diff --git a/boot.php b/boot.php
index d283fa778..875d4a69b 100644
--- a/boot.php
+++ b/boot.php
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ require_once('include/nav.php');
 require_once('include/cache.php');
 
 define ( 'FRIENDICA_PLATFORM',     'Friendica');
-define ( 'FRIENDICA_VERSION',      '2.3.1185' );
+define ( 'FRIENDICA_VERSION',      '2.3.1186' );
 define ( 'DFRN_PROTOCOL_VERSION',  '2.22'    );
-define ( 'DB_UPDATE_VERSION',      1108      );
+define ( 'DB_UPDATE_VERSION',      1109      );
 
 define ( 'EOL',                    "<br />\r\n"     );
 define ( 'ATOM_TIME',              'Y-m-d\TH:i:s\Z' );
diff --git a/database.sql b/database.sql
index 26580d60d..18fe5f8c3 100644
--- a/database.sql
+++ b/database.sql
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `contact` (
   `blocked` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '1',
   `readonly` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   `writable` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
+  `hidden` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   `pending` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '1',
   `rating` tinyint(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
   `reason` text NOT NULL,
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `contact` (
   KEY `dfrn-id` (`dfrn-id`),
   KEY `blocked` (`blocked`),
   KEY `readonly` (`readonly`),
+  KET `hidden` (`hidden`),
   KEY `pending` (`pending`)  
 ) ENGINE=MyISAM  DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 
diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 1196e0aac..9cf4551bd 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@
 		// count friends
 		$r = q("SELECT COUNT(`id`) as `count` FROM `contact`
 				WHERE  `uid` = %d AND `rel` IN ( %d, %d )
-				AND `self`=0 AND `blocked`=0", 
+				AND `self`=0 AND `blocked`=0 AND `pending`=0 AND `hidden`=0", 
 				intval($uinfo[0]['uid']),
 				intval(CONTACT_IS_SHARING),
 				intval(CONTACT_IS_FRIEND)
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@
 
 		$r = q("SELECT COUNT(`id`) as `count` FROM `contact`
 				WHERE  `uid` = %d AND `rel` IN ( %d, %d )
-				AND `self`=0 AND `blocked`=0", 
+				AND `self`=0 AND `blocked`=0 AND `pending`=0 AND `hidden`=0", 
 				intval($uinfo[0]['uid']),
 				intval(CONTACT_IS_FOLLOWER),
 				intval(CONTACT_IS_FRIEND)
diff --git a/include/message.php b/include/message.php
index 05157cc83..baf1bb2d5 100644
--- a/include/message.php
+++ b/include/message.php
@@ -27,9 +27,27 @@ function send_message($recipient=0, $body='', $subject='', $replyto=''){
 	$hash = random_string();
  	$uri = 'urn:X-dfrn:' . $a->get_baseurl() . ':' . local_user() . ':' . $hash ;
 
-	if(! strlen($replyto)) {
+	$convid = 0;
+
+	// look for any existing conversation structure
+
+	if(strlen($replyto)) {
+		$r = q("select convid from mail where uid = %d and uri = '%s' limit 1",
+			intval(local_user()),
+			dbesc($replyto)
+		);
+		if(count($r))
+			$convid = $r[0]['convid'];
+	}		
+
+	if(! strlen($replyto))
 		$replyto = $uri;
 
+
+	if(! $convid) {
+
+		// create a new conversation
+
 		$conv_guid = get_guid();
 
 		$recip_host = substr($contact[0]['url'],strpos($contact[0]['url'],'://')+3);
@@ -52,14 +70,6 @@ function send_message($recipient=0, $body='', $subject='', $replyto=''){
 		if(count($r))
 			$convid = $r[0]['id'];
 	}
-	else {
-		$r = q("select convid from mail where uid = %d and uri = '%s' limit 1",
-			intval(local_user()),
-			dbesc($replyto)
-		);
-		if(count($r))
-			$convid = $r[0]['convid'];
-	}		
 
 	if(! $convid) {
 		logger('send message: conversation not found.');
diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index c4fd76e3e..29e53c663 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ function contact_block() {
 
 	if((! is_array($a->profile)) || ($a->profile['hide-friends']))
 		return $o;
-	$r = q("SELECT COUNT(*) AS `total` FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `blocked` = 0 and `pending` = 0",
+	$r = q("SELECT COUNT(*) AS `total` FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `blocked` = 0 and `pending` = 0 AND `hidden` = 0",
 			intval($a->profile['uid'])
 	);
 	if(count($r)) {
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ function contact_block() {
 		$micropro = Null;
 		
 	} else {
-		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `blocked` = 0 and `pending` = 0 ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT %d",
+		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `blocked` = 0 and `pending` = 0 AND `hidden` = 0 ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT %d",
 				intval($a->profile['uid']),
 				intval($shown)
 		);
diff --git a/mod/contacts.php b/mod/contacts.php
index 59dafd51c..51c6920d3 100644
--- a/mod/contacts.php
+++ b/mod/contacts.php
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ function contacts_post(&$a) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	$hidden = intval($_POST['hidden']);
 
 	$priority = intval($_POST['poll']);
 	if($priority > 5 || $priority < 0)
@@ -85,11 +86,12 @@ function contacts_post(&$a) {
 
 	$info = escape_tags(trim($_POST['info']));
 
-	$r = q("UPDATE `contact` SET `profile-id` = %d, `priority` = %d , `info` = '%s'
-		WHERE `id` = %d AND `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
+	$r = q("UPDATE `contact` SET `profile-id` = %d, `priority` = %d , `info` = '%s',
+		`hidden` = %d WHERE `id` = %d AND `uid` = %d LIMIT 1",
 		intval($profile_id),
 		intval($priority),
 		dbesc($info),
+		intval($hidden),
 		intval($contact_id),
 		intval(local_user())
 	);
@@ -334,6 +336,7 @@ function contacts_content(&$a) {
 			'$info' => $contact['info'],
 			'$blocked' => (($contact['blocked']) ? t('Currently blocked') : ''),
 			'$ignored' => (($contact['readonly']) ? t('Currently ignored') : ''),
+			'$hidden' => array('hidden', t('Hide this contact from others'), ($contact['hidden'] == 1), t('Replies/likes to your public posts <strong>may</strong> still be visible')),
 			'$photo' => $contact['photo'],
 			'$name' => $contact['name'],
 			'$dir_icon' => $dir_icon,
diff --git a/mod/follow.php b/mod/follow.php
index 0329d1eee..2d643400a 100644
--- a/mod/follow.php
+++ b/mod/follow.php
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ function follow_post(&$a) {
 	}
 
 	$writeable = ((($ret['network'] === NETWORK_OSTATUS) && ($ret['notify'])) ? 1 : 0);
+	$hidden = (($ret['network'] === NETWORK_MAIL) ? 1 : 0);
+
 	if($ret['network'] === NETWORK_MAIL) {
 		$writeable = 1;
 		
@@ -101,8 +103,8 @@ function follow_post(&$a) {
 
 		// create contact record 
 		$r = q("INSERT INTO `contact` ( `uid`, `created`, `url`, `nurl`, `addr`, `alias`, `batch`, `notify`, `poll`, `poco`, `name`, `nick`, `photo`, `network`, `pubkey`, `rel`, `priority`,
-			`writable`, `blocked`, `readonly`, `pending` )
-			VALUES ( %d, '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, %d, 0, 0, 0 ) ",
+			`writable`, `hidden`, `blocked`, `readonly`, `pending` )
+			VALUES ( %d, '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', '%s', %d, %d, %d, %d, 0, 0, 0 ) ",
 			intval(local_user()),
 			dbesc(datetime_convert()),
 			dbesc($ret['url']),
@@ -120,7 +122,8 @@ function follow_post(&$a) {
 			dbesc($ret['pubkey']),
 			intval($new_relation),
 			intval($ret['priority']),
-			intval($writeable)
+			intval($writeable),
+			intval($hidden)
 		);
 	}
 
diff --git a/mod/poco.php b/mod/poco.php
index 6331131fa..dd8df6008 100644
--- a/mod/poco.php
+++ b/mod/poco.php
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function poco_init(&$a) {
 			and uid in (select uid from pconfig where cat = 'system' and k = 'suggestme' and v = 1) ");
 	}
 	else {
-		$r = q("SELECT count(*) as `total` from `contact` where `uid` = %d and blocked = 0 and pending = 0
+		$r = q("SELECT count(*) as `total` from `contact` where `uid` = %d and blocked = 0 and pending = 0 and hidden = 0
 			$sql_extra ",
 			intval($user['uid'])
 		);
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function poco_init(&$a) {
 	}
 	else {
 
-		$r = q("SELECT * from `contact` where `uid` = %d and blocked = 0 and pending = 0
+		$r = q("SELECT * from `contact` where `uid` = %d and blocked = 0 and pending = 0 and hidden = 0
 			$sql_extra LIMIT %d, %d",
 			intval($user['uid']),
 			intval($startIndex),
diff --git a/mod/viewcontacts.php b/mod/viewcontacts.php
index f9510bd6b..cd8d100ed 100644
--- a/mod/viewcontacts.php
+++ b/mod/viewcontacts.php
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ function viewcontacts_content(&$a) {
 	$o .= '<h3>' . t('View Contacts') . '</h3>';
 
 
-	$r = q("SELECT COUNT(*) as `total` FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `blocked` = 0 AND `pending` = 0",
+	$r = q("SELECT COUNT(*) as `total` FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `blocked` = 0 AND `pending` = 0 AND `hidden` = 0 ",
 		intval($a->profile['uid'])
 	);
 	if(count($r))
 		$a->set_pager_total($r[0]['total']);
 
-	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `blocked` = 0 AND `pending` = 0 ORDER BY `name` ASC LIMIT %d , %d ",
+	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `blocked` = 0 AND `pending` = 0 AND `hidden` = 0 ORDER BY `name` ASC LIMIT %d , %d ",
 		intval($a->profile['uid']),
 		intval($a->pager['start']),
 		intval($a->pager['itemspage'])
diff --git a/update.php b/update.php
index 6e7b5f2c1..d94bf82d1 100644
--- a/update.php
+++ b/update.php
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?php
 
-define( 'UPDATE_VERSION' , 1108 );
+define( 'UPDATE_VERSION' , 1109 );
 
 /**
  *
@@ -923,4 +923,8 @@ function update_1107() {
 
 }
 
+function update_1108() { 
+	q("ALTER TABLE `contact` ADD `hidden` TINYINT( 1 ) NOT NULL DEFAULT '0' AFTER `writable` ,
+ADD INDEX ( `hidden` ) ");
 
+}
diff --git a/view/contact_edit.tpl b/view/contact_edit.tpl
index fc6c17981..fc1a3d47b 100644
--- a/view/contact_edit.tpl
+++ b/view/contact_edit.tpl
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 	{{ endif }}
 	<div id="contact-edit-end" ></div>
 
-
+	{{inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$hidden }}{{endinc}}
 
 <div id="contact-edit-info-wrapper">
 <h4>$lbl_info1</h4>
diff --git a/view/theme/duepuntozero/style.css b/view/theme/duepuntozero/style.css
index 0150eb176..1127f1145 100644
--- a/view/theme/duepuntozero/style.css
+++ b/view/theme/duepuntozero/style.css
@@ -1461,6 +1461,7 @@ input#dfrn-url {
 
 #contact-edit-end {
 	clear: both;
+	margin-top: 15px;
 }
 
 #contact-profile-selector {