diff --git a/app/models/photo.rb b/app/models/photo.rb
index 80d37327e..373bef0c6 100644
--- a/app/models/photo.rb
+++ b/app/models/photo.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Photo < ActiveRecord::Base
   xml_attr :text
   xml_attr :status_message_guid
 
-  belongs_to :status_message, :foreign_key => :status_message_guid, :primary_key => :guid, :counter_cache => :photos_count
+  belongs_to :status_message, :foreign_key => :status_message_guid, :primary_key => :guid
 
   attr_accessible :text, :pending
   validate :ownership_of_status_message
@@ -43,14 +43,6 @@ class Photo < ActiveRecord::Base
     queue_processing_job if self.author.local?
   end
 
-  after_save do
-    self.status_message.update_photos_counter if status_message
-  end
-
-  after_destroy do
-    self.status_message.update_photos_counter if status_message
-  end
-
   def clear_empty_status_message
     if self.status_message_guid && self.status_message.text_and_photos_blank?
       self.status_message.destroy
diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 2cdfa5fd3..4e066b635 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
     t.add :provider_display_name
     t.add :author
     t.add :post_type
-    t.add :photos_count
     t.add :image_url
     t.add :object_url
     t.add :root
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
     t.add :user_like
     t.add :mentioned_people
     t.add lambda { |post|
-      if post.respond_to?(:photos) && post.photos_count > 0
+      if post.respond_to?(:photos)
         post.photos
       else
         []
diff --git a/app/models/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index 7fe01de82..b4e013faf 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -172,11 +172,6 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
     self.oembed_url = urls.find{|url| ENDPOINT_HOSTS_STRING.match(URI.parse(url).host)}
   end
 
-  def update_photos_counter
-    self.class.where(:id => self.id).
-      update_all(:photos_count => self.photos.count)
-  end
-
   protected
   def presence_of_content
     unless text_and_photos_blank?
diff --git a/app/views/templates/reshare.jst b/app/views/templates/reshare.jst
index 853c604f6..3513e4f19 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/reshare.jst
+++ b/app/views/templates/reshare.jst
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
       </div>
 
       <!-- duplicate from statusmessage partial -->
-      <% if(root.photos_count > 0 && root.photos && root.photos.length > 0) { %>
+      <% if(root.photos && root.photos.length > 0) { %>
         <div class="photo_attachments">
           <img src="<%= root.photos[0].sizes.large %>" class="stream-photo big_stream_photo">
           <% for(photo in root.photos) {
diff --git a/app/views/templates/status_message.jst b/app/views/templates/status_message.jst
index aff46c0b2..eb4e306d6 100644
--- a/app/views/templates/status_message.jst
+++ b/app/views/templates/status_message.jst
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<% if(photos_count > 0 && photos.length > 0) { %>
+<% if(photos.length > 0) { %>
   <div class="photo_attachments">
     <a href="#" class="stream-photo-link">
       <img src="<%= photos[0].sizes.large %>" class="stream-photo big_stream_photo" data-small-photo="<%= photos[0].sizes.small %>" data-full-photo="<%= photos[0].sizes.large %>" rel="lightbox">
diff --git a/db/migrate/20120114191018_remove_photos_count_from_post.rb b/db/migrate/20120114191018_remove_photos_count_from_post.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..968e51401
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20120114191018_remove_photos_count_from_post.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+class RemovePhotosCountFromPost < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def self.up
+    remove_column :posts, :photos_count
+  end
+
+  def self.down
+    add_column :posts, :photos_count, :integer, :default => 0
+    execute <<SQL if Post.count > 0
+      UPDATE posts
+      SET photos_count = (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM photos WHERE photos.status_message_guid = posts.guid)
+SQL
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 7189ad255..f41d0de14 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended to check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20111217042006) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20120114191018) do
 
   create_table "account_deletions", :force => true do |t|
     t.string  "diaspora_handle"
@@ -315,7 +315,6 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20111217042006) do
     t.integer  "comments_count",                      :default => 0
     t.integer  "o_embed_cache_id"
     t.integer  "reshares_count",                      :default => 0
-    t.integer  "photos_count",                        :default => 0
   end
 
   add_index "posts", ["author_id", "root_guid"], :name => "index_posts_on_author_id_and_root_guid", :unique => true
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/helpers/factory.js b/spec/javascripts/helpers/factory.js
index 897e2c9a6..7bce3c5cc 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/helpers/factory.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/helpers/factory.js
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ factory = {
       "root" : null,
       "post_type" : "StatusMessage",
       "likes_count" : 0,
-      "comments_count" : 0,
-      "photos_count" : 0
+      "comments_count" : 0
     }
 
     return new app.models.Post(_.extend(defaultAttrs, overrides))
diff --git a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
index b15e3a133..b1ae2fe27 100644
--- a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
@@ -244,22 +244,4 @@ describe Photo do
       }.should_not change(StatusMessage, :count)
     end
   end
-
-  describe 'photo cache counter' do
-    it "works" do
-      @s = @user.build_post(:status_message, :text => "sup?", :to => @aspect.id)
-      @s.save!
-      @s.reload.photos_count.should == 0
-      @s.photos << @photo
-      @s.save!
-      @s.reload.photos_count.should == 1
-      @s.photos << @photo2
-      @s.save!
-      @s.reload.photos_count.should == 2
-      @s.photos.last.destroy
-      @s.reload.photos_count.should == 1
-      @s.photos.first.destroy
-      @s.reload.photos_count.should == 0
-    end
-  end
 end