diff --git a/app/models/comment.rb b/app/models/comment.rb
index 7214f7b7b..41b8b8fd9 100644
--- a/app/models/comment.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment.rb
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   belongs_to :post
   belongs_to :author, :class_name => 'Person'
-  
+
   validates :text, :presence => true, :length => { :maximum => 2500 }
-  validates :post, :presence => true
+  validates :parent, :presence => true #should be in relayable (pending on fixing Message)
 
   serialize :youtube_titles, Hash
 
@@ -56,23 +56,15 @@ class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def notification_type(user, person)
-    if user.owns?(self.post)
+    if self.post.author == user.person
       return Notifications::CommentOnPost
-    elsif user_has_commented_on_others_post?(person, self.post, user)
+    elsif self.post.comments.where(:author_id => user.person.id) != [] && self.author_id != user.person.id
       return Notifications::AlsoCommented
     else
       return false
     end
   end
 
-  def user_has_commented_on_others_post?(author, post, user)
-    Comment.comments_by_author_on_post_exist?(author, post.id) && self.author_id != user.person.id
-  end
-
-  def self.comments_by_author_on_post_exist?(author, post_id)
-    Comment.exists?(:author_id => author.id, :post_id => post_id)
-  end
-
   def parent_class
     Post
   end
diff --git a/app/models/like.rb b/app/models/like.rb
index 21f9f6194..029d96a08 100644
--- a/app/models/like.rb
+++ b/app/models/like.rb
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ class Like < ActiveRecord::Base
   belongs_to :author, :class_name => 'Person'
 
   validates_uniqueness_of :target_id, :scope => [:target_type, :author_id]
-  validates :author, :presence => true
-  validates :target, :presence => true
+  validates :parent, :presence => true #should be in relayable (pending on fixing Message)
 
   after_create do
     self.parent.update_likes_counter
diff --git a/app/models/message.rb b/app/models/message.rb
index 16cde59a2..c8741736a 100644
--- a/app/models/message.rb
+++ b/app/models/message.rb
@@ -13,23 +13,22 @@ class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   belongs_to :author, :class_name => 'Person'
   belongs_to :conversation, :touch => true
-  
+
   validates :text, :presence => true
+  validate :participant_of_parent_conversation
 
   after_create do
     #sign comment as commenter
     self.author_signature = self.sign_with_key(self.author.owner.encryption_key) if self.author.owner
 
-    if !self.parent.blank? &&  self.author.owns?(self.parent)
+    if self.author.owns?(self.parent)
       #sign comment as post owner
-      self.parent_author_signature = self.sign_with_key( self.parent.author.owner.encryption_key) if self.parent.author.owner
+      self.parent_author_signature = self.sign_with_key(self.parent.author.owner.encryption_key) if self.parent.author.owner
     end
     self.save!
     self
   end
 
-  validate :participant_of_parent_conversation
-
   def diaspora_handle
     self.author.diaspora_handle
   end
diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 6abdd14fc..a36784532 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def owns?(obj)
-    self == obj.author
+    self.id == obj.author_id
   end
 
   def url
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb b/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
index a1f51038e..08ad4a8bd 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ module Diaspora
         xml_attr :parent_guid
         xml_attr :parent_author_signature
         xml_attr :author_signature
+
+        validates_associated :parent
+        validates :author, :presence => true
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb b/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
index 55ef99092..abc7a37de 100644
--- a/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
+++ b/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ module Postzord
       end
 
       def receive_relayable
-       # unless @object.parent.present?
-       #   raise RelayableObjectWithoutParent.new("Receiving a relayable object without parent object present locally!") 
-       # end
-
         if @object.parent.author.local?
           # receive relayable object only for the owner of the parent object
           @object.receive(@object.parent.author.user, @author)
@@ -50,7 +46,6 @@ module Postzord
         @object.save!
       end
 
-
       # @return [Array<Integer>] User ids
       def recipient_user_ids
         User.all_sharing_with_person(@author).select('users.id').map!{ |u| u.id }
diff --git a/spec/models/message_spec.rb b/spec/models/message_spec.rb
index 00aacfb10..c5a5b653e 100644
--- a/spec/models/message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/message_spec.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe Message do
       :messages_attributes => [ {:author => @user1.person, :text => 'stuff'} ]
     }
 
-    @cnv = Conversation.create(@create_hash)
+    @cnv = Conversation.create!(@create_hash)
     @message = @cnv.messages.first
     @xml = @message.to_diaspora_xml
   end
diff --git a/spec/shared_behaviors/relayable.rb b/spec/shared_behaviors/relayable.rb
index 36b7873de..16e14aade 100644
--- a/spec/shared_behaviors/relayable.rb
+++ b/spec/shared_behaviors/relayable.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Diaspora::Relayable do
   shared_examples_for "it is relayable" do
+
+    context 'validation' do
+      it 'ensures an valid associated parent'
+      it 'ensures the presence of an author'
+    end
+
     context 'encryption' do
       describe '#parent_author_signature' do
         it 'should sign the object if the user is the post author' do