diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index aa4b2c8dba..0c2ea61de9 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use Friendica\Util\Map;
 use Friendica\Util\Proxy as ProxyUtils;
 
 use Friendica\Core\Logger;
+use Friendica\Core\Renderer;
 use Friendica\Model\FileTag;
 
 require_once "include/conversation.php";
@@ -36,26 +37,21 @@ require_once "include/conversation.php";
  * @param array $r key value pairs (search => replace)
  * @return string substituted string
  */
-function replace_macros($s, $r) {
+function replace_macros($s, $r)
+{
+	return Renderer::replaceMacros($s, $r);
+}
 
-	$stamp1 = microtime(true);
-
-	$a = get_app();
-
-	// pass $baseurl to all templates
-	$r['$baseurl'] = System::baseUrl();
-
-	$t = $a->getTemplateEngine();
-	try {
-		$output = $t->replaceMacros($s, $r);
-	} catch (Exception $e) {
-		echo "<pre><b>" . __FUNCTION__ . "</b>: " . $e->getMessage() . "</pre>";
-		killme();
-	}
-
-	$a->saveTimestamp($stamp1, "rendering");
-
-	return $output;
+/**
+ * load template $s
+ *
+ * @param string $s
+ * @param string $root
+ * @return string
+ */
+function get_markup_template($s, $root = '')
+{
+	return Renderer::getMarkupTemplate($s, $root);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -339,30 +335,6 @@ function perms2str($p) {
 	return $ret;
 }
 
-/**
- * load template $s
- *
- * @param string $s
- * @param string $root
- * @return string
- */
-function get_markup_template($s, $root = '') {
-	$stamp1 = microtime(true);
-
-	$a = get_app();
-	$t = $a->getTemplateEngine();
-	try {
-		$template = $t->getTemplateFile($s, $root);
-	} catch (Exception $e) {
-		echo "<pre><b>" . __FUNCTION__ . "</b>: " . $e->getMessage() . "</pre>";
-		killme();
-	}
-
-	$a->saveTimestamp($stamp1, "file");
-
-	return $template;
-}
-
 /**
  *  for html,xml parsing - let's say you've got
  *  an attribute foobar="class1 class2 class3"
diff --git a/src/Core/Renderer.php b/src/Core/Renderer.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c0cb55173
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Core/Renderer.php
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @file src/Core/Renderer.php
+ */
+
+namespace Friendica\Core;
+
+use Friendica\BaseObject;
+use Friendica\Core\System;
+use Friendica\Render\FriendicaSmarty;
+
+/**
+ * @brief This class handles Renderer related functions.
+ */
+class Renderer extends BaseObject
+{
+    /**
+     * @brief This is our template processor
+     *
+     * @param string|FriendicaSmarty $s The string requiring macro substitution or an instance of FriendicaSmarty
+     * @param array $r                  key value pairs (search => replace)
+     * 
+     * @return string substituted string
+    */
+    public static function replaceMacros($s, $r)
+    {
+        $stamp1 = microtime(true);
+        $a = self::getApp();
+
+        // pass $baseurl to all templates
+        $r['$baseurl'] = System::baseUrl();
+        $t = $a->getTemplateEngine();
+
+        try {
+            $output = $t->replaceMacros($s, $r);
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            echo "<pre><b>" . __FUNCTION__ . "</b>: " . $e->getMessage() . "</pre>";
+            killme();
+        }
+
+        $a->saveTimestamp($stamp1, "rendering");
+
+        return $output;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Load a given template $s
+     *
+     * @param string $s     Template to load.
+     * @param string $root  Optional.
+     * 
+     * @return string template.
+     */
+    public static function getMarkupTemplate($s, $root = '')
+    {
+        $stamp1 = microtime(true);
+        $a = self::getApp();
+        $t = $a->getTemplateEngine();
+
+        try {
+            $template = $t->getTemplateFile($s, $root);
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            echo "<pre><b>" . __FUNCTION__ . "</b>: " . $e->getMessage() . "</pre>";
+            killme();
+        }
+
+        $a->saveTimestamp($stamp1, "file");
+
+        return $template;
+    }
+}