diff --git a/app/models/photo.rb b/app/models/photo.rb
index c9300f379..904d884f7 100644
--- a/app/models/photo.rb
+++ b/app/models/photo.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ class Photo < ActiveRecord::Base
     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/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index ddd4746ea..579dc06c4 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -18,22 +18,21 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
 
   has_many :photos, :dependent => :destroy, :foreign_key => :status_message_guid, :primary_key => :guid
 
-  # TODO: disabling presence_of_content() (and its specs in status_message_controller_spec.rb:125) is a quick and dirty fix for federation
   # a StatusMessage is federated before its photos are so presence_of_content() fails erroneously if no text is present
-  #validate :presence_of_content
+  # therefore, we put the validation in a before_destory callback instead of a validation
+  before_destroy :presence_of_content
 
   attr_accessible :text, :provider_display_name
   attr_accessor :oembed_url
 
   after_create :create_mentions
-
   after_create :queue_gather_oembed_data, :if => :contains_oembed_url_in_text?
 
   #scopes
   scope :where_person_is_mentioned, lambda { |person|
     joins(:mentions).where(:mentions => {:person_id => person.id})
   }
-  
+
   scope :commented_by, lambda { |person|
     select('DISTINCT posts.*').joins(:comments).where(:comments => {:author_id => person.id})
   }
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
   def raw_message=(text)
     write_attribute(:text, text)
   end
-  
+
   def nsfw?
     self.raw_message.include?('#nsfw')
   end
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
 
   def queue_gather_oembed_data
     Resque.enqueue(Jobs::GatherOEmbedData, self.id, self.oembed_url)
-  end 
+  end
 
   def contains_oembed_url_in_text?
     require 'uri'
@@ -192,8 +191,8 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
 
   protected
   def presence_of_content
-    if text_and_photos_blank?
-      errors[:base] << 'Status message requires a message or at least one photo'
+    unless text_and_photos_blank?
+      errors[:base] << "Cannot destory a StatusMessage with text and/or photos present"
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
index d3c133fe0..b1ae2fe27 100644
--- a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ describe Photo do
       @photo = Photo.diaspora_initialize(
                 :author => @user.person, :user_file => @image)
     end
-    
+
     it 'sets the persons diaspora handle' do
       @photo.diaspora_handle.should == @user.person.diaspora_handle
     end
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe Photo do
     context "with a url" do
       it 'saves the photo' do
         url = "https://service.com/user/profile_image"
-        
+
         photo_stub = stub.as_null_object
         photo_stub.should_receive(:remote_unprocessed_image_url=).with(url)
         Photo.stub(:new).and_return(photo_stub)
@@ -227,17 +227,19 @@ describe Photo do
       }.should change(Photo, :count).by(-1)
     end
 
-    it 'will delete parent status message iff message is otherwise empty' do
+    it 'will delete parent status message if message is otherwise empty' do
       expect {
         @photo2.destroy
       }.should change(StatusMessage, :count).by(-1)
     end
 
-    it 'will not delete parent status message iff message had other content' do
+    it 'will not delete parent status message if message had other content' do
+      @status_message.text = "Some text"
+      @status_message.save
+      @status_message.reload
+
       expect {
-        @status_message.text = "Some text"
-        @status_message.save
-        @status_message.reload
+        @photo2.status_message.reload
         @photo2.destroy
       }.should_not change(StatusMessage, :count)
     end