diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index 527f38e2a..fd4814a36 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -391,98 +391,6 @@ function visible_activity($item) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-/**
- * @brief SQL query for items
- *
- * @param int $uid user id
- */
-function item_query($uid = 0) {
-	return "SELECT " . item_fieldlists() . " FROM `item` " .
-		item_joins($uid) . " WHERE " . item_condition();
-}
-
-/**
- * @brief List of all data fields that are needed for displaying items
- */
-function item_fieldlists() {
-
-/*
-These Fields are not added below (yet). They are here to for bug search.
-`item`.`type`,
-`item`.`extid`,
-`item`.`changed`,
-`item`.`moderated`,
-`item`.`target-type`,
-`item`.`target`,
-`item`.`resource-id`,
-`item`.`tag`,
-`item`.`inform`,
-`item`.`pubmail`,
-`item`.`visible`,
-`item`.`bookmark`,
-`item`.`unseen`,
-`item`.`deleted`,
-`item`.`forum_mode`,
-`item`.`mention`,
-`item`.`global`,
-`item`.`shadow`,
- `item`.`author-link`, `item`.`author-name`, `item`.`author-avatar`,
- `item`.`owner-link`, `item`.`owner-name`, `item`.`owner-avatar`,
-*/
-
-	return "`item`.`author-id`,
-		`item`.`owner-id`,
-		`item`.`contact-id`, `item`.`uid`, `item`.`id`, `item`.`parent`,
-		`item`.`uri`, `item`.`thr-parent`, `item`.`parent-uri`, `item`.`content-warning`,
-		`item`.`commented`, `item`.`created`, `item`.`edited`, `item`.`received`,
-		`item`.`verb`, `item`.`object-type`, `item`.`postopts`, `item`.`plink`,
-		`item`.`guid`, `item`.`wall`, `item`.`private`, `item`.`starred`, `item`.`origin`,
-		`item`.`title`,	`item`.`body`, `item`.`file`, `item`.`event-id`,
-		`item`.`location`, `item`.`coord`, `item`.`app`, `item`.`attach`,
-		`item`.`rendered-hash`, `item`.`rendered-html`, `item`.`object`,
-		`item`.`allow_cid`, `item`.`allow_gid`, `item`.`deny_cid`, `item`.`deny_gid`,
-		`item`.`id` AS `item_id`, `item`.`network` AS `item_network`,
-
-		`author`.`url` AS `author-link`, `author`.`name` AS `author-name`, `author`.`thumb` AS `author-avatar`,
-		`owner`.`url` AS `owner-link`, `owner`.`name` AS `owner-name`, `owner`.`thumb` AS `owner-avatar`,
-		`contact`.`url` AS `contact-link`, `contact`.`name` AS `contact-name`, `contact`.`thumb` AS `contact-avatar`,
-
-		`contact`.`network`, `contact`.`url`, `contact`.`name`, `contact`.`writable`,
-		`contact`.`self`, `contact`.`id` AS `cid`, `contact`.`alias`,
-
-		`event`.`created` AS `event-created`, `event`.`edited` AS `event-edited`,
-		`event`.`start` AS `event-start`,`event`.`finish` AS `event-finish`,
-		`event`.`summary` AS `event-summary`,`event`.`desc` AS `event-desc`,
-		`event`.`location` AS `event-location`, `event`.`type` AS `event-type`,
-		`event`.`nofinish` AS `event-nofinish`,`event`.`adjust` AS `event-adjust`,
-		`event`.`ignore` AS `event-ignore`, `event`.`id` AS `event-id`";
-}
-
-/**
- * @brief SQL join for contacts that are needed for displaying items
- *
- * @param int $uid user id
- */
-function item_joins($uid = 0) {
-	return sprintf("STRAIGHT_JOIN `contact` ON `contact`.`id` = `item`.`contact-id`
-		AND NOT `contact`.`blocked`
-		AND ((NOT `contact`.`readonly` AND NOT `contact`.`pending` AND (`contact`.`rel` IN (%s, %s)))
-		OR `contact`.`self` OR (`item`.`id` != `item`.`parent`) OR `contact`.`uid` = 0)
-		STRAIGHT_JOIN `contact` AS `author` ON `author`.`id`=`item`.`author-id` AND NOT `author`.`blocked`
-		STRAIGHT_JOIN `contact` AS `owner` ON `owner`.`id`=`item`.`owner-id` AND NOT `owner`.`blocked`
-		LEFT JOIN `user-item` ON `user-item`.`iid` = `item`.`id` AND `user-item`.`uid` = %d
-		LEFT JOIN `event` ON `event-id` = `event`.`id`",
-		CONTACT_IS_SHARING, CONTACT_IS_FRIEND, intval($uid)
-	);
-}
-
-/**
- * @brief SQL condition for items that are needed for displaying items
- */
-function item_condition() {
-	return "`item`.`visible` AND NOT `item`.`deleted` AND NOT `item`.`moderated` AND (`user-item`.`hidden` IS NULL OR NOT `user-item`.`hidden`) ";
-}
-
 /**
  * "Render" a conversation or list of items for HTML display.
  * There are two major forms of display:
@@ -931,8 +839,6 @@ function item_photo_menu($item) {
 		$status_link = $profile_link . '?url=status';
 		$photos_link = $profile_link . '?url=photos';
 		$profile_link = $profile_link . '?url=profile';
-	} else {
-		$profile_link = Contact::magicLink($profile_link);
 	}
 
 	if ($cid && !$item['self']) {
diff --git a/include/enotify.php b/include/enotify.php
index 57e7b2df0..b1cf044b5 100644
--- a/include/enotify.php
+++ b/include/enotify.php
@@ -738,14 +738,18 @@ function check_item_notification($itemid, $uid, $defaulttype = "") {
 	// Only act if it is a "real" post
 	// We need the additional check for the "local_profile" because of mixed situations on connector networks
 	$item = q("SELECT `id`, `mention`, `tag`,`parent`, `title`, `body`, `author-id`, `guid`,
-			`parent-uri`, `uri`, `contact-id`
+			`parent-uri`, `uri`, `contact-id`, `network`
 			FROM `item` WHERE `id` = %d AND `verb` IN ('%s', '') AND `type` != 'activity' AND
 				NOT (`author-link` IN ($profile_list))  LIMIT 1",
 		intval($itemid), dbesc(ACTIVITY_POST));
 	if (!$item)
 		return false;
 
-	$author = dba::selectFirst('contact', ['name', 'thumb', 'url'], ['id' => $item[0]['author-id']]);
+	if ($item[0]['network'] != NETWORK_FEED) {
+		$author = dba::selectFirst('contact', ['name', 'thumb', 'url'], ['id' => $item[0]['author-id']]);
+	} else {
+		$author = dba::selectFirst('contact', ['name', 'thumb', 'url'], ['id' => $item[0]['contact-id']]);
+	}
 
 	// Generate the notification array
 	$params = [];
diff --git a/mod/network.php b/mod/network.php
index d1a282636..995b1da55 100644
--- a/mod/network.php
+++ b/mod/network.php
@@ -435,28 +435,33 @@ function networkFlatView(App $a, $update = 0)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (strlen($file)) {
-		$sql_post_table = sprintf("INNER JOIN (SELECT `oid` FROM `term` WHERE `term` = '%s' AND `otype` = %d AND `type` = %d AND `uid` = %d ORDER BY `tid` DESC) AS `term` ON `item`.`id` = `term`.`oid` ",
-			dbesc(protect_sprintf($file)), intval(TERM_OBJ_POST), intval(TERM_FILE), intval(local_user()));
-	} else {
-		$sql_post_table = " INNER JOIN `thread` ON `thread`.`iid` = `item`.`parent`";
-	}
-
 	$pager_sql = networkPager($a, $update);
 
-	// show all items unthreaded in reverse created date order
-	$items = q("SELECT %s FROM `item` $sql_post_table %s
-		WHERE %s AND `item`.`uid` = %d
-		ORDER BY `item`.`id` DESC $pager_sql ",
-		item_fieldlists(), item_joins(local_user()), item_condition(),
-		intval(local_user())
-	);
+	if (strlen($file)) {
+		$condition = ["`term` = ? AND `otype` = ? AND `type` = ? AND `uid` = ?",
+			$file, TERM_OBJ_POST, TERM_FILE, local_user()];
+		$params = ['order' => ['tid' => true], 'limit' => [$a->pager['start'], $a->pager['itemspage']]];
+		$result = dba::select('term', ['oid'], $condition);
+
+		$posts = [];
+		while ($term = dba::fetch($result)) {
+			$posts[] = $term['oid'];
+		}
+		dba::close($terms);
+
+		$condition = ['uid' => local_user(), 'id' => $posts];
+	} else {
+		$condition = ['uid' => local_user()];
+	}
+
+	$params = ['order' => ['id' => true], 'limit' => [$a->pager['start'], $a->pager['itemspage']]];
+	$result = Item::select(local_user(), [], $condition, $params);
+	$items = dba::inArray($result);
 
 	$condition = ['unseen' => true, 'uid' => local_user()];
 	networkSetSeen($condition);
 
-	$mode = 'network-new';
-	$o .= networkConversation($a, $items, $mode, $update);
+	$o .= networkConversation($a, $items, 'network-new', $update);
 
 	return $o;
 }
diff --git a/mod/ping.php b/mod/ping.php
index 834577fef..0256500df 100644
--- a/mod/ping.php
+++ b/mod/ping.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Database\DBM;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\Group;
+use Friendica\Model\Item;
 use Friendica\Util\DateTimeFormat;
 use Friendica\Util\Temporal;
 use Friendica\Util\XML;
@@ -127,20 +128,14 @@ function ping_init(App $a)
 
 		$notifs = ping_get_notifications(local_user());
 
-		$items_unseen = q(
-			"SELECT `item`.`id`, `item`.`parent`, `item`.`verb`, `item`.`wall`, `item`.`author-name`,
-				`item`.`contact-id`, `item`.`author-link`, `item`.`author-avatar`, `item`.`created`, `item`.`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
-				 `item`.`deleted` = 0 AND `item`.`uid` = %d AND `pitem`.`parent` != 0
-				AND `item`.`contact-id` != %d
-				ORDER BY `item`.`created` DESC",
-			intval(local_user()),
-			intval(local_user())
-		);
+		$condition = ["`unseen` AND `uid` = ? AND `contact-id` != ?", local_user(), local_user()];
+		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'contact-avatar',
+			'network', 'created', 'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
+		$params = ['order' => ['created' => true]];
+		$items = Item::select(local_user(), $fields, $condition, $params);
 
-		if (DBM::is_result($items_unseen)) {
+		if (DBM::is_result($items)) {
+			$items_unseen = dba::inArray($items);
 			$arr = ['items' => $items_unseen];
 			Addon::callHooks('network_ping', $arr);
 
diff --git a/src/Core/NotificationsManager.php b/src/Core/NotificationsManager.php
index 9ac24e57c..609eafc43 100644
--- a/src/Core/NotificationsManager.php
+++ b/src/Core/NotificationsManager.php
@@ -238,6 +238,11 @@ class NotificationsManager extends BaseObject
 					$it['seen'] = ($it['unseen'] > 0 ? false : true);
 				}
 
+				// For feed items we use the user's contact, since the avatar is mostly self choosen.
+				if (!empty($it['network']) && $it['network'] == NETWORK_FEED) {
+					$it['author-avatar'] = $it['contact-avatar'];
+				}
+
 				// Depending on the identifier of the notification we need to use different defaults
 				switch ($ident) {
 					case 'system':
@@ -399,8 +404,8 @@ class NotificationsManager extends BaseObject
 			$condition['unseen'] = true;
 		}
 
-		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'created',
-			'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
+		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'contact-avatar',
+			'network', 'created', 'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
 		$params = ['order' => ['created' => true], 'limit' => [$start, $limit]];
 		$items = Item::select(local_user(), $fields, $condition, $params);
 
@@ -484,8 +489,8 @@ class NotificationsManager extends BaseObject
 			$condition[0] .= " AND `unseen`";
 		}
 
-		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'created',
-			'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
+		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'contact-avatar',
+			'network', 'created', 'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
 		$params = ['order' => ['created' => true], 'limit' => [$start, $limit]];
 		$items = Item::select(local_user(), $fields, $condition, $params);
 
@@ -524,8 +529,8 @@ class NotificationsManager extends BaseObject
 			$condition['unseen'] = true;
 		}
 
-		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'created',
-			'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
+		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'contact-avatar',
+			'network', 'created', 'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid'];
 		$params = ['order' => ['created' => true], 'limit' => [$start, $limit]];
 		$items = Item::select(local_user(), $fields, $condition, $params);
 
diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index ad17d19ac..5fe096c82 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 		$table = "`item` " . self::constructJoins($uid, $select_fields . $condition_string . $param_string, false);
 
 		$sql = "SELECT " . $select_fields . " FROM " . $table . $condition_string . $param_string;
-//echo $sql;
+
 		return dba::p($sql, $condition);
 	}
 
@@ -160,6 +160,13 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 	 */
 	private static function fieldlist($selected)
 	{
+		/*
+		These Fields are not added below. They are here to for bug search.
+		'type', 'extid', 'changed', 'moderated', 'target-type', 'target', 'resource-id',
+		'tag', 'inform', 'pubmail', 'visible', 'bookmark', 'unseen', 'deleted',
+		'forum_mode', 'mention', 'global', 'shadow',
+		*/
+
 		$item_fields = ['author-id', 'owner-id', 'contact-id', 'uid', 'id', 'parent',
 			'uri', 'thr-parent', 'parent-uri', 'content-warning',
 			'commented', 'created', 'edited', 'received', 'verb', 'object-type', 'postopts', 'plink',