diff --git a/include/Contact.php b/include/Contact.php
index 79a14ab581..30c86a3c7c 100644
--- a/include/Contact.php
+++ b/include/Contact.php
@@ -192,72 +192,58 @@ function unmark_for_death($contact) {
 	);
 }}
 
-function get_contact_details_by_url($url, $uid = -1) {
+function get_contact_details_by_url($url, $uid = -1, $default = array()) {
 	if ($uid == -1)
 		$uid = local_user();
 
-	$r = q("SELECT `id` AS `gid`, `url`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `photo`, `location`, `about`, `keywords`, `gender`, `community`, `network` FROM `gcontact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' LIMIT 1",
-		dbesc(normalise_link($url)));
+	// community, nurl, alias, nsfw, birthday
 
-	if ($r) {
+	// Fetch contact data from the contact table for the user and given network
+	$r = q("SELECT `id`, `id` AS `cid`, 0 AS `gid`, `uid`, `url`, `nurl`, `alias`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`,
+			`keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `forum`, `prv`, (`forum` | `prv`) AS `community`, `bd`, `bd` AS `birthday`, `self`
+		FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d AND `network` IN ('%s', '')",
+			dbesc(normalise_link($url)), intval($uid), dbesc($profile["network"]));
+
+	// Is the contact present for the user in a different network? (Can happen with OStatus and the "Statusnet" addon)
+	if (!count($r) AND !isset($profile))
+		$r = q("SELECT `id`, `id` AS `cid`, 0 AS `gid`, `uid`, `url`, `nurl`, `alias`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`,
+				`keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `forum`, `prv`, (`forum` | `prv`) AS `community`, `bd`, `bd` AS `birthday`, `self`
+			FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d",
+				dbesc(normalise_link($url)), intval($uid));
+
+	// Fetch the data from the contact table with "uid=0" (which is filled automatically)
+	if (!count($r) AND !isset($profile))
+		$r = q("SELECT `id`, 0 AS `cid`, 0 AS `gid`, `uid`, `url`, `nurl`, `alias`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`,
+				`keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `forum`, `prv`, (`forum` | `prv`) AS `community`, `bd`, `bd` AS `birthday`, 0 AS `self`
+			FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = 0",
+				dbesc(normalise_link($url)));
+
+	// Fetch the data from the gcontact table
+	if (!count($r) AND !isset($profile))
+		$r = q("SELECT 0 AS `id`, 0 AS `cid`, `id` AS `gid`, 0 AS `uid`, `url`, `nurl`, `alias`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`,
+				`keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `photo` AS `thumb`, `community` AS `forum`, 0 AS `prv`, `community`, `birthday` AS `bd`, `birthday`, 0 AS `self`
+			FROM `gcontact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' LIMIT 1",
+				dbesc(normalise_link($url)));
+
+	if ($r)
 		$profile = $r[0];
-
-		if ((($profile["addr"] == "") OR ($profile["name"] == "")) AND
-			in_array($profile["network"], array(NETWORK_DFRN, NETWORK_DIASPORA, NETWORK_OSTATUS)))
-			proc_run('php',"include/update_gcontact.php", $profile["gid"]);
+	else {
+		$profile = $default;
+		if (!isset($profile["thumb"]) AND isset($profile["photo"]))
+			$profile["thumb"] = $profile["photo"];
 	}
 
-	// Fetching further contact data from the contact table
-	$r = q("SELECT `id`, `uid`, `url`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`, `keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `addr`, `forum`, `prv`, `bd`, `self` FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d AND `network` IN ('%s', '')",
-		dbesc(normalise_link($url)), intval($uid), dbesc($profile["network"]));
-
-	if (!count($r) AND !isset($profile))
-		$r = q("SELECT `id`, `uid`, `url`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`, `keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `addr`, `forum`, `prv`, `bd`, `self` FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = %d",
-			dbesc(normalise_link($url)), intval($uid));
-
-	if (!count($r) AND !isset($profile))
-		$r = q("SELECT `id`, `uid`, `url`, `network`, `name`, `nick`, `addr`, `location`, `about`, `keywords`, `gender`, `photo`, `thumb`, `addr`, `forum`, `prv`, `bd` FROM `contact` WHERE `nurl` = '%s' AND `uid` = 0",
-			dbesc(normalise_link($url)));
-
-	if ($r) {
-		if (!isset($profile["url"]) AND $r[0]["url"])
-			$profile["url"] = $r[0]["url"];
-		if (!isset($profile["name"]) AND $r[0]["name"])
-			$profile["name"] = $r[0]["name"];
-		if (!isset($profile["nick"]) AND $r[0]["nick"])
-			$profile["nick"] = $r[0]["nick"];
-		if (!isset($profile["addr"]) AND $r[0]["addr"])
-			$profile["addr"] = $r[0]["addr"];
-		if ((!isset($profile["photo"]) OR $r[0]["self"]) AND $r[0]["photo"])
-			$profile["photo"] = $r[0]["photo"];
-		if (!isset($profile["location"]) AND $r[0]["location"])
-			$profile["location"] = $r[0]["location"];
-		if (!isset($profile["about"]) AND $r[0]["about"])
-			$profile["about"] = $r[0]["about"];
-		if (!isset($profile["keywords"]) AND $r[0]["keywords"])
-			$profile["keywords"] = $r[0]["keywords"];
-		if (!isset($profile["gender"]) AND $r[0]["gender"])
-			$profile["gender"] = $r[0]["gender"];
-		if (isset($r[0]["forum"]) OR isset($r[0]["prv"]))
-			$profile["community"] = ($r[0]["forum"] OR $r[0]["prv"]);
-		if (!isset($profile["network"]) AND $r[0]["network"])
-			$profile["network"] = $r[0]["network"];
-		if (!isset($profile["addr"]) AND $r[0]["addr"])
-			$profile["addr"] = $r[0]["addr"];
-		if (!isset($profile["bd"]) AND $r[0]["bd"])
-			$profile["bd"] = $r[0]["bd"];
-		if (isset($r[0]["thumb"]))
-			$profile["thumb"] = $r[0]["thumb"];
-		if ($r[0]["uid"] == 0)
-			$profile["cid"] = 0;
-		else
-			$profile["cid"] = $r[0]["id"];
-	} else
-		$profile["cid"] = 0;
+	if ((($profile["addr"] == "") OR ($profile["name"] == "")) AND ($profile["gid"] != 0) AND
+		in_array($profile["network"], array(NETWORK_DFRN, NETWORK_DIASPORA, NETWORK_OSTATUS))) {
+		proc_run('php',"include/update_gcontact.php", $profile["gid"]);
+	}
 
+	// Show contact details of Diaspora contacts only if connected
 	if (($profile["cid"] == 0) AND ($profile["network"] == NETWORK_DIASPORA)) {
 		$profile["location"] = "";
 		$profile["about"] = "";
+		$profile["gender"] = "";
+		$profile["birthday"] = "0000-00-00";
 	}
 
 	return($profile);
diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index d889ba0020..8bbd57dbbf 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ if(!function_exists('conversation')) {
 function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 
 	require_once('include/bbcode.php');
+	require_once('include/Contact.php');
 	require_once('mod/proxy.php');
 
 	$ssl_state = ((local_user()) ? true : false);
@@ -610,11 +611,19 @@ function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				else
 					$profile_link = zrl($profile_link);
 
-				$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
-				if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts[$normalised])))
-					$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				// Don't rely on the author-avatar. It is better to use the data from the contact table
+				$author_contact = get_contact_details_by_url($item['author-link'], $profile_owner);
+				if ($author_contact["thumb"])
+					$profile_avatar = $author_contact["thumb"];
 				else
-					$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $item['thumb']));
+					$profile_avatar = $item['author-avatar'];
+
+				// This was the old method. We leave it here at the moment
+				//$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
+				//if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts[$normalised])))
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				//else
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $item['thumb']));
 
 				$locate = array('location' => $item['location'], 'coord' => $item['coord'], 'html' => '');
 				call_hooks('render_location',$locate);
diff --git a/mod/allfriends.php b/mod/allfriends.php
index 356a389b83..360b222b50 100644
--- a/mod/allfriends.php
+++ b/mod/allfriends.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ function allfriends_content(&$a) {
 	foreach($r as $rr) {
 
 		//get further details of the contact
-		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], $uid);
+		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], $uid, $rr);
 
 		$photo_menu = '';
 
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ function allfriends_content(&$a) {
 		$entry = array(
 			'url'		=> $rr['url'],
 			'itemurl'	=> (($contact_details['addr'] != "") ? $contact_details['addr'] : $rr['url']),
-			'name'		=> htmlentities($rr['name']),
-			'thumb'		=> proxy_url($rr['photo'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
-			'img_hover'	=> htmlentities($rr['name']),
+			'name'		=> htmlentities($contact_details['name']),
+			'thumb'		=> proxy_url($contact_details['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+			'img_hover'	=> htmlentities($contact_details['name']),
 			'details'	=> $contact_details['location'],
 			'tags'		=> $contact_details['keywords'],
 			'about'		=> $contact_details['about'],
diff --git a/mod/common.php b/mod/common.php
index 62a5185fed..9b2c69f6d7 100644
--- a/mod/common.php
+++ b/mod/common.php
@@ -109,14 +109,14 @@ function common_content(&$a) {
 		$rr[id] = $rr[cid];
 
 		$photo_menu = '';
-		$photo_menu = contact_photo_menu ($rr);
+		$photo_menu = contact_photo_menu($rr);
 
 		$entry = array(
 			'url'		=> $rr['url'],
 			'itemurl'	=> (($contact_details['addr'] != "") ? $contact_details['addr'] : $rr['url']),
-			'name'		=> $rr['name'],
-			'thumb'		=> proxy_url($rr['photo'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
-			'img_hover'	=> htmlentities($rr['name']),
+			'name'		=> $contact_details['name'],
+			'thumb'		=> proxy_url($contact_details['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+			'img_hover'	=> htmlentities($contact_details['name']),
 			'details'	=> $contact_details['location'],
 			'tags'		=> $contact_details['keywords'],
 			'about'		=> $contact_details['about'],
diff --git a/mod/content.php b/mod/content.php
index 49cff74d2d..cecdfd0001 100644
--- a/mod/content.php
+++ b/mod/content.php
@@ -416,11 +416,18 @@ function render_content(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				else
 					$profile_link = zrl($profile_link);
 
-				$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
-				if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts[$normalised])))
-					$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				// Don't rely on the author-avatar. It is better to use the data from the contact table
+				$author_contact = get_contact_details_by_url($item['author-link'], $profile_owner);
+				if ($author_contact["thumb"])
+					$profile_avatar = $author_contact["thumb"];
 				else
-					$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $item['thumb']));
+					$profile_avatar = $item['author-avatar'];
+
+				//$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
+				//if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts[$normalised])))
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				//else
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $item['thumb']));
 
 				$locate = array('location' => $item['location'], 'coord' => $item['coord'], 'html' => '');
 				call_hooks('render_location',$locate);
@@ -787,11 +794,18 @@ function render_content(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				else
 					$profile_link = zrl($profile_link);
 
-				$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
-				if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts,$normalised)))
-					$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				// Don't rely on the author-avatar. It is better to use the data from the contact table
+				$author_contact = get_contact_details_by_url($item['author-link'], $profile_owner);
+				if ($author_contact["thumb"])
+					$profile_avatar = $author_contact["thumb"];
 				else
-					$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar']) && $diff_author) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $thumb));
+					$profile_avatar = $item['author-avatar'];
+
+				//$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
+				//if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts,$normalised)))
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+				//else
+				//	$profile_avatar = $a->remove_baseurl(((strlen($item['author-avatar']) && $diff_author) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $thumb));
 
 				$like    = ((x($alike,$item['uri'])) ? format_like($alike[$item['uri']],$alike[$item['uri'] . '-l'],'like',$item['uri']) : '');
 				$dislike = ((x($dlike,$item['uri'])) ? format_like($dlike[$item['uri']],$dlike[$item['uri'] . '-l'],'dislike',$item['uri']) : '');
@@ -805,9 +819,9 @@ function render_content(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 
 				$shiny = "";
 				if(strcmp(datetime_convert('UTC','UTC',$item['created']),datetime_convert('UTC','UTC','now - 12 hours')) > 0)
-					$shiny = 'shiny'; 
+					$shiny = 'shiny';
 
-				// 
+				//
 				localize_item($item);
 
 
diff --git a/mod/hovercard.php b/mod/hovercard.php
index f5c410e111..4a6619b788 100644
--- a/mod/hovercard.php
+++ b/mod/hovercard.php
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@ function hovercard_content() {
 	if($nurl) {
 		// Search for contact data
 		$contact = get_contact_details_by_url($nurl);
-
-		// Get_contact_details_by_url() doesn't provide the nurl but we
-		// need it for the photo_menu, so we copy it to the contact array
-		if (!isset($contact["nurl"]))
-			$contact["nurl"] = $nurl;
 	}
 
 	if(!is_array($contact))
@@ -69,7 +64,7 @@ function hovercard_content() {
 		'name' => $contact["name"],
 		'nick'	=> $contact["nick"],
 		'addr'	=> (($contact["addr"] != "") ? $contact["addr"] : $contact["url"]),
-		'thumb' => proxy_url($contact["photo"], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+		'thumb' => proxy_url($contact["thumb"], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
 		'url' => ($cid ? ("redir/".$cid) : zrl($contact["url"])),
 		'nurl' => $contact["nurl"], // We additionally store the nurl as identifier
 //		'alias' => $contact["alias"],
diff --git a/mod/message.php b/mod/message.php
index f0ab7d2ac9..b5c6c064dc 100644
--- a/mod/message.php
+++ b/mod/message.php
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ function message_content(&$a) {
 				'from_name' => $from_name_e,
 				'from_url' => $from_url,
 				'sparkle' => $sparkle,
-				'from_photo' => $message['from-photo'],
+				'from_photo' => proxy_url($message['from-photo'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
 				'subject' => $subject_e,
 				'body' => $body_e,
 				'delete' => t('Delete message'),
diff --git a/mod/nogroup.php b/mod/nogroup.php
index 9f6e978433..2f0985c9db 100644
--- a/mod/nogroup.php
+++ b/mod/nogroup.php
@@ -35,18 +35,18 @@ function nogroup_content(&$a) {
 	if(count($r)) {
 		foreach($r as $rr) {
 
-			$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], local_user());
+			$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], local_user(), $rr);
 
 			$contacts[] = array(
-				'img_hover' => sprintf( t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]'),$rr['name'],$rr['url']),
+				'img_hover' => sprintf(t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]'), $contact_details['name'], $rr['url']),
 				'edit_hover' => t('Edit contact'),
 				'photo_menu' => contact_photo_menu($rr),
 				'id' => $rr['id'],
 				'alt_text' => $alt_text,
 				'dir_icon' => $dir_icon,
-				'thumb' => $rr['thumb'],
-				'name' => $rr['name'],
-				'username' => $rr['name'],
+				'thumb' => proxy_url($contact_details['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+				'name' => $contact_details['name'],
+				'username' => $contact_details['name'],
 				'details'       => $contact_details['location'],
 				'tags'          => $contact_details['keywords'],
 				'about'         => $contact_details['about'],
diff --git a/mod/suggest.php b/mod/suggest.php
index b73c2cd1b6..bb8823d9ec 100644
--- a/mod/suggest.php
+++ b/mod/suggest.php
@@ -81,14 +81,14 @@ function suggest_content(&$a) {
 		$photo_menu = array(array(t("View Profile"), zrl($rr["url"])));
 		$photo_menu[] = array(t("Connect/Follow"), $connlnk);
 		$photo_menu[] = array(t('Ignore/Hide'), $ignlnk);
-		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr["url"], local_user());
+		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr["url"], local_user(), $rr);
 
 		$entry = array(
 			'url' => zrl($rr['url']),
 			'itemurl' => (($contact_details['addr'] != "") ? $contact_details['addr'] : $rr['url']),
 			'img_hover' => $rr['url'],
-			'name' => $rr['name'],
-			'thumb' => proxy_url($rr['photo'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+			'name' => $contact_details['name'],
+			'thumb' => proxy_url($contact_details['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
 			'details'       => $contact_details['location'],
 			'tags'          => $contact_details['keywords'],
 			'about'         => $contact_details['about'],
diff --git a/mod/viewcontacts.php b/mod/viewcontacts.php
index 04520e0d93..2e36a3bd7a 100644
--- a/mod/viewcontacts.php
+++ b/mod/viewcontacts.php
@@ -90,15 +90,15 @@ function viewcontacts_content(&$a) {
 		else
 			$url = zrl($url);
 
-		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], $a->profile['uid']);
+		$contact_details = get_contact_details_by_url($rr['url'], $a->profile['uid'], $rr);
 
 		$contacts[] = array(
 			'id' => $rr['id'],
-			'img_hover' => sprintf( t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]'), $rr['name'], $rr['url']),
+			'img_hover' => sprintf( t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]'), $contact_details['name'], $rr['url']),
 			'photo_menu' => contact_photo_menu($rr),
-			'thumb' => proxy_url($rr['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
-			'name' => htmlentities(substr($rr['name'],0,20)),
-			'username' => htmlentities($rr['name']),
+			'thumb' => proxy_url($contact_details['thumb'], false, PROXY_SIZE_THUMB),
+			'name' => htmlentities(substr($contact_details['name'],0,20)),
+			'username' => htmlentities($contact_details['name']),
 			'details'       => $contact_details['location'],
 			'tags'          => $contact_details['keywords'],
 			'about'         => $contact_details['about'],
diff --git a/object/Item.php b/object/Item.php
index 59659cdaff..a27ff32f9c 100644
--- a/object/Item.php
+++ b/object/Item.php
@@ -150,11 +150,19 @@ class Item extends BaseObject {
 		else
 			$profile_link = zrl($profile_link);
 
-		$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
-		if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts,$normalised)))
-			$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+		// Don't rely on the author-avatar. It is better to use the data from the contact table
+		$author_contact = get_contact_details_by_url($item['author-link'], $profile_owner);
+		if ($author_contact["thumb"])
+			$profile_avatar = $author_contact["thumb"];
 		else
-			$profile_avatar = (((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) && $diff_author) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $a->remove_baseurl($this->get_data_value('thumb')));
+			$profile_avatar = $item['author-avatar'];
+
+		// This was the old method. We leave it here at the moment
+		//$normalised = normalise_link((strlen($item['author-link'])) ? $item['author-link'] : $item['url']);
+		//if(($normalised != 'mailbox') && (x($a->contacts,$normalised)))
+		//	$profile_avatar = $a->contacts[$normalised]['thumb'];
+		//else
+		//	$profile_avatar = (((strlen($item['author-avatar'])) && $diff_author) ? $item['author-avatar'] : $a->remove_baseurl($this->get_data_value('thumb')));
 
 		$locate = array('location' => $item['location'], 'coord' => $item['coord'], 'html' => '');
 		call_hooks('render_location',$locate);