diff --git a/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb b/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..80d71b105
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#   Copyright (c) 2010, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+#   the COPYRIGHT file.
+
+class RelayableRetraction
+  include ROXML
+  include Diaspora::Webhooks
+
+  xml_attr :target_guid
+  xml_attr :target_type
+  xml_attr :sender_handle
+  xml_attr :parent_author_signature
+  xml_attr :target_author_signature
+
+  attr_accessor :target_guid,
+                :target_type,
+                :parent_author_signature,
+                :target_author_signature,
+                :sender
+
+  def sender_handle= new_sender_handle
+    @sender = Person.where(:diaspora_handle => new_sender_handle).first
+  end
+
+  def sender_handle
+    @sender.diaspora_handle
+  end
+
+  def subscribers(user)
+    @subscribers ||= self.target.subscribers(user)
+  end
+
+  def self.initialize(sender, target)
+    self.sender = sender
+    self.target = target
+  end
+
+  def target
+    @target ||= self.target_type.constantize.where(:guid => target_guid).first
+  end
+
+  def target= new_target
+    @target = new_target
+    @target_type = new_target.class.to_s
+    @target_guid = new_target.guid
+  end
+
+  def parent
+    self.target.parent
+  end
+
+  def parent_class
+    self.target.parent_class
+  end
+
+  def perform receiving_user
+    Rails.logger.debug "Performing retraction for #{target_guid}"
+    self.target.unsocket_from_user receiving_user if target.respond_to? :unsocket_from_user
+    self.target.destroy
+    target.post_visibilities.delete_all
+    Rails.logger.info("event=retraction status=complete target_type=#{self.target_type} guid=#{self.target_guid}")
+  end
+
+  def receive(recipient, sender)
+    if self.parent.author == recipient.person && self.target_author_signature_valid?
+      #this is a retraction from the downstream object creator, and the recipient is the upstream owner
+      self.parent_author_signature = self.sign_with_key(recipient.encryption_key)
+      Postzord::Dispatch.new(recipient, self).post
+      self.perform(recipient)
+    elsif self.parent_author_signature_valid?
+      #this is a retraction from the upstream owner
+      self.perform(recipient)
+    else
+      Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=abort reason='object signature not valid' recipient=#{recipient.diaspora_handle} sender=#{self.parent.author.diaspora_handle} payload_type=#{self.class} parent_id=#{self.parent.id}")
+      return
+    end
+    self
+  end
+
+  def parent_author_signature_valid?
+    verify_signature(self.parent_author_signature, self.parent.author)
+  end
+
+  def target_author_signature_valid?
+    verify_signature(self.target_author_signature, self.author)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index dbc94e017..4affaed8d 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -220,7 +220,11 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   def retract(post)
     aspects = post.aspects
 
-    retraction = Retraction.for(post)
+    if post.relayable
+      retraction = RelayableRetraction.new(self, post)
+    else
+      retraction = Retraction.for(post)
+    end
     post.unsocket_from_user(self, :aspect_ids => aspects.map { |a| a.id.to_s }) if post.respond_to? :unsocket_from_user
     mailman = Postzord::Dispatch.new(self, retraction)
     mailman.post
diff --git a/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb b/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d1b2d385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#   Copyright (c) 2010, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+#   the COPYRIGHT file.
+
+require 'spec_helper'
+require File.join(Rails.root, "spec", "shared_behaviors", "relayable")
+
+describe RelayableRetraction do
+  before do
+    @local_luke, @local_leia, @remote_raphael = set_up_friends
+    @remote_parent = Factory.create(:status_message, :author => @remote_raphael)
+    @local_parent = @local_luke.post :status_message, :text => "hi", :to => @local_luke.aspects.first
+    @comment_by_parent_author = @local_luke.comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+    @retraction_by_parent_author = @local_luke.retract(@comment_by_parent_author)
+
+    @comment_by_recipient = @local_leia.build_comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+    @retraction_by_recipient = @local_leia.retract(@comment_by_recipient)
+
+    @comment_on_remote_parent = @local_luke.comment("Yeah, it was great", :on => @remote_parent)
+    @retraction_from_remote_author = RelayableRetraction.new(@remote_raphael, @comment_on_remote_parent)
+  end
+
+  describe '#subscribers' do
+    it 'delegates it to target' do
+      arg = mock()
+      @retraction_by_parent_author.target.should_receive(:subscribers).with(arg)
+      @retraction_by_parent_author.subscribers(arg)
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#receive' do
+    context 'from the downstream author' do
+      it 'signs' do
+
+      end
+      it 'dispatches' do
+
+      end
+      it 'performs' do
+
+      end
+    end
+    context 'from the upstream owner' do
+      it 'performs' do
+
+      end
+      it 'does not dispatch' do
+
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'xml' do
+    describe '#to_xml' do
+
+    end
+    describe '.from_xml' do
+
+    end
+  end
+end