diff --git a/mod/notifications.php b/mod/notifications.php
index b28b1478d4..88c0b938d6 100644
--- a/mod/notifications.php
+++ b/mod/notifications.php
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ function notifications_content(&$a) {
 				`item`.`author-link`, `item`.`author-avatar`, `item`.`created`, `item`.`object` as `object`, 
 				`pitem`.`author-name` as `pname`, `pitem`.`author-link` as `plink` 
 				FROM `item` INNER JOIN `item` as `pitem` ON  `pitem`.`id`=`item`.`parent`
-				WHERE `item`.`unseen` = 1 AND `item`.`visible` = 1 AND
+				WHERE `item`.`unseen` = 1 AND `item`.`visible` = 1 AND `pitem`.`parent` != 0
 				 `item`.`deleted` = 0 AND `item`.`uid` = %d AND `item`.`wall` = 0 ORDER BY `item`.`created` DESC" ,
 			intval(local_user())
 		);
diff --git a/mod/ping.php b/mod/ping.php
index 6520dc77a4..a5bf315b5b 100644
--- a/mod/ping.php
+++ b/mod/ping.php
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ function ping_init(&$a) {
 				`pitem`.`author-name` as `pname`, `pitem`.`author-link` as `plink` 
 				FROM `item` INNER JOIN `item` as `pitem` ON  `pitem`.`id`=`item`.`parent`
 				WHERE `item`.`unseen` = 1 AND `item`.`visible` = 1 AND 
-				 `item`.`deleted` = 0 AND `item`.`uid` = %d AND `item`.`parent` != 0
+				 `item`.`deleted` = 0 AND `item`.`uid` = %d AND `pitem`.`parent` != 0
 				ORDER BY `item`.`created` DESC",
 			intval(local_user())
 		);