diff --git a/actions/apimediaupload.php b/actions/apimediaupload.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ec316edc8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions/apimediaupload.php
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * StatusNet, the distributed open-source microblogging tool
+ *
+ * Upload an image via the API
+ *
+ * PHP version 5
+ *
+ * LICENCE: This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @category  API
+ * @author    Zach Copley <zach@status.net>
+ * @copyright 2010 StatusNet, Inc.
+ * @license   http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/agpl-3.0.html GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0
+ * @link      http://status.net/
+ */
+
+if (!defined('STATUSNET')) {
+    exit(1);
+}
+
+require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/apiauth.php';
+require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/mediafile.php';
+
+/**
+ * Upload an image via the API.  Returns a shortened URL for the image
+ * to the user.
+ *
+ * @category API
+ * @package  StatusNet
+ * @author   Zach Copley <zach@status.net>
+ * @license  http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/agpl-3.0.html GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0
+ * @link     http://status.net/
+ */
+
+class ApiMediaUploadAction extends ApiAuthAction
+{
+    /**
+     * Handle the request
+     *
+     * Grab the file from the 'media' param, then store, and shorten
+     *
+     * @todo Upload throttle!
+     *
+     * @param array $args $_REQUEST data (unused)
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+
+    function handle($args)
+    {
+        parent::handle($args);
+
+        if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] != 'POST') {
+            $this->clientError(
+                _('This method requires a POST.'),
+                400, $this->format
+            );
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Workaround for PHP returning empty $_POST and $_FILES when POST
+        // length > post_max_size in php.ini
+
+        if (empty($_FILES)
+            && empty($_POST)
+            && ($_SERVER['CONTENT_LENGTH'] > 0)
+        ) {
+             $msg = _('The server was unable to handle that much POST ' .
+                    'data (%s bytes) due to its current configuration.');
+
+            $this->clientError(sprintf($msg, $_SERVER['CONTENT_LENGTH']));
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $upload = null;
+
+        try {
+            $upload = MediaFile::fromUpload('media', $this->auth_user);
+        } catch (ClientException $ce) {
+            $this->clientError($ce->getMessage());
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (isset($upload)) {
+            $this->showResponse($upload);
+        } else {
+            $this->clientError('Upload failed.');
+            return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Show a Twitpic-like response with the ID of the media file
+     * and a (hopefully) shortened URL for it.
+     *
+     * @param File $upload  the uploaded file
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    function showResponse($upload)
+    {
+        $this->initDocument();
+        $this->elementStart('rsp', array('stat' => 'ok'));
+        $this->element('mediaid', null, $upload->fileRecord->id);
+        $this->element('mediaurl', null, $upload->shortUrl());
+        $this->elementEnd('rsp');
+        $this->endDocument();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Overrided clientError to show a more Twitpic-like error
+     *
+     * @param String $msg an error message
+     *
+     */
+    function clientError($msg)
+    {
+        $this->initDocument();
+        $this->elementStart('rsp', array('stat' => 'fail'));
+
+        // @todo add in error code
+        $errAttr = array('msg' => $msg);
+
+        $this->element('err', $errAttr, null);
+        $this->elementEnd('rsp');
+        $this->endDocument();
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/lib/router.php b/lib/router.php
index 706120e0bf..a48ee875e1 100644
--- a/lib/router.php
+++ b/lib/router.php
@@ -628,6 +628,12 @@ class Router
                         array('action' => 'ApiTimelineTag',
                               'format' => '(xmljson|rss|atom)'));
 
+            // media related
+            $m->connect(
+                'api/statusnet/media/upload',
+                array('action' => 'ApiMediaUpload')
+            );
+
             // search
             $m->connect('api/search.atom', array('action' => 'twitapisearchatom'));
             $m->connect('api/search.json', array('action' => 'twitapisearchjson'));