diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index c2113dead4..f2fb2e97b4 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -427,12 +427,12 @@ function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				// We've already parsed out like/dislike for special treatment. We can ignore them now
 
 				if(((activity_match($item['verb'],ACTIVITY_LIKE)) 
-					|| (activity_match($item['verb'],ACTIVITY_DISLIKE)))) 
-//					&& ($item['id'] != $item['parent']))
+					|| (activity_match($item['verb'],ACTIVITY_DISLIKE))) 
+					&& ($item['id'] != $item['parent']))
 					continue;
 
 				$toplevelpost = (($item['id'] == $item['parent']) ? true : false);
-				$toplevelprivate = false;
+
 
 				// Take care of author collapsing and comment collapsing
 				// (author collapsing is currently disabled)
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				// If there are more than two comments, squash all but the last 2.
 			
 				if($toplevelpost) {
-					$toplevelprivate = (($toplevelpost && $item['private']) ? true : false);
+
 					$item_writeable = (($item['writable'] || $item['self']) ? true : false);
 
 					$comments_seen = 0;
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 
 				$redirect_url = $a->get_baseurl($ssl_state) . '/redir/' . $item['cid'] ;
 
-				$lock = ((($item['private']) || (($item['uid'] == local_user()) && (strlen($item['allow_cid']) || strlen($item['allow_gid']) 
+				$lock = ((($item['private'] == 1) || (($item['uid'] == local_user()) && (strlen($item['allow_cid']) || strlen($item['allow_gid']) 
 					|| strlen($item['deny_cid']) || strlen($item['deny_gid']))))
 					? t('Private Message')
 					: false);
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ function conversation(&$a, $items, $mode, $update, $preview = false) {
 				}
 
 				$likebuttons = '';
-				$shareable = ((($profile_owner == local_user()) &&  ((! $item['private']) || $item['network'] === NETWORK_FEED)) ? true : false); 
+				$shareable = ((($profile_owner == local_user()) && (! $item['private'] == 1)) ? true : false); 
 
 				if($page_writeable) {
 /*					if($toplevelpost) {  */
diff --git a/include/delivery.php b/include/delivery.php
index 8152876683..1328771a67 100644
--- a/include/delivery.php
+++ b/include/delivery.php
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ function delivery_run($argv, $argc){
 						continue;
 
 					// private emails may be in included in public conversations. Filter them.
-					if(($public_message) && $item['private'])
+					if(($public_message) && $item['private'] == 1)
 						continue;
 
 					$item_contact = get_item_contact($item,$icontacts);
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ function delivery_run($argv, $argc){
 							continue;
 
 						// private emails may be in included in public conversations. Filter them.
-						if(($public_message) && $item['private'])
+						if(($public_message) && $item['private'] == 1)
 							continue;
 	
 						$item_contact = get_item_contact($item,$icontacts);
diff --git a/include/items.php b/include/items.php
index 7d3ed4fa9d..494a547341 100755
--- a/include/items.php
+++ b/include/items.php
@@ -466,8 +466,8 @@ function get_atom_elements($feed,$item) {
 		$res['last-child'] = 0;
 
 	$private = $item->get_item_tags(NAMESPACE_DFRN,'private');
-	if($private && $private[0]['data'] == 1)
-		$res['private'] = 1;
+	if($private && intval($private[0]['data']) > 0)
+		$res['private'] = intval($private[0]['data']);
 	else
 		$res['private'] = 0;
 
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ function item_store($arr,$force_parent = false) {
 			// email correspondents to be private even if the overall thread is not. 
 
 			if($r[0]['private'])
-				$arr['private'] = 1;
+				$arr['private'] = $r[0]['private'];
 
 			// Edge case. We host a public forum that was originally posted to privately.
 			// The original author commented, but as this is a comment, the permissions
@@ -1890,7 +1890,7 @@ function consume_feed($xml,$importer,&$contact, &$hub, $datedir = 0, $pass = 0)
 						$datarray['last-child'] = 0;
 				}
 				if($contact['network'] === NETWORK_FEED)
-					$datarray['private'] = 1;
+					$datarray['private'] = 2;
 
 				// This is my contact on another system, but it's really me.
 				// Turn this into a wall post.
@@ -3035,7 +3035,7 @@ function atom_entry($item,$type,$author,$owner,$comment = false,$cid = 0) {
 		$o .= '<georss:point>' . xmlify($item['coord']) . '</georss:point>' . "\r\n";
 
 	if(($item['private']) || strlen($item['allow_cid']) || strlen($item['allow_gid']) || strlen($item['deny_cid']) || strlen($item['deny_gid']))
-		$o .= '<dfrn:private>1</dfrn:private>' . "\r\n";
+		$o .= '<dfrn:private>' . (($item['private']) ? $item['private'] : 1) . '</dfrn:private>' . "\r\n";
 
 	if($item['extid'])
 		$o .= '<dfrn:extid>' . xmlify($item['extid']) . '</dfrn:extid>' . "\r\n";
diff --git a/include/notifier.php b/include/notifier.php
index 443cc30141..f54efba31d 100644
--- a/include/notifier.php
+++ b/include/notifier.php
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ function notifier_run($argv, $argc){
 
 				// private emails may be in included in public conversations. Filter them.
 
-				if(($public_message) && $item['private'])
+				if(($public_message) && $item['private'] == 1)
 					continue;
 
 
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 0b3ebdf854..3b0050d387 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -1059,12 +1059,13 @@ function feed_salmonlinks($nick) {
 if(! function_exists('get_plink')) {
 function get_plink($item) {
 	$a = get_app();	
-	if (x($item,'plink') && ((! $item['private']) || ($item['network'] === NETWORK_FEED))){
+	if (x($item,'plink') && ($item['private'] != 1)) {
 		return array(
 			'href' => $item['plink'],
 			'title' => t('link to source'),
 		);
-	} else {
+	} 
+	else {
 		return false;
 	}
 }}
diff --git a/mod/events.php b/mod/events.php
index 4a6d3f100e..7940e79a42 100755
--- a/mod/events.php
+++ b/mod/events.php
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function events_post(&$a) {
 	$datarray['allow_gid'] = $str_group_allow;
 	$datarray['deny_cid'] = $str_contact_deny;
 	$datarray['deny_gid'] = $str_group_deny;
-	$datarray['private'] = $private_event;
+	$datarray['private'] = (($private_event) ? 1 : 0);
 	$datarray['id'] = $event_id;
 	$datarray['created'] = $created;
 	$datarray['edited'] = $edited;
diff --git a/mod/item.php b/mod/item.php
index aa022d37d8..554e97fe46 100644
--- a/mod/item.php
+++ b/mod/item.php
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ function item_post(&$a) {
 				|| strlen($parent_item['allow_gid']) 
 				|| strlen($parent_item['deny_cid']) 
 				|| strlen($parent_item['deny_gid'])) {
-				$private = 1;
+				$private = (($parent_item['private']) ? $parent_item['private'] : 1);
 			}
 
 			$str_contact_allow = $parent_item['allow_cid'];
diff --git a/mod/lockview.php b/mod/lockview.php
index 9e64e2608b..a832629f19 100644
--- a/mod/lockview.php
+++ b/mod/lockview.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ function lockview_content(&$a) {
 	$deny_users = expand_acl($item['deny_cid']);
 	$deny_groups = expand_acl($item['deny_gid']);
 
-	if(($item['private']) && (! strlen($item['allow_cid'])) && (! strlen($item['allow_gid'])) 
+	if(($item['private'] == 1) && (! strlen($item['allow_cid'])) && (! strlen($item['allow_gid'])) 
 		&& (! strlen($item['deny_cid'])) && (! strlen($item['deny_gid']))) {
 
 		echo t('Remote privacy information not available.') . '<br />';
diff --git a/mod/share.php b/mod/share.php
index 08c63105e3..29d31f6b51 100644
--- a/mod/share.php
+++ b/mod/share.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function share_init(&$a) {
 		intval($post_id),
 		intval(local_user())
 	);
-	if(! count($r) || ($r[0]['private'] && ($r[0]['network'] != NETWORK_FEED)))
+	if(! count($r) || ($r[0]['private'] == 1))
 		killme();
 
 	$o = '';