diff --git a/app/models/reshare.rb b/app/models/reshare.rb
index 5bb5326d5..33581d05e 100644
--- a/app/models/reshare.rb
+++ b/app/models/reshare.rb
@@ -74,35 +74,16 @@ class Reshare < Post
   private
 
   def after_parse
-    root_author = Webfinger.new(@root_diaspora_id).fetch
-    root_author.save! unless root_author.persisted?
-
-    return if Post.exists?(:guid => self.root_guid)
-
-    fetched_post = self.class.fetch_post(root_author, self.root_guid)
-
-    if fetched_post
-      #Why are we checking for this?
-      if root_author.diaspora_handle != fetched_post.diaspora_handle
-        raise "Diaspora ID (#{fetched_post.diaspora_handle}) in the root does not match the Diaspora ID (#{root_author.diaspora_handle}) specified in the reshare!"
+    if root.blank?
+      self.root = Diaspora::Fetcher::Single.find_or_fetch_from_remote root_guid, @root_diaspora_id do |fetched_post, author|
+        # why do we check this?
+        if fetched_post.diaspora_handle != author.diaspora_handle
+          raise Diaspora::PostNotFetchable, "Diaspora ID (#{fetched_post.diaspora_handle}) in the root does not match the Diaspora ID (#{author.diaspora_handle}) specified in the reshare!"
+        end
       end
-
-      fetched_post.save!
     end
   end
 
-  # Fetch a remote public post, used for receiving reshares of unknown posts
-  # @param [Person] author the remote post's author
-  # @param [String] guid the remote post's guid
-  # @return [Post] an unsaved remote post or false if the post was not found
-  def self.fetch_post author, guid
-    url = author.url + "/p/#{guid}.xml"
-    response = Faraday.get(url)
-    return false if response.status == 404 # Old pod, friendika
-    raise "Failed to get #{url}" unless response.success? # Other error, N/A for example
-    Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(response.body)
-  end
-
   def root_must_be_public
     if self.root && !self.root.public
       errors[:base] << "Only posts which are public may be reshared."
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/exceptions.rb b/lib/diaspora/exceptions.rb
index eba8366e0..2a9da47a2 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/exceptions.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/exceptions.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ module Diaspora
   # that prevents further execution
   class NotMine < StandardError
   end
-  
 
   # Received a message without having a contact
   class ContactRequiredUnlessRequest < StandardError
@@ -30,4 +29,10 @@ module Diaspora
   # original XML message
   class AuthorXMLAuthorMismatch < StandardError
   end
+
+  # Tried to fetch a post but it was deleted, not valid
+  # or the remote end doesn't support post fetching
+  class PostNotFetchable < StandardError
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/fetcher.rb b/lib/diaspora/fetcher.rb
index adb82e552..a27831e2f 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/fetcher.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/fetcher.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 module Diaspora
   module Fetcher
     require 'diaspora/fetcher/public'
+    require 'diaspora/fetcher/single'
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/fetcher/single.rb b/lib/diaspora/fetcher/single.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5dfeb7f73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/diaspora/fetcher/single.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+module Diaspora
+  module Fetcher
+    module Single
+      module_function
+
+      # Fetch and store a remote public post
+      # @param [String] guid the remote posts guid
+      # @param [String] author_id Diaspora ID of a user known to have the post,
+      #                 preferably the author
+      # @yield [Post, Person] If a block is given it is yielded the post
+      #                       and the author prior save
+      # @return a saved post
+      def find_or_fetch_from_remote guid, author_id
+        post = Post.where(guid: guid).first
+        return post if post
+
+        post_author = Webfinger.new(author_id).fetch
+        post_author.save! unless post_author.persisted?
+
+        if fetched_post = fetch_post(post_author, guid)
+          yield fetched_post, post_author if block_given?
+          raise Diaspora::PostNotFetchable unless fetched_post.save
+        end
+
+        fetched_post
+      end
+
+      # Fetch a remote public post, used for receiving of unknown public posts
+      # @param [Person] author the remote post's author
+      # @param [String] guid the remote post's guid
+      # @return [Post] an unsaved remote post or false if the post was not found
+      def fetch_post author, guid
+        url = author.url + "/p/#{guid}.xml"
+        response = Faraday.get(url)
+        raise Diaspora::PostNotFetchable if response.status == 404 # Old pod, Friendika, deleted
+        raise "Failed to get #{url}" unless response.success? # Other error, N/A for example
+        Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(response.body)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb b/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
index d0db312b7..4f43ed402 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/relayable.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ module Diaspora
     end
 
     def parent_guid= new_parent_guid
-      self.parent = parent_class.where(:guid => new_parent_guid).first
+      @parent_guid = new_parent_guid
+      self.parent = parent_class.where(guid: new_parent_guid).first
     end
 
     # @return [Array<Person>]
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ module Diaspora
     end
 
     def receive(user, person=nil)
-      comment_or_like = self.class.where(:guid => self.guid).first || self
+      comment_or_like = self.class.where(guid: self.guid).first || self
 
       # Check to make sure the signature of the comment or like comes from the person claiming to author it
       unless comment_or_like.parent_author == user.person || comment_or_like.verify_parent_author_signature
@@ -134,5 +135,17 @@ module Diaspora
     def parent= parent
       raise NotImplementedError.new('you must override parent= in order to enable relayable on this model')
     end
+
+    # ROXML hook ensuring our own hooks are called
+    def after_parse
+      if @parent_guid
+        self.parent ||= fetch_parent(@parent_guid)
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Childs should override this to support fetching a missing parent
+    # @param guid the parents guid
+    def fetch_parent guid
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/federated/relayable.rb b/lib/federated/relayable.rb
index d852a4dcd..a6cf6bf83 100644
--- a/lib/federated/relayable.rb
+++ b/lib/federated/relayable.rb
@@ -38,5 +38,9 @@ module Federated
     def parent= parent
       self.target = parent
     end
+
+    def fetch_parent guid
+      Diaspora::Fetcher::Single.find_or_fetch_from_remote guid, diaspora_handle
+    end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb b/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
index 686e9a5b3..0243b72f5 100644
--- a/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
+++ b/lib/postzord/receiver/public.rb
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class Postzord::Receiver::Public < Postzord::Receiver
   def save_object
     @object = Diaspora::Parser::from_xml(@salmon.parsed_data)
     raise "Object is not public" if object_can_be_public_and_it_is_not?
+    raise Diaspora::RelayableObjectWithoutParent if object_must_have_parent_and_does_not?
     raise Diaspora::AuthorXMLAuthorMismatch if author_does_not_match_xml_author?
     @object.save! if @object && @object.respond_to?(:save!)
     @object
@@ -88,4 +89,12 @@ class Postzord::Receiver::Public < Postzord::Receiver
   def object_can_be_public_and_it_is_not?
     @object.respond_to?(:public) && !@object.public?
   end
+
+  def object_must_have_parent_and_does_not?
+    if @object.respond_to?(:relayable?) # comment, like
+      @object.parent.nil?
+    else
+      false
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/comment_spec.rb b/spec/models/comment_spec.rb
index a377d142a..efc7eacdc 100644
--- a/spec/models/comment_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/comment_spec.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ describe Comment, :type => :model do
       it 'marshals the post' do
         expect(@marshalled_comment.post).to eq(@post)
       end
+
+      it 'tries to fetch a missing parent' do
+        guid = @post.guid
+        @post.destroy
+        expect_any_instance_of(Comment).to receive(:fetch_parent).with(guid).and_return(nil)
+        Comment.from_xml(@xml)
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb b/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
index 89dfd85f6..ce05d3b6b 100644
--- a/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/reshare_spec.rb
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe Reshare, :type => :model do
       rs1 = FactoryGirl.build(:reshare, :root=>@sm)
       rs2 = FactoryGirl.build(:reshare, :root=>rs1)
       @rs3 = FactoryGirl.build(:reshare, :root=>rs2)
-      
+
      sm = FactoryGirl.create(:status_message, :author => alice.person, :public => true)
      rs1 = FactoryGirl.create(:reshare, :root => sm)
      @of_deleted = FactoryGirl.build(:reshare, :root => rs1)
@@ -194,13 +194,13 @@ describe Reshare, :type => :model do
         end
 
         context "fetching post" do
-          it "doesn't error out if the post is not found" do
+          it "raises if the post is not found" do
             allow(@response).to receive(:status).and_return(404)
             expect(Faraday.default_connection).to receive(:get).and_return(@response)
 
             expect {
               Reshare.from_xml(@xml)
-            }.to_not raise_error
+            }.to raise_error(Diaspora::PostNotFetchable)
           end
 
           it "raises if there's another error receiving the post" do