diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 09fa55e..f19774c 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ d_char *msg_admiration(snac *snac, char *object, char *type)
     /* call the object */
     timeline_request(snac, object, snac->actor);
 
-    if ((a_msg = timeline_find(snac, object)) != NULL) {
+    if (valid_status(object_get(object, &a_msg, NULL))) {
         xs *rcpts = xs_list_new();
 
         msg = msg_base(snac, type, "@dummy", snac->actor, "@now", object);
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ d_char *msg_note(snac *snac, char *content, char *rcpts, char *in_reply_to, char
         /* demand this thing */
         timeline_request(snac, in_reply_to, NULL);
 
-        if ((p_msg = timeline_find(snac, in_reply_to)) != NULL) {
+        if (valid_status(object_get(in_reply_to, &p_msg, NULL))) {
             /* add this author as recipient */
             char *a, *v;
 
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ int process_message(snac *snac, char *msg, char *req)
 
         timeline_request(snac, object, actor);
 
-        if ((a_msg = timeline_find(snac, object)) != NULL) {
+        if (valid_status(object_get(object, &a_msg, NULL))) {
             char *who = xs_dict_get(a_msg, "attributedTo");
 
             if (who && !is_muted(snac, who)) {
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index a530f22..aee03e2 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -738,56 +738,11 @@ d_char *follower_list(snac *snac)
 
 double timeline_mtime(snac *snac)
 {
-    xs *fn = xs_fmt("%s/timeline", snac->basedir);
+    xs *fn = xs_fmt("%s/private.idx", snac->basedir);
     return mtime(fn);
 }
 
 
-d_char *_timeline_find_fn(snac *snac, char *id)
-/* returns the file name of a timeline entry by its id */
-{
-    xs *md5  = xs_md5_hex(id, strlen(id));
-    xs *spec = xs_fmt("%s/timeline/" "*-%s.json", snac->basedir, md5);
-    xs *list = NULL;
-    d_char *fn = NULL;
-    int l;
-
-    list = xs_glob(spec, 0, 0);
-    l = xs_list_len(list);
-
-    /* if there is something, get the first one */
-    if (l > 0) {
-        fn = xs_str_new(xs_list_get(list, 0));
-
-        if (l > 1)
-            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("**ALERT** _timeline_find_fn %d > 1", l));
-    }
-
-    return fn;
-}
-
-
-d_char *timeline_find(snac *snac, char *id)
-/* gets a message from the timeline by id */
-{
-    xs *fn      = _timeline_find_fn(snac, id);
-    d_char *msg = NULL;
-
-    if (fn != NULL) {
-        FILE *f;
-
-        if ((f = fopen(fn, "r")) != NULL) {
-            xs *j = xs_readall(f);
-
-            msg = xs_json_loads(j);
-            fclose(f);
-        }
-    }
-
-    return msg;
-}
-
-
 int timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id)
 /* deletes a message from the timeline */
 {
@@ -800,16 +755,6 @@ int timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id)
 }
 
 
-d_char *_timeline_new_fn(snac *snac, char *id)
-/* creates a new filename */
-{
-    xs *ntid = tid(0);
-    xs *md5  = xs_md5_hex(id, strlen(id));
-
-    return xs_fmt("%s/timeline/%s-%s.json", snac->basedir, ntid, md5);
-}
-
-
 void timeline_update_indexes(snac *snac, const char *id)
 /* updates the indexes */
 {
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index e4a73d8..3d7d8fd 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ int follower_check(snac *snac, const char *actor);
 d_char *follower_list(snac *snac);
 
 double timeline_mtime(snac *snac);
-d_char *_timeline_find_fn(snac *snac, char *id);
-d_char *timeline_find(snac *snac, char *id);
 int timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id);
 d_char *timeline_list(snac *snac, const char *idx_name, int max);
 int timeline_add(snac *snac, char *id, char *o_msg, char *parent, char *referrer);