diff --git a/follow.py b/follow.py
index dc917cd29..cbcd07ed6 100644
--- a/follow.py
+++ b/follow.py
@@ -278,7 +278,12 @@ def getNoOfFollows(baseDir: str, nickname: str, domain: str,
                '.' in line and \
                not line.startswith('http'):
                 ctr += 1
-            elif line.startswith('http') and '/users/' in line:
+            elif ((line.startswith('http') or
+                   line.startswith('dat')) and
+                  ('/users/' in line or
+                   '/profile/' in line or
+                   '/accounts/' in line or
+                   '/channel/' in line)):
                 ctr += 1
     return ctr
 
@@ -487,7 +492,7 @@ def storeFollowRequest(baseDir: str,
                        nicknameToFollow: str, domainToFollow: str, port: int,
                        nickname: str, domain: str, fromPort: int,
                        followJson: {},
-                       debug: bool) -> bool:
+                       debug: bool, personUrl: str) -> bool:
     """Stores the follow request for later use
     """
     accountsDir = baseDir + '/accounts/' + \
@@ -539,17 +544,23 @@ def storeFollowRequest(baseDir: str,
 
     # add to a file which contains a list of requests
     approveFollowsFilename = accountsDir + '/followrequests.txt'
+
+    # store either nick@domain or the full person/actor url
+    approveHandleStored = approveHandle
+    if '/users/' not in personUrl:
+        approveHandleStored = personUrl
+
     if os.path.isfile(approveFollowsFilename):
         if approveHandle not in open(approveFollowsFilename).read():
             with open(approveFollowsFilename, 'a+') as fp:
-                fp.write(approveHandle + '\n')
+                fp.write(approveHandleStored + '\n')
         else:
             if debug:
-                print('DEBUG: ' + approveHandle +
+                print('DEBUG: ' + approveHandleStored +
                       ' is already awaiting approval')
     else:
         with open(approveFollowsFilename, "w+") as fp:
-            fp.write(approveHandle + '\n')
+            fp.write(approveHandleStored + '\n')
 
     # store the follow request in its own directory
     # We don't rely upon the inbox because items in there could expire
@@ -690,7 +701,7 @@ def receiveFollowRequest(session, baseDir: str, httpPrefix: str,
         return storeFollowRequest(baseDir,
                                   nicknameToFollow, domainToFollow, port,
                                   nickname, domain, fromPort,
-                                  messageJson, debug)
+                                  messageJson, debug, messageJson['actor'])
     else:
         print('Follow request does not require approval')
         # update the followers
diff --git a/manualapprove.py b/manualapprove.py
index b4252bc6a..5bb3c3be8 100644
--- a/manualapprove.py
+++ b/manualapprove.py
@@ -98,8 +98,29 @@ def manualApproveFollowRequest(session, baseDir: str,
         print('Manual follow accept: follow requests file ' +
               approveFollowsFilename + ' not found')
         return
+
     # is the handle in the requests file?
-    if approveHandle not in open(approveFollowsFilename).read():
+    approveFollowsStr = ''
+    with open(approveFollowsFilename, 'r') as fpFollowers:
+        approveFollowsStr = fpFollowers.read()
+    exists = True
+    approveHandleFull = approveHandle
+    if approveHandle not in approveFollowsStr:
+        exists = False
+    elif '@' in approveHandle:
+        reqNick = approveHandle.split('@')[0]
+        reqDomain = approveHandle.split('@')[1].strip()
+        reqPrefix = httpPrefix + '://' + reqDomain
+        if reqPrefix + '/profile/' + reqNick not in approveFollowsStr:
+            exists = False
+            approveHandleFull = reqPrefix + '/profile/' + reqNick
+        elif reqPrefix + '/channel/' + reqNick not in approveFollowsStr:
+            exists = False
+            approveHandleFull = reqPrefix + '/channel/' + reqNick
+        elif reqPrefix + '/accounts/' + reqNick not in approveFollowsStr:
+            exists = False
+            approveHandleFull = reqPrefix + '/accounts/' + reqNick
+    if not exists:
         print('Manual follow accept: ' + approveHandle +
               ' not in requests file ' + approveFollowsFilename)
         return
@@ -157,28 +178,28 @@ def manualApproveFollowRequest(session, baseDir: str,
         # update the followers
         print('Manual follow accept: updating ' + followersFilename)
         if os.path.isfile(followersFilename):
-            if approveHandle not in open(followersFilename).read():
+            if approveHandleFull not in open(followersFilename).read():
                 try:
                     with open(followersFilename, 'r+') as followersFile:
                         content = followersFile.read()
                         followersFile.seek(0, 0)
-                        followersFile.write(approveHandle + '\n' + content)
+                        followersFile.write(approveHandleFull + '\n' + content)
                 except Exception as e:
                     print('WARN: Manual follow accept. ' +
                           'Failed to write entry to followers file ' + str(e))
             else:
-                print('WARN: Manual follow accept: ' + approveHandle +
+                print('WARN: Manual follow accept: ' + approveHandleFull +
                       ' already exists in ' + followersFilename)
         else:
             print('Manual follow accept: first follower accepted for ' +
-                  handle + ' is ' + approveHandle)
+                  handle + ' is ' + approveHandleFull)
             followersFile = open(followersFilename, "w+")
-            followersFile.write(approveHandle + '\n')
+            followersFile.write(approveHandleFull + '\n')
             followersFile.close()
 
     # only update the follow requests file if the follow is confirmed to be
     # in followers.txt
-    if approveHandle in open(followersFilename).read():
+    if approveHandleFull in open(followersFilename).read():
         # mark this handle as approved for following
         approveFollowerHandle(accountDir, approveHandle)
         # update the follow requests with the handles not yet approved