diff --git a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
index afcee8571..e2a1e5cbf 100644
--- a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ class PhotosController < ApplicationController
       if photo.status_message_id
         respond_with :location => photo.status_message
       else
-        respond_with :location => photos_path
+        respond_with :location => person_photos_path(current_user.person)
       end
     else
-      respond_with :location => photos_path
+      respond_with :location => person_photos_path(current_user.person)
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
index 9dc63c54a..5cca0b903 100644
--- a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
     @status_message = current_user.build_post(:status_message, params[:status_message])
 
 
-    if @status_message.save(:safe => true)
+    if photos || @status_message.save!(:safe => true)
       raise 'MongoMapper failed to catch a failed save' unless @status_message.id
 
       @status_message.photos += photos unless photos.nil?
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
     @status_message = current_user.my_posts.where(:_id =>  params[:id]).first
     if @status_message
       @status_message.destroy
-
     else
       Rails.logger.info "event=post_destroy status=failure user=#{current_user.diaspora_handle} reason='User does not own post'"
     end
diff --git a/app/models/photo.rb b/app/models/photo.rb
index e9b804544..2cfda4bca 100644
--- a/app/models/photo.rb
+++ b/app/models/photo.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class Photo < Post
 
   before_destroy :ensure_user_picture
 
+  before_destroy :delete_parent_if_no_photos_or_message
   def ownership_of_status_message
     message = StatusMessage.find_by_id(self.status_message_id)
     if status_message_id && message 
@@ -117,5 +118,15 @@ class Photo < Post
   scope :on_statuses, lambda { |post_ids| 
     where(:status_message_id.in => post_ids)
   }
+
+  private
+  def delete_parent_if_no_photos_or_message
+    parent =  self.status_message  
+    photos = parent.photos || []
+    if parent.message.blank? && photos.count <= 1
+      parent.delete
+    end
+  end
 end
 
+
diff --git a/app/models/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index fd51c3397..92b5dd02f 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
   protected
 
   def message_or_photos_present?
-    unless !self.message.blank? || self.photos.count > 0
+    if self.message.blank? && self.photos.count == 0
       errors[:base] << 'Status message requires a message or at least one photo'
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
index d4444142d..c35c2d110 100644
--- a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
@@ -158,14 +158,41 @@ describe Photo do
   end
 
   context "deletion" do
+    before do
+      @status_message = @user.build_post(:status_message, :message => "", :to => @aspect.id)
+      @status_message.photos << @photo2
+      @status_message.save
+      @status_message.reload
+    end
+
     it 'is deleted with parent status message' do
-      status_message = @user.build_post(:status_message, :message => "whattup", :to => @aspect.id)
-      status_message.photos << @photo2
-      status_message.save
+      proc {
+        @status_message.destroy
+      }.should change(Photo, :count).by(-1)
+    end
+
+    it 'deletes the parent object if there are no other photos or message' do
+      proc {
+        @photo2.destroy
+      }.should change(StatusMessage, :count).by(-1)
+    end
+
+    it 'does not delete the parent if the parent has other photos' do
+      @status_message.photos << @photo
+      @status_message.save
 
       proc {
-        status_message.destroy
-      }.should change(Photo, :count).by(-1)
+        @photo2.destroy
+      }.should_not change(StatusMessage, :count)
+    end
+
+    it 'does not delete the parent if the parent has a message' do
+      @status_message.message = "hello there kids"
+      @status_message.save
+
+      proc {
+        @photo2.destroy
+      }.should_not change(StatusMessage, :count)
     end
   end
 end