diff --git a/app/models/author.rb b/app/models/author.rb
index 79c97dbb30218691eb069c41d8633caadb59e7f9..8b25ea831d2fb88a4190299b96b171a40f3e76f8 100644
--- a/app/models/author.rb
+++ b/app/models/author.rb
@@ -8,10 +8,17 @@ class Author
   key :profile_url, String
 
   many :ostatus_posts, :class_name => 'OstatusPost', :foreign_key => :author_id
-  
+  before_save :set_defaults  
 
   def self.instantiate(opts)
     author = Author.first(:feed_url => opts[:feed_url])
     author ||= Author.create(opts)
   end
+
+  private
+
+  def set_defaults
+    self.avatar_thumbnail = nil if self.avatar_thumbnail == 0
+    self.service = self.url if self.service == 0
+  end
  end