diff --git a/src/activitypub/notes.js b/src/activitypub/notes.js
index 7264d5855d..95ece9b085 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/notes.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/notes.js
@@ -73,14 +73,17 @@ Notes.getParentChain = async (uid, input) => {
 	return chain;
 };
 
-Notes.assertParentChain = async (chain) => {
+Notes.assertParentChain = async (chain, tid) => {
 	const data = [];
 	chain.reduce((child, parent) => {
 		data.push([`pid:${parent.pid}:replies`, child.timestamp, child.pid]);
 		return parent;
 	});
 
-	await db.sortedSetAddBulk(data);
+	await Promise.all([
+		db.sortedSetAddBulk(data),
+		db.setObjectBulk(chain.map(post => [`post:${post.pid}`, { tid }])),
+	]);
 };
 
 Notes.assertTopic = async (uid, id) => {
@@ -92,22 +95,22 @@ Notes.assertTopic = async (uid, id) => {
 	 */
 
 	const chain = Array.from(await Notes.getParentChain(uid, id));
-	const { pid: tid, uid: authorId, timestamp, name, content } = chain[chain.length - 1];
-
+	let { pid: mainPid, tid, uid: authorId, timestamp, name, content } = chain[chain.length - 1];
 	const members = await db.isSortedSetMembers(`tidRemote:${tid}:posts`, chain.map(p => p.pid));
-	if (members.every(Boolean)) {
+	if (tid && members.every(Boolean)) {
 		// All cached, return early.
 		winston.info('[notes/assertTopic] No new notes to process.');
 		return tid;
 	}
 
-	let title = name || utils.stripHTMLTags(content);
-	if (title.length > 256) {
-		title = `${title.slice(0, 256)}...`;
-	}
-
+	tid = tid || utils.generateUUID();
 	const cid = await topics.getTopicField(tid, 'cid');
 
+	let title = name || utils.decodeHTMLEntities(utils.stripHTMLTags(content));
+	if (title.length > 64) {
+		title = `${title.slice(0, 64)}...`;
+	}
+
 	const unprocessed = chain.filter((p, idx) => !members[idx]);
 	winston.info(`[notes/assertTopic] ${unprocessed.length} new note(s) found.`);
 
@@ -121,16 +124,16 @@ Notes.assertTopic = async (uid, id) => {
 			tid,
 			uid: authorId,
 			cid: cid || -1,
-			mainPid: tid,
+			mainPid,
 			title,
-			slug: `remote?resource=${encodeURIComponent(tid)}`,
+			slug: `../world/${tid}`,
 			timestamp,
 		}),
 		db.sortedSetAdd(`tidRemote:${tid}:posts`, timestamps, ids),
 		Notes.assert(uid, unprocessed),
 	]);
 	await Promise.all([ // must be done after .assert()
-		Notes.assertParentChain(chain),
+		Notes.assertParentChain(chain, tid),
 		Notes.updateTopicCounts(tid),
 		topics.updateLastPostTimeFromLastPid(tid),
 		topics.updateTeaser(tid),
diff --git a/src/controllers/activitypub/topics.js b/src/controllers/activitypub/topics.js
index 5694625c1a..eaa51cd2f9 100644
--- a/src/controllers/activitypub/topics.js
+++ b/src/controllers/activitypub/topics.js
@@ -44,14 +44,13 @@ controller.get = async function (req, res, next) {
 	 * Ideally we would use the existing topicsController.get...
 	 * this controller may be a stopgap towards that end goal.
 	 */
-	const pid = await notes.resolveId(req.uid, req.query.resource);
-	if (pid !== req.query.resource) {
-		return helpers.redirect(res, `/topic/remote?resource=${pid}`, true);
-	}
+	// const pid = await notes.resolveId(req.uid, req.query.resource);
+	// if (pid !== req.query.resource) {
+	// 	return helpers.redirect(res, `/topic/remote?resource=${pid}`, true);
+	// }
 
-	const tid = await notes.assertTopic(req.uid, req.query.resource);
-
-	let postIndex = Math.max(1, await db.sortedSetRank(`tidRemote:${tid}:posts`, req.query.resource));
+	const tid = req.params.topic_id;
+	let postIndex = parseInt(req.params.post_index, 10) || 1;
 	const [
 		userPrivileges,
 		settings,
diff --git a/src/posts/data.js b/src/posts/data.js
index c73d2f6f0d..61738181de 100644
--- a/src/posts/data.js
+++ b/src/posts/data.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ function modifyPost(post, fields) {
 		if (activitypub.helpers.isUri(post.pid)) {
 			intFields.splice(intFields.indexOf('pid'), 1);
 			intFields.splice(intFields.indexOf('uid'), 1);
+			intFields.splice(intFields.indexOf('tid'), 1);
 		}
 		db.parseIntFields(post, intFields, fields);
 		if (post.hasOwnProperty('upvotes') && post.hasOwnProperty('downvotes')) {
diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub.js b/src/routes/activitypub.js
index 63efeafc13..8bd686308f 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub.js
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 const helpers = require('./helpers');
 
 module.exports = function (app, middleware, controllers) {
-	helpers.setupPageRoute(app, '/world/:view?', [middleware.activitypub.enabled], controllers.activitypub.topics.list);
+	helpers.setupPageRoute(app, '/world', [middleware.activitypub.enabled], controllers.activitypub.topics.list);
+	helpers.setupPageRoute(app, '/world/:topic_id/:post_index?', [middleware.activitypub.enabled], controllers.activitypub.topics.get);
 
 	/**
 	 * These controllers only respond if the sender is making an json+activitypub style call (i.e. S2S-only)
diff --git a/src/socket.io/topics/infinitescroll.js b/src/socket.io/topics/infinitescroll.js
index 7890500eb9..3b478154ee 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/topics/infinitescroll.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/topics/infinitescroll.js
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const validator = require('validator');
+
 const topics = require('../../topics');
 const privileges = require('../../privileges');
 const meta = require('../../meta');
 const utils = require('../../utils');
 const social = require('../../social');
-const activitypub = require('../../activitypub');
 
 module.exports = function (SocketTopics) {
 	SocketTopics.loadMore = async function (socket, data) {
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ module.exports = function (SocketTopics) {
 			throw new Error('[[error:no-privileges]]');
 		}
 
-		const setPrefix = activitypub.helpers.isUri(data.tid) ? 'tidRemote' : 'tid';
+		const setPrefix = validator.isUUID(String(data.tid)) ? 'tidRemote' : 'tid';
 		const set = data.topicPostSort === 'most_votes' ? `${setPrefix}:${data.tid}:posts:votes` : `${setPrefix}:${data.tid}:posts`;
 		const reverse = data.topicPostSort === 'newest_to_oldest' || data.topicPostSort === 'most_votes';
 		let start = Math.max(0, parseInt(data.after, 10));
diff --git a/src/topics/data.js b/src/topics/data.js
index 859de72395..18e68dcb26 100644
--- a/src/topics/data.js
+++ b/src/topics/data.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const categories = require('../categories');
 const utils = require('../utils');
 const translator = require('../translator');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
-const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
 
 const intFields = [
 	'tid', 'cid', 'uid', 'mainPid', 'postcount',
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 			fields.push('timestamp');
 		}
 
-		const keys = tids.map(tid => `${activitypub.helpers.isUri(tid) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic'}:${tid}`);
+		const keys = tids.map(tid => `${validator.isUUID(String(tid)) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic'}:${tid}`);
 		const topics = await db.getObjects(keys, fields);
 		const result = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:topic.getFields', {
 			tids: tids,
@@ -64,12 +63,12 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 	};
 
 	Topics.setTopicField = async function (tid, field, value) {
-		const setPrefix = activitypub.helpers.isUri(tid) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic';
+		const setPrefix = validator.isUUID(String(tid)) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic';
 		await db.setObjectField(`${setPrefix}:${tid}`, field, value);
 	};
 
 	Topics.setTopicFields = async function (tid, data) {
-		const setPrefix = activitypub.helpers.isUri(tid) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic';
+		const setPrefix = validator.isUUID(String(tid)) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic';
 		await db.setObject(`${setPrefix}:${tid}`, data);
 	};
 
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ function modifyTopic(topic, fields) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (activitypub.helpers.isUri(topic.tid)) {
+	if (validator.isUUID(String(topic.tid))) {
 		intFields.splice(intFields.indexOf('uid'), 1);
 		intFields.splice(intFields.indexOf('tid'), 1);
 	}
diff --git a/src/topics/index.js b/src/topics/index.js
index fbf21d0786..0f09e1444a 100644
--- a/src/topics/index.js
+++ b/src/topics/index.js
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ Topics.getTopicsByTids = async function (tids, options) {
 		const topics = await Topics.getTopicsData(tids);
 		const uids = _.uniq(topics
 			.map(t => t && t.uid && t.uid.toString())
-			.filter(v => utils.isNumber(v) || activitypub.helpers.isUri(v)));
+			.filter(v => utils.isNumber(v) || validator.isUUID(String(v))));
 		const cids = _.uniq(topics
 			.map(t => t && t.cid && t.cid.toString())
-			.filter(v => utils.isNumber(v) || activitypub.helpers.isUri(v)));
+			.filter(v => utils.isNumber(v) || validator.isUUID(String(v))));
 		const guestTopics = topics.filter(t => t && t.uid === 0);
 
 		async function loadGuestHandles() {
diff --git a/src/topics/posts.js b/src/topics/posts.js
index 6c9d53aee0..d55982f4f3 100644
--- a/src/topics/posts.js
+++ b/src/topics/posts.js
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 	Topics.getLatestUndeletedReply = async function (tid) {
 		let isDeleted = false;
 		let index = 0;
-		const setPrefix = activitypub.helpers.isUri(tid) ? 'tidRemote' : 'tid';
+		const setPrefix = validator.isUUID(String(tid)) ? 'tidRemote' : 'tid';
 		do {
 			/* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
 			const pids = await db.getSortedSetRevRange(`${setPrefix}:${tid}:posts`, index, index);
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 	};
 
 	async function incrementFieldAndUpdateSortedSet(tid, field, by, set) {
-		const value = await db.incrObjectFieldBy(`${activitypub.helpers.isUri(tid) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic'}:${tid}`, field, by);
+		const value = await db.incrObjectFieldBy(`${validator.isUUID(String(tid)) ? 'topicRemote' : 'topic'}:${tid}`, field, by);
 		await db[Array.isArray(set) ? 'sortedSetsAdd' : 'sortedSetAdd'](set, value, tid);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/topics/recent.js b/src/topics/recent.js
index 67c02d1975..d360a44f10 100644
--- a/src/topics/recent.js
+++ b/src/topics/recent.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
+const validator = require('validator');
+
 const db = require('../database');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const posts = require('../posts');
-const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
 
 module.exports = function (Topics) {
 	const terms = {
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 			data = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:topics.updateRecent', { tid: tid, timestamp: timestamp });
 		}
 		if (data && data.tid && data.timestamp) {
-			const setPrefix = activitypub.helpers.isUri(data.tid) ? 'topicsRemote' : 'topics';
+			const setPrefix = validator.isUUID(String(data.tid)) ? 'topicsRemote' : 'topics';
 			await db.sortedSetAdd(`${setPrefix}:recent`, data.timestamp, data.tid);
 		}
 	};