diff --git a/autotest/discover.rb b/autotest/discover.rb
index a0d0bc50a..5e50a665a 100644
--- a/autotest/discover.rb
+++ b/autotest/discover.rb
@@ -4,3 +4,12 @@
 
 Autotest.add_discovery { "rails" }
 Autotest.add_discovery { "rspec2" }
+Autotest.add_hook :initialize do |at| 
+  at.add_mapping(%r%^spec/(intergration|mailers|config)/.*rb$%) { |filename, _| 
+    filename 
+  }
+
+  at.add_mapping(%r%^spec/misc_spec.rb$%) { |filename, _| 
+    filename 
+  }
+end
diff --git a/lib/postzord/receiver.rb b/lib/postzord/receiver.rb
index 9b5c42375..e561e9bca 100644
--- a/lib/postzord/receiver.rb
+++ b/lib/postzord/receiver.rb
@@ -10,10 +10,8 @@ module Postzord
     def initialize(user, opts={})
       @user = user
       @user_person = @user.person
-
       @salmon_xml = opts[:salmon_xml]
 
-
       @sender = opts[:person] || Webfinger.new(self.salmon.author_email).fetch
       @author = @sender
 
@@ -30,54 +28,58 @@ module Postzord
     end
 
     def parse_and_receive(xml)
+      Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=start recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} payload_type=#{@object.class} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle}")
       @object ||= Diaspora::Parser.from_xml(xml)
-      if self.valid_object?
+      if self.validate_object
         receive_object
       end
     end
 
     def receive_object
       obj = @object.receive(@user, @author)
-      Notification.notify(@user, @object, @author) unless @object.is_a?(Retraction)
+      Notification.notify(@user, @object, @author) if @object.respond_to?(:notification_type)
+      Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=complete recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle} payload_type#{@object.class}")
       obj
     end
 
-    def salmon
-      @salmon ||= Salmon::SalmonSlap.parse(@salmon_xml, @user)
-    end
-
 
     protected
-    def valid_object?
-      Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=start recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} payload_type=#{@object.class} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle}")
+    def salmon
+      @salmon ||= Salmon::SalmonSlap.parse(@salmon_xml, @user)
+    end
 
-      #special casey
-      if @object.is_a?(Request)
-        @object.sender_handle = @sender.diaspora_handle
-      end
+    def xml_author
       if @object.is_a?(Comment)
-        xml_author = (@user.owns?(@object.post))? @object.diaspora_handle : @object.post.person.diaspora_handle
+        #if A and B are friends, and A sends B a comment from C, we delegate the validation to the owner of the post being commented on
+        xml_author = @user.owns?(@object.post) ? @object.diaspora_handle : @object.post.person.diaspora_handle
         @author = Webfinger.new(@object.diaspora_handle).fetch
       else
         xml_author = @object.diaspora_handle
       end
+      xml_author
+    end
 
+    def validate_object
       #begin similar
       unless @object.is_a?(Request) || @user.contact_for(@sender)
         Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=abort reason='sender not connected to recipient' recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle} payload_type=#{@object.class}")
         return false
       end
+            #special casey
+      if @object.is_a?(Request)
+        @object.sender_handle = @sender.diaspora_handle
+      end
 
+     
       if (@author.diaspora_handle != xml_author)
         Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=abort reason='author in xml does not match retrieved person' payload_type=#{@object.class} recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle}")
         return false
       end
 
       if @author
-        Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=complete recipient=#{@user_person.diaspora_handle} sender=#{@sender.diaspora_handle} payload_type#{@object.class}")
-
         @object.person = @author if @object.respond_to? :person=
       end
+
       @object
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/intergration/receiving_spec.rb b/spec/intergration/receiving_spec.rb
index 3a12660ee..709889606 100644
--- a/spec/intergration/receiving_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/intergration/receiving_spec.rb
@@ -15,17 +15,25 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
   let(:user3) { make_user }
   let(:aspect3) { user3.aspects.create(:name => 'heroes') }
 
+  def zord(user, person, xml)
+    zord = Postzord::Receiver.new(user, :person => person)
+    zord.parse_and_receive(xml)
+  end
+
   before do
     connect_users(user, aspect, user2, aspect2)
   end
 
+
+
   it 'should stream only one message to the everyone aspect when a multi-aspected contacts posts' do
     contact = user.contact_for(user2.person)
     user.add_contact_to_aspect(contact, user.aspects.create(:name => "villains"))
     status = user2.post(:status_message, :message => "Users do things", :to => aspect2.id)
-    xml = status.to_diaspora_xml
+    #xml = status.to_diaspora_xml
     Diaspora::WebSocket.should_receive(:queue_to_user).exactly(:once)
-    Postzord::Receiver.new(user, :object => status, :person => user2.person)
+    zord = Postzord::Receiver.new(user, :object => status, :person => user2.person)
+    zord.receive_object
   end
 
   it 'should be able to parse and store a status message from xml' do
@@ -36,8 +44,7 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
     status_message.destroy
 
     lambda {
-      zord = Postzord::Receiver.new(user, :person => user2.person)
-      zord.parse_and_receive(xml)
+      zord(user, user2.person, xml)
     }.should change(Post,:count).by(1)
   end
 
@@ -56,7 +63,9 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
       status = user.post :status_message, :message => "store this!", :to => aspect.id
       status.message = 'foo'
       xml = status.to_diaspora_xml
-      user2.receive(xml, user.person)
+
+      zord(user2, user.person, xml)
+
       status.reload.message.should == 'store this!'
     end
 
@@ -64,7 +73,10 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
       photo = user.post(:photo, :user_file => uploaded_photo, :caption => "Original", :to => aspect.id)
       photo.caption = 'foo'
       xml = photo.to_diaspora_xml
-      user2.reload.receive(xml, user.person)
+      user2.reload
+
+      zord(user2, user.person, xml)
+
       photo.reload.caption.should match(/foo/)
     end
   end
@@ -110,7 +122,9 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
 
     it 'should not override userrefs on receive by another person' do
       user3.activate_contact(user2.person, aspect3)
-      user3.receive @status_message.to_diaspora_xml, user2.person
+      xml = @status_message.to_diaspora_xml
+      
+      zord(user3, user2.person, xml)
 
       @status_message.reload
       @status_message.user_refs.should == 2
@@ -126,8 +140,10 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
       connect_users(user, aspect, user3, aspect3)
       @post = user.post :status_message, :message => "hello", :to => aspect.id
 
-      user2.receive @post.to_diaspora_xml, user.person
-      user3.receive @post.to_diaspora_xml, user.person
+      xml = @post.to_diaspora_xml
+
+      zord(user2, user.person, xml)
+      zord(user3, user.person, xml)
 
       @comment = user3.comment('tada',:on => @post)
       @comment.post_creator_signature = @comment.sign_with_key(user.encryption_key)
@@ -141,7 +157,9 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
       user2.reload.raw_visible_posts.size.should == 1
       post_in_db = user2.raw_visible_posts.first
       post_in_db.comments.should == []
-      user2.receive(@xml, user.person)
+
+      zord(user2, user.person, @xml)
+
       post_in_db.reload
 
       post_in_db.comments.include?(@comment).should be true
@@ -157,11 +175,12 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
       Person.should_receive(:by_account_identifier).and_return{ |handle| if handle == user.person.diaspora_handle; user.person.save
         user.person; else; remote_person.save; remote_person; end }
 
-
       user2.reload.raw_visible_posts.size.should == 1
       post_in_db = user2.raw_visible_posts.first
       post_in_db.comments.should == []
-      user2.receive(@xml, user.person)
+
+      zord(user2, user.person, @xml)
+
       post_in_db.reload
 
       post_in_db.comments.include?(@comment).should be true
@@ -174,7 +193,11 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
     let(:salmon){user.salmon( post )}
 
     it 'should receive a salmon for a post' do
-      user2.receive_salmon( salmon.xml_for(user2.person) )
+      salmon_xml = salmon.xml_for(user2.person)
+
+      zord = Postzord::Receiver.new(user2, :salmon_xml => salmon_xml)
+      zord.perform
+
       user2.visible_post_ids.include?(post.id).should be true
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/lib/postzord/receiver_spec.rb b/spec/lib/postzord/receiver_spec.rb
index ed47dbefa..a6a328e93 100644
--- a/spec/lib/postzord/receiver_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/postzord/receiver_spec.rb
@@ -87,8 +87,16 @@ describe Postzord::Receiver do
       @salmon = @zord.instance_variable_get(:@salmon)
     end
 
-    it 'calls Notification.notify' do
-      Notification.should_receive(:notify)
+    it 'calls Notification.notify if object responds to notification_type' do
+      cm = Comment.new
+      cm.stub!(:receive)
+      Notification.should_receive(:notify).with(@user, cm, @person2)
+      zord = Postzord::Receiver.new(@user, :person => @person2, :object => cm)
+      zord.receive_object
+    end
+
+    it 'does not call Notification.notify if object does not respond to notification_type' do
+      Notification.should_not_receive(:notify)
       @zord.receive_object
     end