diff --git a/activitypub.c b/activitypub.c
index 7ac4c5f..992dbff 100644
--- a/activitypub.c
+++ b/activitypub.c
@@ -781,8 +781,10 @@ int process_message(snac *snac, char *msg, char *req)
         if (xs_type(object) == XSTYPE_DICT)
             object = xs_dict_get(object, "id");
 
-        timeline_del(snac, object);
-        snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("received delete request for %s", object));
+        if (valid_status(timeline_del(snac, object)))
+            snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("New 'Delete' %s %s", actor, object));
+        else
+            snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("ignored 'Delete' for unknown object %s", object));
     }
     else
         snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("process_message type '%s' ignored", type));
diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index e86f97f..cef4028 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -321,10 +321,11 @@ d_char *timeline_find(snac *snac, char *id)
 }
 
 
-void timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id)
+int timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id)
 /* deletes a message from the timeline */
 {
-    xs *fn = _timeline_find_fn(snac, id);
+    int ret = 404;
+    xs *fn  = _timeline_find_fn(snac, id);
 
     if (fn != NULL) {
         xs *lfn = NULL;
@@ -337,7 +338,11 @@ void timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id)
 
         if (unlink(lfn) != -1)
             snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("timeline_del (local) %s", id));
+
+        ret = 200;
     }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index b3e50b7..823c60c 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ double timeline_mtime(snac *snac);
 int timeline_here(snac *snac, char *id);
 d_char *_timeline_find_fn(snac *snac, char *id);
 d_char *timeline_find(snac *snac, char *id);
-void timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id);
+int timeline_del(snac *snac, char *id);
 d_char *timeline_get(snac *snac, char *fn);
 d_char *timeline_list(snac *snac, int max);
 int timeline_add(snac *snac, char *id, char *o_msg, char *parent, char *referrer);