diff --git a/follow.py b/follow.py
index 73fc2eb90..e229502f8 100644
--- a/follow.py
+++ b/follow.py
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ def is_following_actor(base_dir: str,
     following_file = base_dir + '/accounts/' + handle + '/following.txt'
     if not os.path.isfile(following_file):
         return False
+    if actor.startswith('@'):
+        actor = actor[1:]
     if actor.lower() in open(following_file).read().lower():
         return True
     following_nickname = get_nickname_from_actor(actor)
diff --git a/webapp_podcast.py b/webapp_podcast.py
index 3dedca232..80e9dd2c7 100644
--- a/webapp_podcast.py
+++ b/webapp_podcast.py
@@ -32,14 +32,15 @@ def _html_podcast_social_interactions(podcast_properties: {},
         return ''
     if not podcast_properties['socialInteract'].get('text'):
         return ''
-    post_url = podcast_properties['socialInteract']['text']
+    episode_post_url = podcast_properties['socialInteract']['text']
+
     podcast_str = \
         '<center>\n' + \
         '  <a href="/users/' + nickname + \
-        '?replyto=' + post_url + '" target="_blank" ' + \
+        '?replyto=' + episode_post_url + '" target="_blank" ' + \
         'rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">💬 ' + \
         translate['Leave a comment'] + '</a>\n' + \
-        '  <a href="' + post_url + '" target="_blank" ' + \
+        '  <a href="' + episode_post_url + '" target="_blank" ' + \
         'rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">' + \
         translate['View comments'] + '</a>\n' + \
         '</center>\n'