diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation.rb
index cfa0299..d7e23e2 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation.rb
@@ -22,13 +22,22 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         sender == author
       end
 
-      # Default implementation, don't verify signatures for a {Participation}.
+      # validates that the parent exists and the parent author is local
+      def validate_parent
+        parent = DiasporaFederation.callbacks.trigger(:fetch_related_entity, parent_type, parent_guid)
+        raise ParentNotLocal, "parent: #{parent_type}:#{parent_guid}" unless parent && parent.local
+      end
+
+      # Don't verify signatures for a {Participation}. Validate that the parent is local.
       # @see Entity.populate_entity
-      # @deprecated remove after {Participation} doesn't include {Relayable} anymore
       # @param [Nokogiri::XML::Element] root_node xml nodes
       # @return [Entity] instance
       private_class_method def self.populate_entity(root_node)
-        new(entity_data(root_node).merge(parent: nil))
+        new(entity_data(root_node).merge(parent: nil)).tap(&:validate_parent)
+      end
+
+      # Raised, if the parent is not owned by the receiving pod.
+      class ParentNotLocal < RuntimeError
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation_spec.rb
index fd091ae..cc62b02 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/entities/participation_spec.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ XML
       end
     end
 
-    context "relayable signature verification" do
+    context "parse xml" do
       it "does not verify the signature" do
         data.merge!(author_signature: "aa", parent_author_signature: "bb")
         xml = Entities::Participation.new(data).to_xml
@@ -53,6 +53,39 @@ XML
           Entities::Participation.from_xml(xml)
         }.not_to raise_error
       end
+
+      describe "#validate_parent" do
+        let(:xml) {
+          allow(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).and_call_original
+          Entities::Participation.new(data).to_xml
+        }
+
+        it "succeeds when the parent is local" do
+          local_parent = FactoryGirl.build(:related_entity, local: true)
+          expect_callback(:fetch_related_entity, parent.entity_type, parent.guid).and_return(local_parent)
+
+          expect {
+            Entities::Participation.from_xml(xml)
+          }.not_to raise_error
+        end
+
+        it "raises ParentNotLocal when the parent is not found" do
+          expect_callback(:fetch_related_entity, parent.entity_type, parent.guid).and_return(nil)
+
+          expect {
+            Entities::Participation.from_xml(xml)
+          }.to raise_error Entities::Participation::ParentNotLocal, "parent: #{parent.entity_type}:#{parent.guid}"
+        end
+
+        it "raises ParentNotLocal when the parent is not local" do
+          remote_parent = FactoryGirl.build(:related_entity, local: false)
+          expect_callback(:fetch_related_entity, parent.entity_type, parent.guid).and_return(remote_parent)
+
+          expect {
+            Entities::Participation.from_xml(xml)
+          }.to raise_error Entities::Participation::ParentNotLocal, "parent: #{parent.entity_type}:#{parent.guid}"
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end