diff --git a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
index 51cdf7bae..8f7806a18 100644
--- a/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/comments_controller.rb
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ class CommentsController < ApplicationController
     target = current_user.find_visible_post_by_id params[:comment][:post_id]
     text = params[:comment][:text]
 
-    @comment = current_user.comment(text, :on => target) if target
-    if @comment
+    @comment = current_user.build_comment(text, :on => target)
+
+    if @comment.save(:safe => true)
+      raise 'MongoMapper failed to catch a failed save' unless @comment.id
       Rails.logger.info("event=comment_create user=#{current_user.diaspora_handle} status=success comment=#{@comment.id}")
 
+      current_user.dispatch_comment(@comment)
+
       respond_to do |format|
         format.js{ render :json => { :post_id => @comment.post_id,
                                      :comment_id => @comment.id,
diff --git a/app/models/comment.rb b/app/models/comment.rb
index f7390a16a..524fcbf05 100644
--- a/app/models/comment.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class Comment
   belongs_to :post,   :class_name => "Post"
   belongs_to :person, :class_name => "Person"
 
-  validates_presence_of :text, :diaspora_handle
+  validates_presence_of :text, :diaspora_handle, :post
   validates_with HandleValidator
 
   before_save do
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 002c01cd1..c19aaf592 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class User
 
   def build_post(class_name, opts = {})
     opts[:person] = self.person
-    opts[:diaspora_handle] = self.person.diaspora_handle
+    opts[:diaspora_handle] = opts[:person].diaspora_handle
 
     model_class = class_name.to_s.camelize.constantize
     model_class.instantiate(opts)
@@ -164,9 +164,12 @@ class User
     aspect_ids = validate_aspect_permissions(aspect_ids)
     self.raw_visible_posts << post
     self.save
+
+    #socket post
     Rails.logger.info("event=dispatch user=#{diaspora_handle} post=#{post.id.to_s}")
     push_to_aspects(post, aspect_ids)
     post.socket_to_uid(id, :aspect_ids => aspect_ids) if post.respond_to?(:socket_to_uid) && !post.pending
+
     if post.public
       self.services.each do |service|
         self.send("post_to_#{service.provider}".to_sym, service, post.message)
@@ -271,35 +274,41 @@ class User
   ######## Commenting  ########
   def comment(text, options = {})
     comment = build_comment(text, options)
-    if comment
+
+    if comment.save
+      raise 'MongoMapper failed to catch a failed save' unless comment.id
       dispatch_comment comment
-      comment.socket_to_uid id
     end
     comment
   end
 
   def build_comment(text, options = {})
-    raise "must comment on something!" unless options[:on]
-    comment = Comment.new(:person_id => self.person.id, :diaspora_handle => self.person.diaspora_handle, :text => text, :post => options[:on])
-    comment.creator_signature = comment.sign_with_key(encryption_key)
-    if comment.save
-      comment
-    else
-      Rails.logger.warn "event=build_comment status=save_failure user=#{self.diaspora_handle} comment=#{comment.id}"
-      false
+    comment = Comment.new(:person_id => self.person.id,
+                          :diaspora_handle => self.person.diaspora_handle,
+                          :text => text,
+                          :post => options[:on])
+
+    #sign comment as commenter
+    comment.creator_signature = comment.sign_with_key(self.encryption_key)
+
+    if !comment.post_id.blank? && owns?(comment.post)
+      #sign comment as post owner
+      comment.post_creator_signature = comment.sign_with_key(self.encryption_key)
     end
+
+    comment
   end
 
   def dispatch_comment(comment)
     if owns? comment.post
+      #push DOWNSTREAM (to original audience)
       Rails.logger.info "event=dispatch_comment direction=downstream user=#{self.diaspora_handle} comment=#{comment.id}"
-      comment.post_creator_signature = comment.sign_with_key(encryption_key)
-      comment.save
       aspects = aspects_with_post(comment.post_id)
       push_to_people(comment, people_in_aspects(aspects))
+
     elsif owns? comment
+      #push UPSTREAM (to poster)
       Rails.logger.info "event=dispatch_comment direction=upstream user=#{self.diaspora_handle} comment=#{comment.id}"
-      comment.save
       push_to_people comment, [comment.post.person]
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora/user/receiving.rb b/lib/diaspora/user/receiving.rb
index a69ad11c3..62809085c 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora/user/receiving.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora/user/receiving.rb
@@ -100,18 +100,32 @@ module Diaspora
       end
 
       def receive_comment comment
+    
+        commenter = comment.person
+      
         unless comment.post.person == self.person || comment.verify_post_creator_signature
           Rails.logger.info("event=receive status=abort reason='comment signature not valid' recipient=#{self.diaspora_handle} sender=#{comment.post.person.diaspora_handle} payload_type=#{comment.class} post_id=#{comment.post_id}")
           return
         end
-        self.visible_people = self.visible_people | [comment.person]
+
+        self.visible_people = self.visible_people | [commenter]
         self.save
-        comment.person.save
-        comment.save!
+
+        commenter.save
+
+        #sign comment as the post creator if you've been hit UPSTREAM
+        if owns? comment.post
+          comment.post_creator_signature = comment.sign_with_key(encryption_key)
+          comment.save
+        end
+
+        #dispatch comment DOWNSTREAM, received it via UPSTREAM
         unless owns?(comment)
           dispatch_comment comment
+          comment.save
         end
-        comment.socket_to_uid(id)  if (comment.respond_to?(:socket_to_uid) && !self.owns?(comment))
+
+        comment.socket_to_uid(self.id, :aspect_ids => comment.post.aspect_ids)
         comment
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/comments_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/comments_controller_spec.rb
index 4074792a9..0c2e94c07 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/comments_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/comments_controller_spec.rb
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ describe CommentsController do
 
   before do
     sign_in :user, user
+    EM.stub!(:next_tick).and_yield(:block)
   end
 
   describe '#create' do
     let(:comment_hash) {
       {:comment =>{
         :text =>"facebook, is that you?", 
-        :post_id     =>"#{@post.id}"}}
+        :post_id =>"#{@post.id}"}}
     }
 
     context "on a post from a contact" do