diff --git a/app/models/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index d229602a4..d6d71ce04 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
 
   validates_length_of :message, :maximum => 1000, :message => "please make your status messages less than 1000 characters"
   xml_name :status_message
-  xml_attr :message
+  xml_attr :raw_message
 
   has_many :photos, :dependent => :destroy
   validate :message_or_photos_present?
@@ -22,19 +22,34 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
     get_youtube_title message
   end
 
+  def message
+    self.formatted_message
+  end
+
+  def raw_message
+    read_attribute(:message)
+  end
+  def raw_message=(text)
+    write_attribute(:message, text)
+  end
+
   def formatted_message
+    return self.raw_message unless self.raw_message
     people = self.mentioned_people
     regex = /@\{([^;]+); ([^\}]+)\}/
-    message.gsub(regex) do |matched_string|
-      people.detect{ |p|
+    escaped_message = ERB::Util.h(raw_message)
+    form_message = escaped_message.gsub(regex) do |matched_string|
+      person = people.detect{ |p|
         p.diaspora_handle == matched_string.match(regex).captures.last
-      }.name
+      }
+      "<a href=\"/people/#{person.id}\">#{ERB::Util.h(person.name)}</a>"
     end
+    form_message
   end
 
   def mentioned_people
     regex = /@\{([^;]+); ([^\}]+)\}/
-    identifiers = self.message.scan(regex).map do |match|
+    identifiers = self.raw_message.scan(regex).map do |match|
       match.last
     end
     self.person.owner.contact_people.where(:diaspora_handle => identifiers)
diff --git a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
index 3e49000e5..fdd701160 100644
--- a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 require 'spec_helper'
 
+
 describe StatusMessage do
 
   before do
@@ -54,6 +55,12 @@ describe StatusMessage do
   end
 
   describe 'mentions' do
+    def controller
+      mock()
+    end
+
+    include ActionView::Helpers::UrlHelper
+    include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
     before do
       @people = [alice, bob, eve].map{|u| u.person}
       @test_string = <<-STR
@@ -63,12 +70,29 @@ STR
       @sm = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => @test_string )
     end
 
-    it 'adds the links in the formated message text' do
-      @sm.formatted_message.should == <<-STR
-#{@people[0].name} can mention people like Raphael #{@people[1].name}
-can mention people like Raphaellike Raphael #{@people[2].name} can mention people like Raph
+    describe '#formatted_message' do
+      it 'adds the links in the formated message text' do
+        @sm.formatted_message.should == <<-STR
+#{link_to(@people[0].name, person_path(@people[0]))} can mention people like Raphael #{link_to(@people[1].name, person_path(@people[1]))}
+can mention people like Raphaellike Raphael #{link_to(@people[2].name, person_path(@people[2]))} can mention people like Raph
 STR
+      end
+      it 'escapes the link title' do
+        p = @people[0].profile
+        p.first_name="</a><script>alert('h')</script>"
+        p.save!
 
+        @sm.formatted_message.should_not include(@people[0].profile.first_name)
+      end
+      it 'escapes the message' do
+        xss = "</a> <script> alert('hey'); </script>"
+        @sm.message << xss
+
+        @sm.formatted_message.should_not include xss
+      end
+      it 'is html_safe' do
+        @sm.formatted_message.html_safe?.should be_true
+      end
     end
 
     it 'extracts the mentioned people from the message' do
@@ -80,8 +104,12 @@ STR
       @message = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => "I hate WALRUSES!", :person => @user.person)
       @xml = @message.to_xml.to_s
     end
+    it 'serializes the unescaped, unprocessed message' do
+      @message.message = "<script> alert('xss should be federated');</script>"
+      @message.to_xml.to_s.should include @message.message
+    end
     it 'serializes the message' do
-      @xml.should include "<message>I hate WALRUSES!</message>"
+      @xml.should include "<raw_message>I hate WALRUSES!</raw_message>"
     end
 
     it 'serializes the author address' do