diff --git a/php/federator/api/fedusers/inbox.php b/php/federator/api/fedusers/inbox.php
index e951add..9e5dd71 100644
--- a/php/federator/api/fedusers/inbox.php
+++ b/php/federator/api/fedusers/inbox.php
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
         $user = $inboxActivity->getAActor(); // url of the sender https://contentnation.net/username
         $username = basename((string) (parse_url($user, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
         $domain = parse_url($user, PHP_URL_HOST);
+        $userId = $username . '@' . $domain;
+        $user = \Federator\DIO\FedUser::getUserByName(
+            $dbh,
+            $userId,
+            $cache
+        );
+        if ($user === null || $user->id === null) {
+            error_log("Inbox::post couldn't find user: $userId");
+            throw new \Federator\Exceptions\ServerError("Inbox::post couldn't find user: $userId");
+        }
 
         $users = [];
 
@@ -97,9 +107,26 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
                 && (filter_var($receiver, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL) !== false);
         });
 
-        if (!in_array($username, $receivers, true)) {
-            $receivers[] = $username;
+        // Special handling for Follow and Undo follow activities
+        if (strtolower($inboxActivity->getType()) === 'follow') {
+            // For Follow, the object should hold the target
+            $object = $inboxActivity->getObject();
+            if ($object !== null && is_string($object)) {
+                $receivers[] = $object;
+            }
+        } elseif (strtolower($inboxActivity->getType()) === 'undo') {
+            $object = $inboxActivity->getObject();
+            if ($object !== null && is_object($object)) {
+                // For Undo, the objects object should hold the target
+                if (strtolower($object->getType()) === 'follow') {
+                    $objObject = $object->getObject();
+                    if ($objObject !== null && is_string($objObject)) {
+                        $receivers[] = $objObject;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
+
         foreach ($receivers as $receiver) {
             if ($receiver === '' || !is_string($receiver)) {
                 continue;
@@ -136,14 +163,14 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
                     continue;
                 }
                 $receiverName = basename((string) (parse_url($receiver, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
-                $domain = parse_url($receiver, PHP_URL_HOST);
-                if ($receiverName === null || $domain === null) {
+                $ourDomain = parse_url($receiver, PHP_URL_HOST);
+                if ($receiverName === null || $ourDomain === null) {
                     error_log("Inbox::post no receiverName or domain found for receiver: " . $receiver);
                     continue;
                 }
-                $receiver = $receiverName . '@' . $domain;
+                $receiver = $receiverName . '@' . $ourDomain;
                 try {
-                    $user = \Federator\DIO\User::getUserByName(
+                    $localUser = \Federator\DIO\User::getUserByName(
                         $dbh,
                         $receiver,
                         $connector,
@@ -153,11 +180,11 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
                     error_log("Inbox::post get user by name: " . $receiver . ". Exception: " . $e->getMessage());
                     continue;
                 }
-                if ($user === null || $user->id === null) {
+                if ($localUser === null || $localUser->id === null) {
                     error_log("Inbox::post couldn't find user: $receiver");
                     continue;
                 }
-                $users[] = $user->id;
+                $users[] = $localUser->id;
             }
         }
 
@@ -172,15 +199,15 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
         }
 
         foreach ($users as $receiver) {
-            if (!isset($user)) {
+            if (!isset($receiver)) {
                 continue;
             }
             $token = \Resque::enqueue('inbox', 'Federator\\Jobs\\InboxJob', [
-                'user' => $username . '@' . $domain,
+                'user' => $user->id,
                 'recipientId' => $receiver,
                 'activity' => $inboxActivity->toObject(),
             ]);
-            error_log("Inbox::post enqueued job for user: $user with token: $token");
+            error_log("Inbox::post enqueued job for user: $user->id with token: $token");
         }
         return "success";
     }
@@ -241,12 +268,7 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
                 $success = false;
                 $actor = $inboxActivity->getAActor();
                 if ($actor !== '') {
-                    $followerUsername = basename((string) (parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
-                    $followerDomain = parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_HOST);
-                    if (is_string($followerDomain)) {
-                        $followerId = "{$followerUsername}@{$followerDomain}";
-                        $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::addFollow($dbh, $followerId, $user->id, $followerDomain);
-                    }
+                    $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::addExternalFollow($dbh, $inboxActivity->getID(), $user->id, $recipient->id);
                 }
                 if ($success === false) {
                     error_log("Inbox::postForUser: Failed to add follower for user $user->id");
@@ -273,12 +295,7 @@ class Inbox implements \Federator\Api\FedUsers\FedUsersInterface
                             if ($object instanceof \Federator\Data\ActivityPub\Common\Activity) {
                                 $actor = $object->getAActor();
                                 if ($actor !== '') {
-                                    $followerUsername = basename((string) (parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
-                                    $followerDomain = parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_HOST);
-                                    if (is_string($followerDomain)) {
-                                        $followerId = "{$followerUsername}@{$followerDomain}";
-                                        $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::removeFollow($dbh, $followerId, $user->id);
-                                    }
+                                    $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::removeFollow($dbh, $user->id, $recipient->id);
                                 }
                             }
                             if ($success === false) {
diff --git a/php/federator/api/v1/newcontent.php b/php/federator/api/v1/newcontent.php
index 9efd176..e5f63f7 100644
--- a/php/federator/api/v1/newcontent.php
+++ b/php/federator/api/v1/newcontent.php
@@ -276,21 +276,21 @@ class NewContent implements \Federator\Api\APIInterface
 
         switch ($type) {
             case 'Follow':
-                $success = false;
+                // $success = false;
                 $actor = $newActivity->getAActor();
                 if ($actor !== '') {
-                    $followerUsername = basename((string) (parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
-                    $followerDomain = parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_HOST);
+                    // $followerUsername = basename((string) (parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_PATH) ?? ''));
+                    // $followerDomain = parse_url($actor, PHP_URL_HOST);
                     $newIdUrl = \Federator\DIO\Followers::generateNewFollowId($dbh, $host);
                     $newActivity->setID($newIdUrl);
-                    if (is_string($followerDomain)) {
+                    /* if (is_string($followerDomain)) {
                         $followerId = "{$followerUsername}@{$followerDomain}";
-                        // $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::sendFollowRequest($dbh, $connector, $cache, $user->id, $followerId, $followerDomain);
-                    }
+                        $success = \Federator\DIO\Followers::sendFollowRequest($dbh, $connector, $cache, $user->id, $followerId, $followerDomain);
+                    } */
                 }
-                if ($success === false) {
+                /* if ($success === false) {
                     error_log("NewContent::postForUser Failed to add follower for user $user->id");
-                }
+                } */
                 break;
 
             case 'Delete':
diff --git a/php/federator/data/activitypub/common/follow.php b/php/federator/data/activitypub/common/follow.php
index cafcfcf..a1afa2c 100644
--- a/php/federator/data/activitypub/common/follow.php
+++ b/php/federator/data/activitypub/common/follow.php
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ class Follow extends Activity
         $this->object = $object;
     }
 
+    public function getObject(): string
+    {
+        return $this->object;
+    }
+
     public function __construct()
     {
         parent::__construct("Follow");
diff --git a/php/federator/dio/followers.php b/php/federator/dio/followers.php
index f7358d5..ce0161e 100644
--- a/php/federator/dio/followers.php
+++ b/php/federator/dio/followers.php
@@ -388,6 +388,47 @@ class Followers
         return $idurl; // Return the generated follow ID
     }
 
+    /**
+     * add follow
+     *
+     * @param \mysqli $dbh database handle
+     * @param string $followId the follow ID to use (should be an external url)
+     * @param string $sourceUser source user id
+     * @param string $targetUserId target user id
+     * @return boolean true on success, false on failure
+     */
+    public static function addExternalFollow($dbh, $followId, $sourceUser, $targetUserId)
+    {
+        // Check if we already follow this user
+        $sql = 'select id from follows where source_user = ? and target_user = ?';
+        $stmt = $dbh->prepare($sql);
+        if ($stmt === false) {
+            throw new \Federator\Exceptions\ServerError("Followers::addExternalFollow Failed to prepare statement");
+        }
+        $stmt->bind_param("ss", $sourceUser, $targetUserId);
+        $foundId = 0;
+        $ret = $stmt->bind_result($foundId);
+        $stmt->execute();
+        if ($ret) {
+            $stmt->fetch();
+        }
+        $stmt->close();
+        if ($foundId != 0) {
+            return false; // Already following this user
+        }
+
+        // Add follow with created_at timestamp
+        $sql = 'insert into follows (id, source_user, target_user, created_at) values (?, ?, ?, NOW())';
+        $stmt = $dbh->prepare($sql);
+        if ($stmt === false) {
+            throw new \Federator\Exceptions\ServerError("Followers::addExternalFollow Failed to prepare insert statement");
+        }
+        $stmt->bind_param("sss", $followId, $sourceUser, $targetUserId);
+        $stmt->execute();
+        $stmt->close();
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * generate new follow id
      *