diff --git a/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
index c4fc158a2..9757df1a8 100644
--- a/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/aspects_controller.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ class AspectsController < ApplicationController
   helper_method :selected_people
 
   def index
-    @stream = AspectStream.new(current_user, params[:a_ids],
+    aspect_ids = (params[:a_ids] ? params[:a_ids] : [])
+    @stream = AspectStream.new(current_user, aspect_ids,
                                :order => session[:sort_order],
                                :max_time => params[:max_time])
 
@@ -82,8 +83,7 @@ class AspectsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def show
-    @aspect = current_user.aspects.where(:id => params[:id]).first
-    if @aspect
+    if @aspect = current_user.aspects.where(:id => params[:id]).first
       redirect_to aspects_path('a_ids[]' => @aspect.id)
     else
       redirect_to aspects_path
diff --git a/lib/aspect_stream.rb b/lib/aspect_stream.rb
index f90fde6fe..df8b50dc7 100644
--- a/lib/aspect_stream.rb
+++ b/lib/aspect_stream.rb
@@ -4,48 +4,64 @@
 
 class AspectStream
 
-  attr_reader :aspects, :aspect_ids, :max_time, :order
+  attr_reader :max_time, :order
 
   # @param user [User]
   # @param aspect_ids [Array<Integer>] Aspects this stream is responsible for
-  def initialize(user, aspect_ids, opts={})
+  def initialize(user, inputted_aspect_ids, opts={})
     @user = user
-    @aspects = user.aspects
-    @aspects = @aspects.where(:id => aspect_ids) if aspect_ids.present?
-    @aspect_ids = self.aspect_ids
+    @inputted_aspect_ids = inputted_aspect_ids
 
-    # ugly hack for now
     @max_time = opts[:max_time].to_i
     @order = opts[:order]
   end
 
-  # @return [Array<Integer>]
+  # Filters aspects given the stream's aspect ids on initialization and the user.
+  # Will disclude aspects from inputted aspect ids if user is not associated with their
+  # target aspects.
+  #
+  # @return [ActiveRecord::Association<Aspect>] Filtered aspects given the stream's user
+  def aspects
+    @aspects ||= lambda do
+      a = @user.aspects
+      a = a.where(:id => @inputted_aspect_ids) if @inputted_aspect_ids.length > 0
+      a
+    end.call
+    @aspects
+  end
+
+  # Maps ids into an array from #aspects
+  #
+  # @return [Array<Integer>] Aspect ids
   def aspect_ids
-    @aspect_ids ||= @aspects.map { |a| a.id }
+    @aspect_ids ||= aspects.map { |a| a.id }
   end
 
   # @return [ActiveRecord::Association<Post>] AR association of posts
   def posts
+    # NOTE(this should be something like User.aspect_post(@aspect_ids, {}) that calls visible_posts
     @posts ||= @user.visible_posts(:by_members_of => @aspect_ids,
                                    :type => ['StatusMessage','Reshare', 'ActivityStreams::Photo'],
-                                   :order => @order + ' DESC',
+                                   :order => "#{@order} DESC",
                                    :max_time => @max_time
                    ).includes(:mentions => {:person => :profile}, :author => :profile)
   end
 
   # @return [ActiveRecord::Association<Person>] AR association of people within stream's given aspects
   def people
+    # NOTE(this should call a method in Person
     @people ||= Person.joins(:contacts => :aspect_memberships).
                                    where(:contacts => {:user_id => @user.id},
                                          :aspect_memberships => {:aspect_id => @aspect_ids}).
                                    select("DISTINCT people.*").includes(:profile)
   end
 
-  # @note aspects.first is used for mobile.
-  #       The :all is currently used for view switching logic
+  # @note aspects.first is used for mobile. NOTE(this is a hack and should be fixed)
   # @return [Aspect,Symbol]
   def aspect
-    for_all_aspects? ? :all : @aspects.first
+    if !for_all_aspects? || aspects.size == 1
+      aspects.first
+    end
   end
 
   # Determine whether or not the stream is displaying across
@@ -53,7 +69,7 @@ class AspectStream
   #
   # @return [Boolean]
   def for_all_aspects?
-    @aspect_ids.length == @aspects.length
+    @all_aspects ||= aspect_ids.length == @user.aspects.size
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/aspects_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/aspects_controller_spec.rb
index 61fa9a19b..584ffcf02 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/aspects_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/aspects_controller_spec.rb
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ describe AspectsController do
 
     context 'with posts in multiple aspects' do
       before do
-        pending 'this spec needs to be moved into AspectStream spec'
+        pending 'this spec needs to be moved into AspectStream spec or visible_posts spec'
         @posts = []
         2.times do |n|
           user = Factory(:user)
diff --git a/spec/lib/aspect_stream_spec.rb b/spec/lib/aspect_stream_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..875396279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/lib/aspect_stream_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+require 'aspect_stream'
+
+describe AspectStream do
+  describe '#aspects' do
+    it 'queries the user given initialized aspect ids' do
+      alice = stub.as_null_object
+      stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [1,2,3])
+
+      alice.aspects.should_receive(:where)
+      stream.aspects
+    end
+
+    it "returns all the user's aspects if no aspect ids are specified" do
+      alice = stub.as_null_object
+      stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [])
+
+      alice.aspects.should_not_receive(:where)
+      stream.aspects
+    end
+
+    it 'filters aspects given a user' do
+      alice = stub(:aspects => [stub(:id => 1)])
+      alice.aspects.stub(:where).and_return(alice.aspects)
+      stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [1,2,3])
+
+      stream.aspects.should == alice.aspects
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#aspect_ids' do
+    it 'maps ids from aspects' do
+      alice = stub.as_null_object
+      aspects = stub.as_null_object
+
+      stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [1,2])
+
+      stream.should_receive(:aspects).and_return(aspects)
+      aspects.should_receive(:map)
+      stream.aspect_ids
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#posts' do
+    before do
+      @alice = stub.as_null_object
+    end
+
+    it 'calls visible posts for the given user' do
+      stream = AspectStream.new(@alice, [1,2])
+
+      @alice.should_receive(:visible_posts).and_return(stub.as_null_object)
+      stream.posts
+    end
+
+    it 'respects ordering' do 
+      stream = AspectStream.new(@alice, [1,2], :order => 'created_at')
+      @alice.should_receive(:visible_posts).with(hash_including(:order => 'created_at DESC')).and_return(stub.as_null_object)
+      stream.posts
+    end
+
+    it 'respects max_time' do
+      stream = AspectStream.new(@alice, [1,2], :max_time => 123)
+      @alice.should_receive(:visible_posts).with(hash_including(:max_time => 123)).and_return(stub.as_null_object)
+      stream.posts
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#people' do
+    it 'should call a method on person that doesnt exist yet'
+  end
+
+  describe '#aspect' do
+    before do
+      alice = stub.as_null_object
+      @stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [1,2])
+    end
+
+    it "returns an aspect if the stream is not for all the user's aspects" do
+      @stream.stub(:for_all_aspects?).and_return(false)
+      @stream.aspect.should_not be_nil
+    end
+
+    it "returns nothing if the stream is not for all the user's aspects" do
+      @stream.stub(:for_all_aspects?).and_return(true)
+      @stream.aspect.should be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'for_all_aspects?' do
+    before do
+      alice = stub.as_null_object
+      alice.aspects.stub(:size).and_return(2)
+      @stream = AspectStream.new(alice, [1,2])
+    end
+
+    it "is true if the count of aspect_ids is equal to the size of the user's aspect count" do
+      @stream.aspect_ids.stub(:length).and_return(2)
+      @stream.should be_for_all_aspects
+    end
+
+    it "is false if the count of aspect_ids is not equal to the size of the user's aspect count" do
+      @stream.aspect_ids.stub(:length).and_return(1)
+      @stream.should_not be_for_all_aspects
+    end
+  end
+end