diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 498ba1f..79c20d7 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -279,46 +279,13 @@ d_char *recipient_list(snac *snac, char *msg, int expand_public)
 }
 
 
-#if 0
-d_char *inbox_list(snac *snac, char *msg)
-/* returns the list of inboxes that are recipients of this message */
-{
-    xs *rcpts = recipient_list(snac, msg, 1);
-    xs_set inboxes;
-    char *p, *v;
-
-    xs_set_init(&inboxes);
-
-    p = rcpts;
-    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
-        xs *inbox;
-
-        if ((inbox = get_actor_inbox(snac, v)) != NULL) {
-            /* add the inbox if it's not already there */
-            xs_set_add(&inboxes, inbox);
-        }
-        else
-            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("cannot find inbox for %s", v));
-    }
-
-    return xs_set_result(&inboxes);
-}
-#endif
-
-int is_msg_public(snac *snac, char *msg)
+int is_msg_public(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg)
 /* checks if a message is public */
 {
     int ret = 0;
     xs *rcpts = recipient_list(snac, msg, 0);
-    char *p, *v;
 
-    p = rcpts;
-    while (!ret && xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
-        if (strcmp(v, public_address) == 0)
-            ret = 1;
-    }
-
-    return ret;
+    return xs_list_in(rcpts, public_address) != -1;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 1b41944..4403bf4 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -1375,7 +1375,7 @@ void inbox_add(const char *inbox)
     xs *fn  = xs_fmt("%s/inbox/%s", srv_basedir, md5);
     FILE *f;
 
-    if ((f = fopen(fn, "w")) != NULL) {
+    if (strlen(inbox) < 256 && (f = fopen(fn, "w")) != NULL) {
         pthread_mutex_lock(&data_mutex);
 
         fprintf(f, "%s\n", inbox);
@@ -1397,15 +1397,36 @@ void inbox_add_by_actor(const xs_dict *actor)
 }
 
 
-#if 0
 xs_list *inbox_list(void)
 /* returns the collected inboxes as a list */
 {
-    xs_list *l = xs_list_new();
+    xs_list *ibl = xs_list_new();
+    xs *spec     = xs_fmt("%s/inbox/" "*", srv_basedir);
+    xs *files    = xs_glob(spec, 0, 0);
+    xs_list *p   = files;
+    xs_val *v;
 
-    return l;
+    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
+        FILE *f;
+
+        if ((f = fopen(v, "r")) != NULL) {
+            char line[256];
+
+            if (fgets(line, sizeof(line), f)) {
+                fclose(f);
+
+                int i = strlen(line);
+
+                if (i) {
+                    line[i - 1] = '\0';
+                    ibl = xs_list_append(ibl, line);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return ibl;
 }
-#endif
 
 
 /** the queue **/
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index 9cca864..3ad8891 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ d_char *history_list(snac *snac);
 
 void inbox_add(const char *inbox);
 void inbox_add_by_actor(const xs_dict *actor);
+xs_list *inbox_list(void);
 
 void enqueue_input(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg, xs_dict *req, int retries);
 void enqueue_output_raw(const char *keyid, const char *seckey,
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ int send_to_inbox(snac *snac, const xs_str *inbox, const xs_dict *msg,
                   xs_val **payload, int *p_size, int timeout);
 d_char *get_actor_inbox(snac *snac, char *actor);
 int send_to_actor(snac *snac, char *actor, char *msg, d_char **payload, int *p_size, int timeout);
-int is_msg_public(snac *snac, char *msg);
+int is_msg_public(snac *snac, xs_dict *msg);
 
 int process_user_queue(snac *snac);
 void process_queue_item(xs_dict *q_item);