diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index 30fc4ecef9..cc5449a99d 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -1084,17 +1084,15 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 	private static function updateContact($arr)
 	{
 		// Unarchive the author
-		$contact = dba::selectFirst('contact', [], ['id' => $arr["author-link"]]);
-		if ($contact['term-date'] > NULL_DATE) {
-			 Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
+		$contact = dba::selectFirst('contact', [], ['id' => $arr["author-id"]]);
+		if (DBM::is_result($contact)) {
+			Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
 		}
 
-		// Unarchive the contact if it is a toplevel posting
-		if ($arr["parent-uri"] === $arr["uri"]) {
-			$contact = dba::selectFirst('contact', [], ['id' => $arr["contact-id"]]);
-			if ($contact['term-date'] > NULL_DATE) {
-				 Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
-			}
+		// Unarchive the contact if it's not our own contact
+		$contact = dba::selectFirst('contact', [], ['id' => $arr["contact-id"], 'self' => false]);
+		if (DBM::is_result($contact)) {
+			Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
 		}
 
 		$update = (!$arr['private'] && (($arr["author-link"] === $arr["owner-link"]) || ($arr["parent-uri"] === $arr["uri"])));
diff --git a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
index fd95576dbe..6f05ff3f97 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
@@ -1353,11 +1353,6 @@ class DFRN
 			return 3;
 		}
 
-		if ($contact['term-date'] > NULL_DATE) {
-			logger("dfrn_deliver: $url back from the dead - removing mark for death");
-			Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
-		}
-
 		$res = XML::parseString($xml);
 
 		if (!isset($res->status)) {
@@ -1368,6 +1363,10 @@ class DFRN
 			logger('Delivery returned status '.$res->status.' - '.$res->message, LOGGER_DEBUG);
 		}
 
+		if ($res->status == 200) {
+			Contact::unmarkForArchival($contact);
+		}
+
 		return intval($res->status);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
index a23ae2adf5..307b52f785 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
@@ -1376,26 +1376,23 @@ class Diaspora
 	/**
 	 * @brief returns contact details
 	 *
-	 * @param array $contact The default contact if the person isn't found
-	 * @param array $person  The record of the person
-	 * @param int   $uid     The user id
+	 * @param array $def_contact The default contact if the person isn't found
+	 * @param array $person      The record of the person
+	 * @param int   $uid         The user id
 	 *
 	 * @return array
 	 *      'cid' => contact id
 	 *      'network' => network type
 	 */
-	private static function authorContactByUrl($contact, $person, $uid)
+	private static function authorContactByUrl($def_contact, $person, $uid)
 	{
-		$r = q(
-			"SELECT `id`, `network`, `url` FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
-			dbesc(normalise_link($person["url"])),
-			intval($uid)
-		);
-		if ($r) {
-			$cid = $r[0]["id"];
-			$network = $r[0]["network"];
-		} else {
+		$condition = ['nurl' => normalise_link($person["url"]), 'uid' => $uid];
+		$contact = dba::selectFirst('contact', ['id', 'network'], $condition);
+		if (DBM::is_result($contact)) {
 			$cid = $contact["id"];
+			$network = $contact["network"];
+		} else {
+			$cid = $def_contact["id"];
 			$network = NETWORK_DIASPORA;
 		}