diff --git a/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
index 3a16791f2..d2e3a8175 100644
--- a/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/requests_controller.rb
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ class RequestsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
  def create
-    aspect = current_user.aspect_by_id(params[:request][:aspect_id])
-    account = params[:request][:destination_url].strip  
+    aspect = current_user.aspect_by_id(params[:aspect_id])
+    account = params[:destination_handle].strip  
     begin 
       finger = EMWebfinger.new(account)
     
diff --git a/app/models/request.rb b/app/models/request.rb
index a4e2b1ee6..a509f5e2a 100644
--- a/app/models/request.rb
+++ b/app/models/request.rb
@@ -67,12 +67,5 @@ class Request
   def diaspora_handle
     self.from.diaspora_handle
   end
-protected
-  def clean_link
-    if self.destination_url
-      self.destination_url = self.destination_url.strip
-      self.destination_url = 'http://' + self.destination_url unless self.destination_url.match('https?://')
-      self.destination_url = self.destination_url + '/' if self.destination_url[-1,1] != '/'
-    end
-  end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/views/requests/_new_request.haml b/app/views/requests/_new_request.haml
index d5f06d4db..b1ab0f4da 100644
--- a/app/views/requests/_new_request.haml
+++ b/app/views/requests/_new_request.haml
@@ -14,22 +14,20 @@
 
   .span-7.last
     %h3 Add a new contact
-    = form_for(Request.new, :html => {:id => "new_request_to_#{aspect.id}"}) do |fr_request|
-      = fr_request.error_messages
-
+    = form_tag(requests_path, :id => "new_request_to_#{aspect.id}") do
       =t('.enter_a_diaspora_username')
       %br
       %i= t '.your_diaspora_username_is', :diaspora_handle  => current_user.diaspora_handle
 
       %p
-        = fr_request.label :destination_url, t('.friends_username'), :for => "request_d_url_to_#{aspect.id}"
-        = fr_request.text_field :destination_url, :id => "request_d_url_to_#{aspect.id}"
-      = fr_request.hidden_field :aspect_id, :value => aspect.id
+        = label_tag :destination_handle, t('.friends_username'), :for => "request_d_handle_to_#{aspect.id}"
+        = text_field_tag :destination_handle,'', :id => "request_d_handle_to_#{aspect.id}"
+      = hidden_field_tag :aspect_id, :value => aspect.id
 
       - if defined?(getting_started)
         = hidden_field_tag :getting_started, getting_started
       - if defined?(manage)
         = hidden_field_tag :manage, true
 
-      = fr_request.submit t('.create_request')
+      = submit_tag t('.create_request')
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/requests_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/requests_controller_spec.rb
index 4a772c5a3..bee25b881 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/requests_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/requests_controller_spec.rb
@@ -15,18 +15,18 @@ describe RequestsController do
 
   describe '#create' do
     it "redirects when requesting to be friends with yourself" do
-      put("create", "request" => {
-        "destination_url" => @user.diaspora_handle,
-        "aspect_id" => @user.aspects[0].id 
+      put(:create, {
+        :destination_handle => @user.diaspora_handle,
+        :aspect_id => @user.aspects[0].id 
         } 
       )
       response.should redirect_to aspects_manage_path 
     end
 
     it "flashes and redirects when requesting an invalid identity" do
-      put("create", "request" => {
-        "destination_url" => "not_a_@valid_email",
-        "aspect_id" => @user.aspects[0].id 
+      put(:create, {
+        :destination_handle => "not_a_@valid_email",
+        :aspect_id => @user.aspects[0].id 
         } 
       )
       flash[:error].should_not be_blank
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ describe RequestsController do
     end
 
     it "flashes and redirects when requesting an invalid identity with a port number" do
-      put("create", "request" => {
-        "destination_url" => "johndoe@email.com:3000",
-        "aspect_id" => @user.aspects[0].id 
+      put(:create, {
+        :destination_handle => "johndoe@email.com:3000",
+        :aspect_id => @user.aspects[0].id 
         } 
       )
       flash[:error].should_not be_blank
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ describe RequestsController do
 
     it "redirects when requesting an identity from an invalid server" do
       stub_request(:get, /notadiasporaserver\.com/).to_raise(Errno::ETIMEDOUT)
-      put("create", "request" => {
-        "destination_url" => "johndoe@notadiasporaserver.com",
-        "aspect_id" => @user.aspects[0].id 
+      put(:create, {
+        :destination_handle => "johndoe@notadiasporaserver.com",
+        :aspect_id => @user.aspects[0].id 
         } 
       )
       response.should redirect_to aspects_manage_path
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ describe RequestsController do
 
     it 'should redirect to the page which you called it from ' do
       pending "This controller should probably redirect to :back"
-      put("create", "request" => {
-        "destination_url" => "johndoe@notadiasporaserver.com",
-        "aspect_id" => @user.aspects[0].id 
+      put(:create, {
+        :destination_handle => "johndoe@notadiasporaserver.com",
+        :aspect_id => @user.aspects[0].id 
         } 
       )
       response.should redirect_to(:back)