diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 38555706b5..3f71ecf9c4 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -2047,7 +2047,6 @@
 	}
 
 	function api_convert_item($item) {
-
 		$body = $item['body'];
 		$attachments = api_get_attachments($body);
 
@@ -2084,8 +2083,13 @@
 			$statushtml = "<h4>".bbcode($item['title'])."</h4>\n".$statushtml;
 
 		$entities = api_get_entitities($statustext, $body);
-
-		return(array("text" => $statustext, "html" => $statushtml, "attachments" => $attachments, "entities" => $entities));
+		
+		return array(
+			"text" => $statustext,
+			"html" => $statushtml,
+			"attachments" => $attachments,
+			"entities" => $entities
+		);
 	}
 
 	function api_get_attachments(&$body) {
@@ -2266,7 +2270,7 @@
 				$offset = $start + 1;
 			}
 		}
-
+		
 		return($entities);
 	}
 	function api_format_items_embeded_images(&$item, $text){
@@ -2429,15 +2433,29 @@
 
 			// Retweets are only valid for top postings
 			// It doesn't work reliable with the link if its a feed
-			$IsRetweet = ($item['owner-link'] != $item['author-link']);
-			if ($IsRetweet)
-				$IsRetweet = (($item['owner-name'] != $item['author-name']) OR ($item['owner-avatar'] != $item['author-avatar']));
-
-			if ($IsRetweet AND ($item["id"] == $item["parent"])) {
+			#$IsRetweet = ($item['owner-link'] != $item['author-link']);
+			#if ($IsRetweet)
+			#	$IsRetweet = (($item['owner-name'] != $item['author-name']) OR ($item['owner-avatar'] != $item['author-avatar']));
+			
+						
+			if ($item['is_retweet'] AND ($item["id"] == $item["parent"])) {
 				$retweeted_status = $status;
-				$retweeted_status["user"] = api_get_user($a,$item["author-link"]);
+				try {
+					$retweeted_status["user"] = api_get_user($a,$item["retweet-author-link"]);
+				} catch( BadRequestException $e ) {
+					// user not found. should be found?
+					// TODO: check if the user should be found...
+					$retweeted_status["user"] = array();
+				}
 
 				$status["retweeted_status"] = $retweeted_status;
+				$status["retweeted_status"]["body"] = $item["retweet-body"];
+				$status["retweeted_status"]["author-name"] = $item["retweet-author-name"];
+				$status["retweeted_status"]["author-link"] = $item["retweet-author-link"];
+				$status["retweeted_status"]["author-avatar"] = $item["retweet-author-avatar"];
+				$status["retweeted_status"]["plink"] = $item["retweet-plink"];
+				
+				//echo "<pre>"; var_dump($status); killme();
 			}
 
 			// "uid" and "self" are only needed for some internal stuff, so remove it from here
@@ -3055,12 +3073,12 @@
 		if (($shared_body == "") OR ($profile == "") OR ($author == "") OR ($avatar == ""))
 			return(false);
 
-		$item["body"] = $shared_body;
-		$item["author-name"] = $author;
-		$item["author-link"] = $profile;
-		$item["author-avatar"] = $avatar;
-		$item["plink"] = $link;
-
+		$item["retweet-body"] = $shared_body;
+		$item["retweet-author-name"] = $author;
+		$item["retweet-author-link"] = $profile;
+		$item["retweet-author-avatar"] = $avatar;
+		$item["retweet-plink"] = $link;
+		$item["is_retweet"] = true;
 		return(true);
 
 	}
diff --git a/view/templates/api_single_status_xml.tpl b/view/templates/api_single_status_xml.tpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88c56f935b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/view/templates/api_single_status_xml.tpl
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{{* shared structure for statuses. includers must define root element *}}
+  <text>{{$status.text}}</text>
+  <truncated>{{$status.truncated}}</truncated>
+  <created_at>{{$status.created_at}}</created_at>
+  <in_reply_to_status_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_status_id}}</in_reply_to_status_id>
+  <source>{{$status.source}}</source>
+  <id>{{$status.id}}</id>
+  <in_reply_to_user_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_user_id}}</in_reply_to_user_id>
+  <in_reply_to_screen_name>{{$status.in_reply_to_screen_name}}</in_reply_to_screen_name>
+  <geo>{{$status.geo}}</geo>
+  <favorited>{{$status.favorited}}</favorited>
+	<user>{{include file="api_user_xml.tpl" user=$status.user}}</user>
+	<friendica:owner>{{include file="api_user_xml.tpl" user=$status.friendica_owner}}</friendica:owner>
+  <statusnet:html>{{$status.statusnet_html}}</statusnet:html>
+  <statusnet:conversation_id>{{$status.statusnet_conversation_id}}</statusnet:conversation_id>
+  <url>{{$status.url}}</url>
+  <coordinates>{{$status.coordinates}}</coordinates>
+  <place>{{$status.place}}</place>
+  <contributors>{{$status.contributors}}</contributors>
+  {{if $status.retweeted_status}}<retweeted_status>{{include file="api_single_status_xml.tpl" status=$status.retweeted_status}}</retweeted_status>{{/if}}
+  <friendica:activities>
+    {{foreach $status.friendica_activities as $k=>$v}}
+    <friendica:{{$k}}>{{$v|count}}</friendica:{{$k}}>
+    {{/foreach}}
+  </friendica:activities>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/view/templates/api_status_xml.tpl b/view/templates/api_status_xml.tpl
index c3b702baab..a382810ff4 100644
--- a/view/templates/api_status_xml.tpl
+++ b/view/templates/api_status_xml.tpl
@@ -1,47 +1,8 @@
-
-<status>{{if $status}}
-    <created_at>{{$status.created_at}}</created_at>
-    <id>{{$status.id}}</id>
-    <text>{{$status.text}}</text>
-    <source>{{$status.source}}</source>
-    <truncated>{{$status.truncated}}</truncated>
-    <in_reply_to_status_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_status_id}}</in_reply_to_status_id>
-    <in_reply_to_user_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_user_id}}</in_reply_to_user_id>
-    <favorited>{{$status.favorited}}</favorited>
-    <in_reply_to_screen_name>{{$status.in_reply_to_screen_name}}</in_reply_to_screen_name>
-    <geo>{{$status.geo}}</geo>
-    <coordinates>{{$status.coordinates}}</coordinates>
-    <place>{{$status.place}}</place>
-    <contributors>{{$status.contributors}}</contributors>
-	<user>
-	  <id>{{$status.user.id}}</id>
-	  <name>{{$status.user.name}}</name>
-	  <screen_name>{{$status.user.screen_name}}</screen_name>
-	  <location>{{$status.user.location}}</location>
-	  <description>{{$status.user.description}}</description>
-	  <profile_image_url>{{$status.user.profile_image_url}}</profile_image_url>
-	  <url>{{$status.user.url}}</url>
-	  <protected>{{$status.user.protected}}</protected>
-	  <followers_count>{{$status.user.followers}}</followers_count>
-	  <profile_background_color>{{$status.user.profile_background_color}}</profile_background_color>
-  	  <profile_text_color>{{$status.user.profile_text_color}}</profile_text_color>
-  	  <profile_link_color>{{$status.user.profile_link_color}}</profile_link_color>
-  	  <profile_sidebar_fill_color>{{$status.user.profile_sidebar_fill_color}}</profile_sidebar_fill_color>
-  	  <profile_sidebar_border_color>{{$status.user.profile_sidebar_border_color}}</profile_sidebar_border_color>
-  	  <friends_count>{{$status.user.friends_count}}</friends_count>
-  	  <created_at>{{$status.user.created_at}}</created_at>
-  	  <favourites_count>{{$status.user.favourites_count}}</favourites_count>
-  	  <utc_offset>{{$status.user.utc_offset}}</utc_offset>
-  	  <time_zone>{{$status.user.time_zone}}</time_zone>
-  	  <profile_background_image_url>{{$status.user.profile_background_image_url}}</profile_background_image_url>
-  	  <profile_background_tile>{{$status.user.profile_background_tile}}</profile_background_tile>
-  	  <profile_use_background_image>{{$status.user.profile_use_background_image}}</profile_use_background_image>
-  	  <notifications></notifications>
-  	  <geo_enabled>{{$status.user.geo_enabled}}</geo_enabled>
-  	  <verified>{{$status.user.verified}}</verified>
-  	  <following></following>
-  	  <statuses_count>{{$status.user.statuses_count}}</statuses_count>
-  	  <lang>{{$status.user.lang}}</lang>
-  	  <contributors_enabled>{{$status.user.contributors_enabled}}</contributors_enabled>
-	  </user>
-{{/if}}</status>
+{{* used in api.php to return a single status *}}
+<status
+	xmlns:statusnet="http://status.net/schema/api/1/"
+	xmlns:friendica="http://friendi.ca/schema/api/1/">
+	{{if $status}}
+	{{include file="api_single_status_xml.tpl" status=$status}}
+	{{/if}}
+</status>
diff --git a/view/templates/api_timeline_xml.tpl b/view/templates/api_timeline_xml.tpl
index 2579331495..01b71c0bcc 100644
--- a/view/templates/api_timeline_xml.tpl
+++ b/view/templates/api_timeline_xml.tpl
@@ -2,27 +2,9 @@
 <statuses type="array"
 	xmlns:statusnet="http://status.net/schema/api/1/"
 	xmlns:friendica="http://friendi.ca/schema/api/1/">
-{{foreach $statuses as $status}} <status>
-  <text>{{$status.text}}</text>
-  <truncated>{{$status.truncated}}</truncated>
-  <created_at>{{$status.created_at}}</created_at>
-  <in_reply_to_status_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_status_id}}</in_reply_to_status_id>
-  <source>{{$status.source}}</source>
-  <id>{{$status.id}}</id>
-  <in_reply_to_user_id>{{$status.in_reply_to_user_id}}</in_reply_to_user_id>
-  <in_reply_to_screen_name>{{$status.in_reply_to_screen_name}}</in_reply_to_screen_name>
-  <geo>{{$status.geo}}</geo>
-  <favorited>{{$status.favorited}}</favorited>
-	<user>{{include file="api_user_xml.tpl" user=$status.user}}</user>
-	<friendica:owner>{{include file="api_user_xml.tpl" user=$status.friendica_owner}}</friendica:owner>
-  <statusnet:html>{{$status.statusnet_html}}</statusnet:html>
-  <statusnet:conversation_id>{{$status.statusnet_conversation_id}}</statusnet:conversation_id>
-  <url>{{$status.url}}</url>
-  <coordinates>{{$status.coordinates}}</coordinates>
-  <place>{{$status.place}}</place>
-  <contributors>{{$status.contributors}}</contributors>
-  <friendica:activities>{{foreach $status.friendica_activities as $k=>$v}}
-    <friendica:{{$k}}>{{$v}}</friendica:{{$k}}>
-  {{/foreach}}</friendica:activities>
+{{foreach $statuses as $status}}
+ <status>
+	{{include file="api_single_status_xml.tpl" status=$status}}
  </status>
-{{/foreach}}</statuses>
+{{/foreach}}
+</statuses>