diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 9c47b6deb..974834a4d 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
   cattr_reader :per_page
   @@per_page = 10
 
-  after_destroy :propogate_retraction
-
   def user_refs
     self.post_visibilities.count
   end
@@ -93,10 +91,5 @@ class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
       Rails.logger.info("event=receive payload_type=#{self.class} update=true status=abort sender=#{self.diaspora_handle} reason='update not from post owner' existing_post=#{self.id}")
     end
   end
-
-  protected
-  def propogate_retraction
-    self.author.owner.retract(self) if self.author.owner
-  end
 end
 
diff --git a/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb b/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb
index 80d71b105..a8c17ea3c 100644
--- a/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb
+++ b/app/models/relayable_retraction.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 class RelayableRetraction
   include ROXML
   include Diaspora::Webhooks
+  include Diaspora::Encryptable
 
   xml_attr :target_guid
   xml_attr :target_type
@@ -18,6 +19,16 @@ class RelayableRetraction
                 :target_author_signature,
                 :sender
 
+  def signable_accessors
+      accessors = self.class.roxml_attrs.collect do |definition|
+        definition.accessor
+      end
+      ['target_author_signature', 'parent_author_signature'].each do |acc|
+        accessors.delete acc
+      end
+      accessors
+  end
+
   def sender_handle= new_sender_handle
     @sender = Person.where(:diaspora_handle => new_sender_handle).first
   end
@@ -27,18 +38,25 @@ class RelayableRetraction
   end
 
   def subscribers(user)
-    @subscribers ||= self.target.subscribers(user)
+    self.target.subscribers(user)
   end
 
-  def self.initialize(sender, target)
-    self.sender = sender
-    self.target = target
+  def self.build(sender, target)
+    retraction = self.new
+    retraction.sender = sender
+    retraction.target = target
+    retraction.target_author_signature = retraction.sign_with_key(sender.encryption_key) if sender.person == target.author
+    retraction.parent_author_signature = retraction.sign_with_key(sender.encryption_key) if sender.person == target.parent.author
+    retraction
   end
 
   def target
     @target ||= self.target_type.constantize.where(:guid => target_guid).first
   end
 
+  def guid
+    target_guid
+  end
   def target= new_target
     @target = new_target
     @target_type = new_target.class.to_s
@@ -49,20 +67,18 @@ class RelayableRetraction
     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}")
+    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?
+    if self.target.nil?
+      Rails.logger.info("event=retraction status=abort reason='no post found' sender=#{sender.diaspora_handle} target_guid=#{target_guid}")
+      return
+    elsif 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
@@ -82,6 +98,6 @@ class RelayableRetraction
   end
 
   def target_author_signature_valid?
-    verify_signature(self.target_author_signature, self.author)
+    verify_signature(self.target_author_signature, self.target.author)
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 4affaed8d..190f5370f 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -218,14 +218,14 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   ######### Posts and Such ###############
   def retract(post)
-    aspects = post.aspects
-
     if post.relayable
-      retraction = RelayableRetraction.new(self, post)
+      aspects = post.parent.aspects
+      retraction = RelayableRetraction.build(self, post)
     else
+      aspects = post.aspects
       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
+    retraction.perform(self)
     mailman = Postzord::Dispatch.new(self, retraction)
     mailman.post
 
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/encryptable.rb b/lib/diaspora/encryptable.rb
index b79c33b86..53cf4fc1d 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/encryptable.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/encryptable.rb
@@ -2,16 +2,16 @@ module Diaspora
   module Encryptable
     def verify_signature(signature, person)
       if person.nil?
-        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_person guid=#{self.guid} model_id=#{self.id}")
+        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_person guid=#{self.guid}")
         return false
       elsif person.public_key.nil?
-        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_key guid=#{self.guid} model_id=#{self.id}")
+        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_key guid=#{self.guid}")
         return false
       elsif signature.nil?
-        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_signature guid=#{self.guid} model_id=#{self.id}")
+        Rails.logger.info("event=verify_signature status=abort reason=no_signature guid=#{self.guid}")
         return false
       end
-      log_string = "event=verify_signature status=complete model_id=#{id}"
+      log_string = "event=verify_signature status=complete guid=#{self.guid}"
       validity = person.public_key.verify "SHA", Base64.decode64(signature), signable_string
       log_string += " validity=#{validity}"
       Rails.logger.info(log_string)
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ module Diaspora
 
     def sign_with_key(key)
       sig = Base64.encode64(key.sign "SHA", signable_string)
-      Rails.logger.info("event=sign_with_key status=complete model_id=#{id}")
+      log_hash = {:event => :sign_with_key, :status => :complete}
+      log_hash.merge(:model_id => self.id) if self.respond_to?(:persisted?)
+      Rails.logger.info(log_hash)
       sig
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb b/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb
index 5d1b2d385..9056a35b0 100644
--- a/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/relayable_retraction_spec.rb
@@ -10,52 +10,110 @@ describe RelayableRetraction 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
+    before do
+      @comment= @local_luke.comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+      @retraction= @local_luke.retract(@comment)
+    end
     it 'delegates it to target' do
       arg = mock()
-      @retraction_by_parent_author.target.should_receive(:subscribers).with(arg)
-      @retraction_by_parent_author.subscribers(arg)
+      @retraction.target.should_receive(:subscribers).with(arg)
+      @retraction.subscribers(arg)
     end
   end
 
   describe '#receive' do
-    context 'from the downstream author' do
-      it 'signs' do
+    it 'discards a retraction with a nil target' do
+      @comment= @local_luke.comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+      @retraction= @local_luke.retract(@comment)
 
+      @retraction.instance_variable_set(:@target, nil)
+      @retraction.target_guid = 135245
+      @retraction.should_not_receive(:perform)
+      @retraction.receive(@local_luke, @remote_raphael)
+    end
+    context 'from the downstream author' do
+      before do
+        @comment = @local_leia.comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+        @retraction = @local_leia.retract(@comment)
+        @recipient = @local_luke
+      end
+      it 'signs' do
+        @retraction.should_receive(:sign_with_key) do |key|
+          key.to_s.should ==  @recipient.encryption_key.to_s
+        end
+        @retraction.receive(@recipient, @comment.author)
       end
       it 'dispatches' do
-
+        zord = mock()
+        zord.should_receive(:post)
+        Postzord::Dispatch.should_receive(:new).with(@local_luke, @retraction).and_return zord
+        @retraction.receive(@recipient, @comment.author)
       end
       it 'performs' do
-
+        @retraction.should_receive(:perform).with(@local_luke)
+        @retraction.receive(@recipient, @comment.author)
       end
     end
     context 'from the upstream owner' do
+      before do
+        @comment = @local_luke.comment("Yeah, it was great", :on => @remote_parent)
+        @retraction = RelayableRetraction.allocate
+        @retraction.sender = @remote_raphael
+        @retraction.target = @comment
+        @retraction.stub!(:parent_author_signature_valid?).and_return(true)
+        @recipient = @local_luke
+      end
       it 'performs' do
-
+        @retraction.should_receive(:perform).with(@recipient)
+        @retraction.receive(@recipient, @remote_raphael)
       end
       it 'does not dispatch' do
-
+        Postzord::Dispatch.should_not_receive(:new)
+        @retraction.receive(@recipient, @remote_raphael)
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe 'xml' do
+    before do
+      @comment = @local_leia.comment("yo", :on => @local_parent)
+      @retraction = RelayableRetraction.build(@local_leia, @comment)
+      @retraction.parent_author_signature = 'PARENTSIGNATURE'
+      @retraction.target_author_signature = 'TARGETSIGNATURE'
+      @xml = @retraction.to_xml.to_s
+    end
     describe '#to_xml' do
-
+      it 'serializes target_guid' do
+        @xml.should include(@comment.guid)
+      end
+      it 'serializes target_type' do
+        @xml.should include(@comment.class.to_s)
+      end
+      it 'serializes sender_handle' do
+        @xml.should include(@local_leia.diaspora_handle)
+      end
+      it 'serializes signatures' do
+        @xml.should include('TARGETSIGNATURE')
+        @xml.should include('PARENTSIGNATURE')
+      end
     end
     describe '.from_xml' do
-
+      before do
+        @marshalled = RelayableRetraction.from_xml(@xml)
+      end
+      it 'marshals the target' do
+        @marshalled.target.should == @comment
+      end
+      it 'marshals the sender' do
+        @marshalled.sender.should == @local_leia.person
+      end
+      it 'marshals the signature' do
+        @marshalled.target_author_signature.should == 'TARGETSIGNATURE'
+        @marshalled.parent_author_signature.should == 'PARENTSIGNATURE'
+      end
     end
   end
 end