diff --git a/app/controllers/likes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/likes_controller.rb
index 6767464f7..20fe1dd69 100644
--- a/app/controllers/likes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/likes_controller.rb
@@ -31,13 +31,9 @@ class LikesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def index
-    @likes = like_service.find_for_post(params[:post_id]).includes(author: :profile)
-    @people = @likes.map(&:author)
-
-    respond_to do |format|
-      format.all { render :layout => false }
-      format.json { render :json => @likes.as_api_response(:backbone) }
-    end
+    render json: like_service.find_for_post(params[:post_id])
+      .includes(author: :profile)
+      .as_api_response(:backbone)
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/app/views/likes/_likes.haml b/app/views/likes/_likes.haml
deleted file mode 100644
index a960df447..000000000
--- a/app/views/likes/_likes.haml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
--#   Copyright (c) 2010-2011, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
--#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
--#   the COPYRIGHT file.
-
-- @people[0..17].each do |person|
-  = person_image_link(person, size: :thumb_small)
diff --git a/app/views/likes/index.html.haml b/app/views/likes/index.html.haml
deleted file mode 100644
index 3fe13daaa..000000000
--- a/app/views/likes/index.html.haml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-= render 'likes', :likes => @likes
diff --git a/spec/controllers/likes_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/likes_controller_spec.rb
index f26306776..b9935a70f 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/likes_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/likes_controller_spec.rb
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ describe LikesController, type: :controller do
     it "returns an array of likes for a post" do
       bob.like!(@message)
       get :index, post_id: @message.id
-      expect(assigns[:likes].map(&:id)).to eq(@message.likes.map(&:id))
+      expect(JSON.parse(response.body).map {|h| h["id"] }).to match_array(@message.likes.map(&:id))
     end
 
     it "returns an empty array for a post with no likes" do
       get :index, post_id: @message.id
-      expect(assigns[:likes]).to eq([])
+      expect(JSON.parse(response.body).map(&:id)).to eq([])
     end
   end