diff --git a/mod/photos.php b/mod/photos.php
index 6742497ac3..e1116c346b 100644
--- a/mod/photos.php
+++ b/mod/photos.php
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ function photos_post(App $a)
 						intval($page_owner_uid)
 					);
 					Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($rr['parent-uri'], $page_owner_uid);
-					delete_thread_uri($rr['parent-uri'], $page_owner_uid);
+					Item::deleteThreadFromUri($rr['parent-uri'], $page_owner_uid);
 
 					$drop_id = intval($rr['id']);
 
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ function photos_post(App $a)
 					intval($page_owner_uid)
 				);
 				Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($i[0]['uri'], $page_owner_uid);
-				delete_thread_uri($i[0]['uri'], $page_owner_uid);
+				Item::deleteThreadFromUri($i[0]['uri'], $page_owner_uid);
 
 				$url = System::baseUrl();
 				$drop_id = intval($i[0]['id']);
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ function photos_post(App $a)
 				intval($page_owner_uid)
 			);
 			Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemId($item_id);
-			update_thread($item_id);
+			Item::updateThread($item_id);
 
 			$best = 0;
 			foreach ($p as $scales) {
@@ -1432,7 +1432,7 @@ function photos_content(App $a)
 					intval($link_item['parent']),
 					intval(local_user())
 				);
-				update_thread($link_item['parent']);
+				Item::updateThread($link_item['parent']);
 			}
 
 			if ($link_item['coord']) {
diff --git a/mod/starred.php b/mod/starred.php
index 5cd9c0fe18..364d5c5957 100644
--- a/mod/starred.php
+++ b/mod/starred.php
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 <?php
-
+/**
+ * @file mod/starred.php
+ */
 use Friendica\App;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Database\DBM;
+use Friendica\Model\Item;
 
 function starred_init(App $a) {
 
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ function starred_init(App $a) {
 		intval($message_id)
 	);
 
-	update_thread($message_id);
+	Item::updateThread($message_id);
 
 	// See if we've been passed a return path to redirect to
 	$return_path = ((x($_REQUEST,'return')) ? $_REQUEST['return'] : '');
diff --git a/mod/videos.php b/mod/videos.php
index 7db81f6d20..0f029f0472 100644
--- a/mod/videos.php
+++ b/mod/videos.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBM;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\Group;
+use Friendica\Model\Item;
 use Friendica\Model\Profile;
 use Friendica\Model\Term;
 use Friendica\Protocol\DFRN;
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ function videos_post(App $a) {
 					intval(local_user())
 				);
 				Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($i[0]['uri'], local_user());
-				delete_thread_uri($i[0]['uri'], local_user());
+				Item::deleteThreadFromUri($i[0]['uri'], local_user());
 
 				$url = System::baseUrl();
 				$drop_id = intval($i[0]['id']);
diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index 8f630d9bd2..1e1603ef6a 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 
 			Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemId($item['id']);
 			Term::insertFromFileFieldByItemId($item['id']);
-			update_thread($item['id']);
+			self::updateThread($item['id']);
 
 			Worker::add(PRIORITY_HIGH, "Notifier", 'edit_post', $item['id']);
 		}
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 
 		Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemId($item['id']);
 		Term::insertFromFileFieldByItemId($item['id']);
-		delete_thread($item['id'], $item['parent-uri']);
+		self::deleteThread($item['id'], $item['parent-uri']);
 
 		// If it's the parent of a comment thread, kill all the kids
 		if ($item['id'] == $item['parent']) {
@@ -779,9 +779,9 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 		}
 
 		if ($arr['parent-uri'] === $arr['uri']) {
-			add_thread($current_post);
+			self::addThread($current_post);
 		} else {
-			update_thread($parent_id);
+			self::updateThread($parent_id);
 		}
 
 		dba::commit();
@@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 			dbesc($u[0]['deny_gid']),
 			intval($item_id)
 		);
-		update_thread($item_id);
+		self::updateThread($item_id);
 
 		Worker::add(['priority' => PRIORITY_HIGH, 'dont_fork' => true], 'Notifier', 'tgroup', $item_id);
 
@@ -1873,7 +1873,7 @@ EOT;
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	function add_thread($itemid, $onlyshadow = false) {
+	private static function addThread($itemid, $onlyshadow = false) {
 		$items = q("SELECT `uid`, `created`, `edited`, `commented`, `received`, `changed`, `wall`, `private`, `pubmail`,
 				`moderated`, `visible`, `spam`, `starred`, `bookmark`, `contact-id`, `gcontact-id`,
 				`deleted`, `origin`, `forum_mode`, `mention`, `network`, `author-id`, `owner-id`
@@ -1892,17 +1892,17 @@ EOT;
 		}
 	}
 
-	function update_thread_uri($itemuri, $uid) {
+	public static function updateThreadFromUri($itemuri, $uid) {
 		$messages = q("SELECT `id` FROM `item` WHERE uri ='%s' AND uid=%d", dbesc($itemuri), intval($uid));
 	
 		if (DBM::is_result($messages)) {
 			foreach ($messages as $message) {
-				update_thread($message["id"]);
+				self::updateThread($message["id"]);
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	function update_thread($itemid, $setmention = false) {
+	public static function updateThread($itemid, $setmention = false) {
 		$items = q("SELECT `uid`, `guid`, `title`, `body`, `created`, `edited`, `commented`, `received`, `changed`, `wall`, `private`, `pubmail`, `moderated`, `visible`, `spam`, `starred`, `bookmark`, `contact-id`, `gcontact-id`,
 				`deleted`, `origin`, `forum_mode`, `network`, `rendered-html`, `rendered-hash` FROM `item` WHERE `id` = %d AND (`parent` = %d OR `parent` = 0) LIMIT 1", intval($itemid), intval($itemid));
 	
@@ -1948,17 +1948,17 @@ EOT;
 		logger("Updating public shadow for post ".$items[0]["id"]." - guid ".$item["guid"]." Result: ".print_r($result, true), LOGGER_DEBUG);
 	}
 	
-	function delete_thread_uri($itemuri, $uid) {
+	public static function deleteThreadFromUri($itemuri, $uid) {
 		$messages = q("SELECT `id` FROM `item` WHERE uri ='%s' AND uid=%d", dbesc($itemuri), intval($uid));
 	
 		if (DBM::is_result($messages)) {
 			foreach ($messages as $message) {
-				delete_thread($message["id"], $itemuri);
+				self::deleteThread($message["id"], $itemuri);
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	
-	function delete_thread($itemid, $itemuri = "") {
+	public static function deleteThread($itemid, $itemuri = "") {
 		$item = q("SELECT `uid` FROM `thread` WHERE `iid` = %d", intval($itemid));
 	
 		if (!DBM::is_result($item)) {
@@ -1969,7 +1969,7 @@ EOT;
 		// Using dba::delete at this time could delete the associated item entries
 		$result = dba::e("DELETE FROM `thread` WHERE `iid` = ?", $itemid);
 	
-		logger("delete_thread: Deleted thread for item ".$itemid." - ".print_r($result, true), LOGGER_DEBUG);
+		logger("deleteThread: Deleted thread for item ".$itemid." - ".print_r($result, true), LOGGER_DEBUG);
 	
 		if ($itemuri != "") {
 			$r = q("SELECT `id` FROM `item` WHERE `uri` = '%s' AND NOT `deleted` AND NOT (`uid` IN (%d, 0))",
@@ -1978,7 +1978,7 @@ EOT;
 				);
 			if (!DBM::is_result($r)) {
 				dba::delete('item', ['uri' => $itemuri, 'uid' => 0]);
-				logger("delete_thread: Deleted shadow for item ".$itemuri, LOGGER_DEBUG);
+				logger("deleteThread: Deleted shadow for item ".$itemuri, LOGGER_DEBUG);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
index a9c5f04d3e..d4ad345626 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
@@ -2092,7 +2092,7 @@ class DFRN
 			dba::update('item', $fields, $condition);
 
 			Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($item["uri"], $importer["importer_uid"]);
-			update_thread_uri($item["uri"], $importer["importer_uid"]);
+			Item::updateThreadFromUri($item["uri"], $importer["importer_uid"]);
 
 			$changed = true;
 
@@ -2841,7 +2841,7 @@ class DFRN
 				);
 				Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
 				Term::insertFromFileFieldByItemUri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
-				update_thread_uri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
+				Item::updateThreadFromUri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
 			} else {
 				$r = q(
 					"UPDATE `item` SET `deleted` = 1, `edited` = '%s', `changed` = '%s',
@@ -2854,7 +2854,7 @@ class DFRN
 				);
 				Term::insertFromTagFieldByItemUri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
 				Term::insertFromFileFieldByItemUri($uri, $importer["uid"]);
-				update_thread_uri($uri, $importer["importer_uid"]);
+				Item::updateThreadFromUri($uri, $importer["importer_uid"]);
 
 				// if this is a relayed delete, propagate it to other recipients
 
diff --git a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
index bd66f487ac..2b5905c956 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
@@ -2857,7 +2857,7 @@ class Diaspora
 
 			// Delete the thread - if it is a starting post and not a comment
 			if ($target_type != 'Comment') {
-				delete_thread($item["id"], $item["parent-uri"]);
+				Item::deleteThread($item["id"], $item["parent-uri"]);
 			}
 
 			logger("Deleted target ".$target_guid." (".$item["id"].") from user ".$item["uid"]." parent: ".$item["parent"], LOGGER_DEBUG);
diff --git a/src/Protocol/OStatus.php b/src/Protocol/OStatus.php
index e4894cf547..d6d6bd152d 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/OStatus.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/OStatus.php
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ class OStatus
 			['id' => $deleted["id"]]
 		);
 
-		delete_thread($deleted["id"], $deleted["parent-uri"]);
+		Item::deleteThread($deleted["id"], $deleted["parent-uri"]);
 
 		logger('Deleted item with uri '.$item['uri'].' for user '.$item['uid']);
 	}