diff --git a/epicyon.py b/epicyon.py
index 9a9381f32..82a1fa6bc 100644
--- a/epicyon.py
+++ b/epicyon.py
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ from blocking import get_blocks_via_server
 from poison import html_poisoned
 from poison import load_dictionary
 from poison import load_2grams
+from webapp_post import get_instance_software
 
 
 def str2bool(value_str) -> bool:
@@ -1344,45 +1345,29 @@ def _command_options() -> None:
         if '/' in instance_domain_name:
             instance_domain_name = instance_domain_name.split('/')[0]
         session = create_session(proxy_type)
-        profile_str = 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams'
-        as_header = {
-            'Accept': 'application/ld+json; profile="' + profile_str + '"'
-        }
+        instance_softw = {}
         if not argb.domain:
             argb.domain = get_config_param(base_dir, 'domain')
         domain = ''
         if argb.domain:
             domain = argb.domain
-        signing_priv_key_pem = get_instance_actor_key(base_dir, domain)
+        if not argb.domain:
+            origin_domain = get_config_param(base_dir, 'domain')
+        else:
+            origin_domain = argb.domain
+        signing_priv_key_pem = get_instance_actor_key(base_dir, origin_domain)
         mitm_servers: list[str] = []
-
-        nodeinfo1_url = \
-            http_prefix + '://' + instance_domain_name + \
-            '/.well-known/nodeinfo'
-        nodeinfo1_json = get_json(signing_priv_key_pem, session, nodeinfo1_url,
-                                  as_header, None, debug, mitm_servers,
-                                  __version__, http_prefix, domain)
-        nodeinfo_url = None
-        if get_json_valid(nodeinfo1_json):
-            if nodeinfo1_json.get('links'):
-                if isinstance(nodeinfo1_json['links'], list):
-                    if len(nodeinfo1_json['links']) > 0:
-                        if nodeinfo1_json['links'][0].get('href'):
-                            href = nodeinfo1_json['links'][0]['href']
-                            if isinstance(href, str):
-                                nodeinfo_url = href
-        if nodeinfo_url:
-            nodeinfo_json = \
-                get_json(signing_priv_key_pem, session, nodeinfo_url,
-                         as_header, None, debug, mitm_servers,
-                         __version__, http_prefix, domain)
-            if get_json_valid(nodeinfo_json):
-                if nodeinfo_json.get('software'):
-                    if isinstance(nodeinfo_json['software'], dict):
-                        if nodeinfo_json['software'].get('name'):
-                            if isinstance(nodeinfo_json['software']['name'],
-                                          str):
-                                print(nodeinfo_json['software']['name'])
+        software_name = \
+            get_instance_software(base_dir, session,
+                                  http_prefix,
+                                  instance_domain_name,
+                                  instance_softw,
+                                  signing_priv_key_pem,
+                                  debug,
+                                  http_prefix, domain,
+                                  mitm_servers, False)
+        if software_name:
+            print(software_name.split(' ')[1])
         session.close()
         sys.exit()
 
diff --git a/webapp_post.py b/webapp_post.py
index bb8f6b0da..7e9d0accb 100644
--- a/webapp_post.py
+++ b/webapp_post.py
@@ -152,14 +152,15 @@ def _get_instance_software_html(title_str: str, software_name: str) -> str:
     return instance_str
 
 
-def _get_instance_software(base_dir: str, session,
-                           instance_http_prefix: str,
-                           instance_domain: str,
-                           instance_software: {},
-                           signing_priv_key_pem: str,
-                           debug: bool,
-                           http_prefix: str, domain: str,
-                           mitm_servers: []) -> str:
+def get_instance_software(base_dir: str, session,
+                          instance_http_prefix: str,
+                          instance_domain: str,
+                          instance_software: {},
+                          signing_priv_key_pem: str,
+                          debug: bool,
+                          http_prefix: str, domain: str,
+                          mitm_servers: [],
+                          store: bool) -> str:
     """returns the type of instance software for the given
     instance domain eg. mastodon, epicyon, pixelfed
     """
@@ -216,8 +217,10 @@ def _get_instance_software(base_dir: str, session,
         return ''
     software_name = remove_html(software_name)
     instance_software[instance_domain] = software_name
-    instance_software_filename = data_dir(base_dir) + '/instance_software.json'
-    save_json(instance_software, instance_software_filename)
+    if store:
+        instance_software_filename = \
+            data_dir(base_dir) + '/instance_software.json'
+        save_json(instance_software, instance_software_filename)
     return instance_domain + ' ' + software_name
 
 
@@ -2788,14 +2791,14 @@ def individual_post_as_html(signing_priv_key_pem: str,
     if '://' in instance_actor:
         instance_http_prefix = instance_actor.split('://')[0]
     software_name = \
-        _get_instance_software(base_dir, session,
-                               instance_http_prefix,
-                               instance_actor,
-                               instance_software,
-                               signing_priv_key_pem,
-                               False,
-                               http_prefix, domain,
-                               mitm_servers)
+        get_instance_software(base_dir, session,
+                              instance_http_prefix,
+                              instance_actor,
+                              instance_software,
+                              signing_priv_key_pem,
+                              False,
+                              http_prefix, domain,
+                              mitm_servers, True)
 
     # get the title: x replies to y, x announces y, etc
     (title_str2,