diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index a7f98aac4..a9da458fa 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -347,8 +347,17 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                                                        'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in open(searchFilename).read():
                                                         with open(searchFilename, 'r') as fp:
                                                             postJson=commentjson.load(fp)
-                                                            repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
-                                                        replyFound=True
+                                                            if postJson['object'].get('cc'):                                                            
+                                                                if authorized or \
+                                                                   ('https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['to'] or \
+                                                                    'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['cc']):
+                                                                    repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
+                                                                    replyFound=True
+                                                            else:
+                                                                if authorized or \
+                                                                   'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['to']:
+                                                                    repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
+                                                                    replyFound=True
                                                     break
                                             # if not in either inbox or outbox then examine the shared inbox
                                             if not replyFound:
@@ -363,7 +372,15 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                                                         # get the json of the reply and append it to the collection
                                                         with open(searchFilename, 'r') as fp:
                                                             postJson=commentjson.load(fp)
-                                                            repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
+                                                            if postJson['object'].get('cc'):                                                            
+                                                                if authorized or \
+                                                                   ('https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['to'] or \
+                                                                    'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['cc']):
+                                                                    repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
+                                                            else:
+                                                                if authorized or \
+                                                                   'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public' in postJson['object']['to']:
+                                                                    repliesJson['orderedItems'].append(postJson)
                                     # send the replies json
                                     self._set_headers('application/json')
                                     self.wfile.write(json.dumps(repliesJson).encode('utf-8'))
diff --git a/inbox.py b/inbox.py
index 6dde3ee95..734171657 100644
--- a/inbox.py
+++ b/inbox.py
@@ -640,18 +640,17 @@ def populateReplies(baseDir :str,httpPrefix :str,domain :str, \
     """Updates the list of replies for a post on this domain if 
     a reply to it arrives
     """
-    replyTo=None
     if not messageJson.get('id'):
         return False
-    if messageJson.get('inReplyTo'):
-        replyTo=messageJson['inReplyTo']
-    else:
-        if messageJson.get('object'):
-            if isinstance(messageJson['object'], dict):
-                if messageJson['object'].get('inReplyTo'):
-                    replyTo=messageJson['object']['inReplyTo']
-    if not replyTo:
+    if not messageJson.get('object'):
         return False
+    if not isinstance(messageJson['object'], dict):
+        return False
+    if not messageJson['object'].get('inReplyTo'):
+        return False
+    if not messageJson['object'].get('to'):
+        return False
+    replyTo=messageJson['object']['inReplyTo']
     if debug:
         print('DEBUG: post contains a reply')
     # is this a reply to a post on this domain?