diff --git a/src/Model/Photo.php b/src/Model/Photo.php
index acc6b0d197..40bdcf71e3 100644
--- a/src/Model/Photo.php
+++ b/src/Model/Photo.php
@@ -268,19 +268,20 @@ class Photo
 	 * Construct a photo array for an external resource image
 	 *
 	 * @param string $url      Image URL
+	 * @param int    $uid      User ID of the requesting person
 	 * @param string $mimetype Image mime type. Defaults to "image/jpeg"
 	 *
 	 * @return array
 	 * @throws \Exception
 	 */
-	public static function createPhotoForExternalResource($url, $mimetype = "image/jpeg")
+	public static function createPhotoForExternalResource($url, $uid, $mimetype = "image/jpeg")
 	{
 		$fields = self::getFields();
 		$values = array_fill(0, count($fields), "");
 
 		$photo                  = array_combine($fields, $values);
 		$photo['backend-class'] = ExternalResource::NAME;
-		$photo['backend-ref']   = $url;
+		$photo['backend-ref']   = json_encode(['url' => $url, 'uid' => $uid]);
 		$photo['type']          = $mimetype;
 		$photo['cacheable']     = false;
 
diff --git a/src/Model/Storage/ExternalResource.php b/src/Model/Storage/ExternalResource.php
index 9c57e3990b..69df7b9b20 100644
--- a/src/Model/Storage/ExternalResource.php
+++ b/src/Model/Storage/ExternalResource.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 namespace Friendica\Model\Storage;
 
 use BadMethodCallException;
-use Friendica\DI;
+use Friendica\Util\HTTPSignature;
 
 /**
  * External resource storage class
@@ -37,16 +37,21 @@ class ExternalResource implements IStorage
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function get(string $filename)
+	public function get(string $reference)
 	{
-		$parts = parse_url($filename);
+		$data = json_decode($reference);
+		if (empty($data->url)) {
+			return "";
+		}
+
+		$parts = parse_url($data->url);
 		if (empty($parts['scheme']) || empty($parts['host'])) {
 			return "";
 		}
 
-		$curlResult = DI::httpRequest()->get($filename);
-		if ($curlResult->isSuccess()) {
-			return $curlResult->getBody();
+		$fetchResult = HTTPSignature::fetchRaw($data->url, $data->uid);
+		if ($fetchResult->isSuccess()) {
+			return $fetchResult->getBody();
 		} else {
 			return "";
 		}
@@ -55,12 +60,12 @@ class ExternalResource implements IStorage
 	/**
 	 * @inheritDoc
 	 */
-	public function put(string $data, string $filename = '')
+	public function put(string $data, string $reference = '')
 	{
 		throw new BadMethodCallException();
 	}
 
-	public function delete(string $filename)
+	public function delete(string $reference)
 	{
 		throw new BadMethodCallException();
 	}
diff --git a/src/Module/Photo.php b/src/Module/Photo.php
index c1e681cd25..8a8c304361 100644
--- a/src/Module/Photo.php
+++ b/src/Module/Photo.php
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ class Photo extends BaseModule
 				$author = Contact::selectFirst([], ["`id` IN (SELECT `author-id` FROM `post` WHERE `uri-id` = ?)", $media['uri-id']]);
 				$url = Contact::magicLinkByContact($author, $url);
 
-				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url);
+				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url, local_user());
 			case "media":
 				$media = DBA::selectFirst('post-media', ['url', 'uri-id'], ['id' => $uid, 'type' => Post\Media::IMAGE]);
 				if (empty($media)) {
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ class Photo extends BaseModule
 				$author = Contact::selectFirst([], ["`id` IN (SELECT `author-id` FROM `post` WHERE `uri-id` = ?)", $media['uri-id']]);
 				$url = Contact::magicLinkByContact($author, $media['url']);
 
-				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url);
+				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url, local_user());
 			case "contact":
 				$contact = Contact::getById($uid, ['uid', 'url', 'avatar', 'photo', 'xmpp', 'addr']);
 				if (empty($contact)) {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ class Photo extends BaseModule
 				} else {
 					$url = Contact::getDefaultAvatar($contact, Proxy::SIZE_SMALL);
 				}
-				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url);
+				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url, local_user());
 			case "header":
 				$contact = Contact::getById($uid, ['uid', 'url', 'header']);
 				if (empty($contact)) {
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class Photo extends BaseModule
 				} else {
 					$url = DI::baseUrl() . '/images/blank.png';
 				}
-				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url);
+				return MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($url, local_user());
 			case "profile":
 			case "custom":
 				$scale = 4;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class Photo extends BaseModule
 
 			$parts = parse_url($default);
 			if (!empty($parts['scheme']) || !empty($parts['host'])) {
-				$photo = MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($default);
+				$photo = MPhoto::createPhotoForExternalResource($default, local_user());
 			} else {
 				$photo = MPhoto::createPhotoForSystemResource($default);
 			}