguments as hidden inputs
+			$query = explode_querystring(DI::args()->getQueryString());
+			$inputs = [];
+
+			foreach ($query['args'] as $arg) {
+				if (strpos($arg, 'confirm=') === false) {
+					$arg_parts = explode('=', $arg);
+					$inputs[] = ['name' => $arg_parts[0], 'value' => $arg_parts[1]];
+				}
+			}
+
+			return Renderer::replaceMacros(Renderer::getMarkupTemplate('confirm.tpl'), [
+				'$method' => 'get',
+				'$message' => DI::l10n()->t('Do you really want to delete this item?'),
+				'$extra_inputs' => $inputs,
+				'$confirm' => DI::l10n()->t('Yes'),
+				'$confirm_url' => $query['base'],
+				'$confirm_name' => 'confirmed',
+				'$cancel' => DI::l10n()->t('Cancel'),
+			]);
+		}
+		// Now check how the user responded to the confirmation query
+		if (!empty($_REQUEST['canceled'])) {
+			DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $item['guid']);
+		}
+
+		$is_comment = ($item['gravity'] == GRAVITY_COMMENT) ? true : false;
+		$parentitem = null;
+		if (!empty($item['parent'])){
+			$fields = ['guid'];
+			$parentitem = Item::selectFirstForUser(local_user(), $fields, ['id' => $item['parent']]);
+		}
+
+		// delete the item
+		Item::deleteForUser(['id' => $item['id']], local_user());
+
+		$return_url = hex2bin($return);
+
+		// removes update_* from return_url to ignore Ajax refresh
+		$return_url = str_replace("update_", "", $return_url);
+
+		// Check if delete a comment
+		if ($is_comment) {
+			// Return to parent guid
+			if (!empty($parentitem)) {
+				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $parentitem['guid']);
+				//NOTREACHED
+			}
+			// In case something goes wrong
+			else {
+				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
+				//NOTREACHED
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			// if unknown location or deleting top level post called from display
+			if (empty($return_url) || strpos($return_url, 'display') !== false) {
+				DI::baseUrl()->redirect('network');
+				//NOTREACHED
+			} else {
+				DI::baseUrl()->redirect($return_url);
+				//NOTREACHED
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		notice(DI::l10n()->t('Permission denied.'));
+		DI::baseUrl()->redirect('display/' . $item['guid']);
+		//NOTREACHED
+	}
+
+	return '';
+}