diff --git a/pumpio/pumpio.php b/pumpio/pumpio.php
index 48765ffd7..f615eda23 100644
--- a/pumpio/pumpio.php
+++ b/pumpio/pumpio.php
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ function pumpio_dolike(App $a, $uid, $self, $post, $own_id, $threadcompletion =
 	}
 
 	$condition = ['verb' => ACTIVITY_LIKE, 'uid' => $uid, 'contact-id' => $contactid, 'thr-parent' => $orig_post['uri']];
-	if (DBA::exists('item', $condition)) {
+	if (Item::exists($condition)) {
 		logger("pumpio_dolike: found existing like. User ".$own_id." ".$uid." Contact: ".$contactid." Url ".$orig_post['uri']);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1084,13 +1084,13 @@ function pumpio_dodelete(App $a, $uid, $self, $post, $own_id)
 {
 	// Two queries for speed issues
 	$condition = ['uri' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid];
-	if (DBA::exists('item', $condition)) {
+	if (Item::exists($condition)) {
 		Item::delete($condition);
 		return true;
 	}
 
 	$condition = ['extid' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid];
-	if (DBA::exists('item', $condition)) {
+	if (Item::exists($condition)) {
 		Item::delete($condition);
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -1115,10 +1115,10 @@ function pumpio_dopost(App $a, $client, $uid, $self, $post, $own_id, $threadcomp
 
 	if ($post->verb != "update") {
 		// Two queries for speed issues
-		if (DBA::exists('item', ['uri' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
+		if (Item::exists(['uri' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
 			return false;
 		}
-		if (DBA::exists('item', ['extid' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
+		if (Item::exists(['extid' => $post->object->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1659,11 +1659,11 @@ function pumpio_fetchallcomments(App $a, $uid, $id)
 		}
 
 		// Checking if the comment already exists - Two queries for speed issues
-		if (DBA::exists('item', ['uri' => $item->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
+		if (Item::exists(['uri' => $item->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (DBA::exists('item', ['extid' => $item->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
+		if (Item::exists(['extid' => $item->id, 'uid' => $uid])) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
diff --git a/statusnet/statusnet.php b/statusnet/statusnet.php
index a1c9a24a6..63579af86 100644
--- a/statusnet/statusnet.php
+++ b/statusnet/statusnet.php
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ function statusnet_createpost(App $a, $uid, $post, $self, $create_user, $only_ex
 
 	$postarray['uri'] = $hostname . "::" . $content->id;
 
-	if (DBA::exists('item', ['extid' => $postarray['uri'], 'uid' => $uid])) {
+	if (Item::exists(['extid' => $postarray['uri'], 'uid' => $uid])) {
 		return [];
 	}
 
diff --git a/twitter/twitter.php b/twitter/twitter.php
index 0a9322e76..b9b3d08ec 100644
--- a/twitter/twitter.php
+++ b/twitter/twitter.php
@@ -735,15 +735,9 @@ function twitter_expire(App $a)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	$r = DBA::select('item', ['id', 'iaid', 'icid'], ['deleted' => true, 'network' => Protocol::TWITTER]);
+	$r = Item::select(['id'], ['deleted' => true, 'network' => Protocol::TWITTER]);
 	while ($row = DBA::fetch($r)) {
 		DBA::delete('item', ['id' => $row['id']]);
-		if (!empty($row['iaid']) && !DBA::exists('item', ['iaid' => $row['iaid']])) {
-			DBA::delete('item-activity', ['id' => $row['iaid']]);
-		}
-		if (!empty($row['icid']) && !DBA::exists('item', ['icid' => $row['icid']])) {
-			DBA::delete('item-content', ['id' => $row['icid']]);
-		}
 	}
 	DBA::close($r);
 
@@ -1352,7 +1346,7 @@ function twitter_createpost(App $a, $uid, $post, array $self, $create_user, $onl
 	$postarray['source'] = json_encode($post);
 
 	// Don't import our own comments
-	if (DBA::exists('item', ['extid' => $postarray['uri'], 'uid' => $uid])) {
+	if (Item::exists(['extid' => $postarray['uri'], 'uid' => $uid])) {
 		logger("Item with extid " . $postarray['uri'] . " found.", LOGGER_DEBUG);
 		return [];
 	}
@@ -1530,7 +1524,7 @@ function twitter_fetchparentposts(App $a, $uid, $post, TwitterOAuth $connection,
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if (DBA::exists('item', ['uri' => 'twitter::' . $post->id_str, 'uid' => $uid])) {
+		if (Item::exists(['uri' => 'twitter::' . $post->id_str, 'uid' => $uid])) {
 			break;
 		}