diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index 41f10959b2..85f6547340 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -470,11 +470,14 @@ These Fields are not added below (yet). They are here to for bug search.
  * @brief SQL join for contacts that are needed for displaying items
  */
 function item_joins() {
-	return "STRAIGHT_JOIN `contact` ON `contact`.`id` = `item`.`contact-id` AND
-		(NOT `contact`.`blocked` OR `contact`.`pending`)
+	return sprintf("STRAIGHT_JOIN `contact` ON `contact`.`id` = `item`.`contact-id`
+		AND (`contact`.`rel` IN (%s, %s) OR `contact`.`self`)
+		AND NOT (`contact`.`blocked` OR `contact`.`readonly` OR `contact`.`pending`)
 		LEFT JOIN `contact` AS `author` ON `author`.`id`=`item`.`author-id`
 		LEFT JOIN `contact` AS `owner` ON `owner`.`id`=`item`.`owner-id`
-		LEFT JOIN `event` ON `event-id` = `event`.`id`";
+		LEFT JOIN `event` ON `event-id` = `event`.`id`",
+		CONTACT_IS_SHARING, CONTACT_IS_FRIEND
+	);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index e7fd115dd1..54abc49d60 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 
 		$users = [];
 
-		$condition = ["`nurl` IN (SELECT `nurl` FROM `contact` WHERE `id` = ?) AND `uid` != 0 AND NOT `blocked` AND NOT `readonly` AND `rel` IN (?, ?)",
+		$condition = ["`nurl` IN (SELECT `nurl` FROM `contact` WHERE `id` = ?) AND `uid` != 0 AND NOT `blocked` AND `rel` IN (?, ?)",
 			$parent['owner-id'], CONTACT_IS_SHARING,  CONTACT_IS_FRIEND];
 		$contacts = dba::select('contact', ['uid'], $condition);
 		while ($contact = dba::fetch($contacts)) {
diff --git a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
index f233f158a9..ad7658a764 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
@@ -2799,10 +2799,6 @@ class DFRN
 				return true;
 			}
 		} else { // $entrytype == DFRN_TOP_LEVEL
-			if ($importer["readonly"]) {
-				logger('ignoring read-only contact '.$importer["id"]);
-				return;
-			}
 			if (($importer["uid"] == 0) && ($importer["importer_uid"] != 0)) {
 				logger("Contact ".$importer["id"]." isn't known to user ".$importer["importer_uid"].". The post will be ignored.", LOGGER_DEBUG);
 				return;
diff --git a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
index 61d1a586fa..f4a649b51c 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/Diaspora.php
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ class Diaspora
 		//}
 
 		// We don't seem to like that person
-		if ($contact["blocked"] || $contact["readonly"]) {
+		if ($contact["blocked"]) {
 			// Maybe blocked, don't accept.
 			return false;
 			// We are following this person?
diff --git a/src/Worker/OnePoll.php b/src/Worker/OnePoll.php
index c1c6fdd1a8..aa3eabf57d 100644
--- a/src/Worker/OnePoll.php
+++ b/src/Worker/OnePoll.php
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ class OnePoll
 
 			// Are we allowed to import from this person?
 
-			if ($contact['rel'] == CONTACT_IS_FOLLOWER || $contact['blocked'] || $contact['readonly']) {
+			if ($contact['rel'] == CONTACT_IS_FOLLOWER || $contact['blocked']) {
 				// set the last-update so we don't keep polling
 				dba::update('contact', ['last-update' => DateTimeFormat::utcNow()], ['id' => $contact['id']]);
 				return;
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ class OnePoll
 			}
 
 			$hubmode = 'subscribe';
-			if ($contact['network'] === NETWORK_DFRN || $contact['blocked'] || $contact['readonly']) {
+			if ($contact['network'] === NETWORK_DFRN || $contact['blocked']) {
 				$hubmode = 'unsubscribe';
 			}