diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index b187a9ea3b3fc69dcc3fb4133c270b5f11d42260..dc9723440a8b22b1c8344f36f7a0813fa8eadef1 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -228,8 +228,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   ######## Posting ########
   def build_post(class_name, opts={})
-    opts[:author] = self.person
-    opts[:diaspora_handle] = opts[:author].diaspora_handle
+    opts[:author] = person
 
     model_class = class_name.to_s.camelize.constantize
     model_class.diaspora_initialize(opts)
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/fields/author.rb b/lib/diaspora/fields/author.rb
index eaabbf27fb2a7b26dd983bb239d023947bf16e93..29bf5204d2d4bfba47b50c32ae2d69b6a0fea3a7 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/fields/author.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/fields/author.rb
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ module Diaspora
           validates :author, presence: true
         end
       end
-
-      def diaspora_handle=(nh)
-        self.author = Person.find_or_fetch_by_identifier(nh)
-      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/factories.rb b/spec/factories.rb
index 55df861e671a1848c16e3e12d8514bdf1122cf7f..9964492ed59eefb2b9abebfe1f37985f9c41bd35 100644
--- a/spec/factories.rb
+++ b/spec/factories.rb
@@ -94,9 +94,6 @@ FactoryGirl.define do
   factory(:status_message, aliases: %i(status_message_without_participation)) do
     sequence(:text) {|n| "jimmy's #{n} whales" }
     author
-    after(:build) do |sm|
-      sm.diaspora_handle = sm.author.diaspora_handle
-    end
 
     factory(:status_message_with_poll) do
       after(:build) do |sm|
diff --git a/spec/integration/federation/attack_vectors_spec.rb b/spec/integration/federation/attack_vectors_spec.rb
index 033a90990ea31ad7941aa8d708053f77e39a4969..b2d8795a8f3ba1f2e4f42bfc0012336b901d5a79 100644
--- a/spec/integration/federation/attack_vectors_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/federation/attack_vectors_spec.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ describe "attack vectors", type: :request do
     # bob trys to send a message to alice
 
     original_message = eve.post(:status_message, text: "store this!", to: eves_aspect.id)
-    original_message.diaspora_handle = bob.diaspora_handle
+    original_message.author = bob.person
 
     alice.share_with(eve.person, alices_aspect)
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ describe "attack vectors", type: :request do
     original_message = eve.post(:photo, user_file: uploaded_photo, text: "store this!", to: eves_aspect.id)
 
     new_message = original_message.dup
-    new_message.diaspora_handle = alice.diaspora_handle
+    new_message.author = alice.person
     new_message.text = "bad bad bad"
     new_message.height = 23
     new_message.width = 42
diff --git a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
index a12bb92c73ca4cd1f038f0f115acd2c857a67f6a..dffeff84191cd3e0441543e8b18d6a9c1f8d4173 100644
--- a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
@@ -96,15 +96,6 @@ describe StatusMessage, type: :model do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "#diaspora_handle=" do
-    it "sets #author" do
-      person = FactoryGirl.create(:person)
-      post = FactoryGirl.build(:status_message, author: user.person)
-      post.diaspora_handle = person.diaspora_handle
-      expect(post.author).to eq(person)
-    end
-  end
-
   context "emptyness" do
     it "needs either a message or at least one photo" do
       post = user.build_post(:status_message, text: nil)