diff --git a/classes/Subscription.php b/classes/Subscription.php
index 5ac95f9222..97c44a2e46 100644
--- a/classes/Subscription.php
+++ b/classes/Subscription.php
@@ -75,20 +75,7 @@ class Subscription extends Memcached_DataObject
         }
 
         if (Event::handle('StartSubscribe', array($subscriber, $other))) {
-
-            $sub = new Subscription();
-
-            $sub->subscriber = $subscriber->id;
-            $sub->subscribed = $other->id;
-            $sub->created    = common_sql_now();
-
-            $result = $sub->insert();
-
-            if (!$result) {
-                common_log_db_error($sub, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
-                throw new Exception(_('Could not save subscription.'));
-            }
-
+            $sub = self::saveNew($subscriber->id, $other->id);
             $sub->notify();
 
             self::blow('user:notices_with_friends:%d', $subscriber->id);
@@ -103,20 +90,11 @@ class Subscription extends Memcached_DataObject
                 !self::exists($other, $subscriber) &&
                 !$subscriber->hasBlocked($other)) {
 
-                $auto = new Subscription();
-
-                $auto->subscriber = $other->id;
-                $auto->subscribed = $subscriber->id;
-                $auto->created    = common_sql_now();
-
-                $result = $auto->insert();
-
-                if (!$result) {
-                    common_log_db_error($auto, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
-                    throw new Exception(_('Could not save subscription.'));
+                try {
+                    self::start($other, $subscriber);
+                } catch (Exception $e) {
+                    common_log(LOG_ERR, "Exception during autosubscribe of {$other->nickname} to profile {$subscriber->id}: {$e->getMessage()}");
                 }
-
-                $auto->notify();
             }
 
             Event::handle('EndSubscribe', array($subscriber, $other));
@@ -125,6 +103,30 @@ class Subscription extends Memcached_DataObject
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Low-level subscription save.
+     * Outside callers should use Subscription::start()
+     */
+    protected function saveNew($subscriber_id, $other_id)
+    {
+        $sub = new Subscription();
+
+        $sub->subscriber = $subscriber_id;
+        $sub->subscribed = $other_id;
+        $sub->jabber     = 1;
+        $sub->sms        = 1;
+        $sub->created    = common_sql_now();
+
+        $result = $sub->insert();
+
+        if (!$result) {
+            common_log_db_error($sub, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
+            throw new Exception(_('Could not save subscription.'));
+        }
+
+        return $sub;
+    }
+
     function notify()
     {
         # XXX: add other notifications (Jabber, SMS) here
diff --git a/classes/User.php b/classes/User.php
index 16c256535b..8ad2ec63d5 100644
--- a/classes/User.php
+++ b/classes/User.php
@@ -153,19 +153,12 @@ class User extends Memcached_DataObject
         return Sms_carrier::staticGet('id', $this->carrier);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated use Subscription::start($sub, $other);
+     */
     function subscribeTo($other)
     {
-        $sub = new Subscription();
-        $sub->subscriber = $this->id;
-        $sub->subscribed = $other->id;
-
-        $sub->created = common_sql_now(); // current time
-
-        if (!$sub->insert()) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        return true;
+        return Subscription::start($this->getProfile(), $other);
     }
 
     function hasBlocked($other)
@@ -346,17 +339,7 @@ class User extends Memcached_DataObject
                     common_log(LOG_WARNING, sprintf("Default user %s does not exist.", $defnick),
                                __FILE__);
                 } else {
-                    $defsub = new Subscription();
-                    $defsub->subscriber = $user->id;
-                    $defsub->subscribed = $defuser->id;
-                    $defsub->created = $user->created;
-
-                    $result = $defsub->insert();
-
-                    if (!$result) {
-                        common_log_db_error($defsub, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
-                        return false;
-                    }
+                    Subscription::start($user, $defuser);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/plugins/OStatus/actions/ostatussub.php b/plugins/OStatus/actions/ostatussub.php
index 07081c2c6f..994af6e95c 100644
--- a/plugins/OStatus/actions/ostatussub.php
+++ b/plugins/OStatus/actions/ostatussub.php
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ class OStatusSubAction extends Action
         if ($user->isSubscribed($local)) {
             // TRANS: OStatus remote subscription dialog error.
             $this->showForm(_m('Already subscribed!'));
-        } elseif ($this->oprofile->subscribeLocalToRemote($user)) {
+        } elseif (Subscription::start($user, $local)) {
             $this->success();
         } else {
             // TRANS: OStatus remote subscription dialog error.
diff --git a/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php b/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
index f8fda4162a..90a8d0ef47 100644
--- a/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
+++ b/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
@@ -194,52 +194,6 @@ class Ostatus_profile extends Memcached_DataObject
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Subscribe a local user to this remote user.
-     * PuSH subscription will be started if necessary, and we'll
-     * send a Salmon notification to the remote server if available
-     * notifying them of the sub.
-     *
-     * @param User $user
-     * @return boolean success
-     * @throws FeedException
-     */
-    public function subscribeLocalToRemote(User $user)
-    {
-        if ($this->isGroup()) {
-            throw new ServerException("Can't subscribe to a remote group");
-        }
-
-        if ($this->subscribe()) {
-            if ($user->subscribeTo($this->localProfile())) {
-                $this->notify($user->getProfile(), ActivityVerb::FOLLOW, $this);
-                return true;
-            }
-        }
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Mark this remote profile as subscribing to the given local user,
-     * and send appropriate notifications to the user.
-     *
-     * This will generally be in response to a subscription notification
-     * from a foreign site to our local Salmon response channel.
-     *
-     * @param User $user
-     * @return boolean success
-     */
-    public function subscribeRemoteToLocal(User $user)
-    {
-        if ($this->isGroup()) {
-            throw new ServerException("Remote groups can't subscribe to local users");
-        }
-
-        Subscription::start($this->localProfile(), $user->getProfile());
-
-        return true;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Send a subscription request to the hub for this feed.
      * The hub will later send us a confirmation POST to /main/push/callback.