diff --git a/actions/attachment_ajax.php b/actions/attachment_ajax.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 24ecabacf2..0000000000
--- a/actions/attachment_ajax.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,79 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-/**
- * StatusNet, the distributed open-source microblogging tool
- *
- * Show notice attachments
- *
- * 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  Personal
- * @package   StatusNet
- * @author    Evan Prodromou <evan@status.net>
- * @copyright 2008-2009 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('GNUSOCIAL') && !defined('STATUSNET')) { exit(1); }
-
-require_once INSTALLDIR.'/actions/attachment.php';
-
-/**
- * Show notice attachments
- *
- * @category Personal
- * @package  StatusNet
- * @author   Evan Prodromou <evan@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 Attachment_ajaxAction extends AttachmentAction
-{
-    /**
-     * Show page, a template method.
-     *
-     * @return nothing
-     */
-    function showPage()
-    {
-        if (Event::handle('StartShowBody', array($this))) {
-            $this->showCore();
-            Event::handle('EndShowBody', array($this));
-        }
-    }
-
-    protected function handle()
-    {
-        $this->showPage();
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Show core.
-     *
-     * Shows local navigation, content block and aside.
-     *
-     * @return nothing
-     */
-    function showCore()
-    {
-        $this->elementStart('div', array('id' => 'core'));
-        if (Event::handle('StartShowContentBlock', array($this))) {
-            $this->showContentBlock();
-            Event::handle('EndShowContentBlock', array($this));
-        }
-        $this->elementEnd('div');
-    }
-}
diff --git a/js/util.js b/js/util.js
index 5cab244bee..a2b10da8a4 100644
--- a/js/util.js
+++ b/js/util.js
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ var SN = { // StatusNet
                 $(attachment_more[0]).click(function () {
                     var m = $(this);
                     m.addClass(SN.C.S.Processing);
-                    $.get(m.attr('href') + '/ajax', null, function (data) {
+                    $.get(m.attr('href'), {ajax: 1}, function (data) {
                         m.parent('.entry-content').html($(data).find('#attachment_view .entry-content').html());
                     });
 
diff --git a/lib/attachmentlistitem.php b/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
index 8c637d28df..1af89ef7b7 100644
--- a/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
+++ b/lib/attachmentlistitem.php
@@ -159,7 +159,8 @@ class AttachmentListItem extends Widget
                     break;
 
                 case 'text/html':
-                    if (!empty($this->attachment->filename) && common_config('attachments', 'show_html')) {
+                    if (!empty($this->attachment->filename)
+                            && (StatusNet::isAjax() || common_config('attachments', 'show_html'))) {
                         // Locally-uploaded HTML. Scrub and display inline.
                         $this->showHtmlFile($this->attachment);
                         break;
diff --git a/lib/default.php b/lib/default.php
index 620236af80..f001049363 100644
--- a/lib/default.php
+++ b/lib/default.php
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ $default =
               'user_quota' => 50000000,
               'monthly_quota' => 15000000,
               'uploads' => true,
-              'show_html' => false,  // HTML representation for locally uploaded HTML attachments (oEmbed links etc.)
+              'show_html' => false,  // show (filtered) text/html attachments (and oEmbed HTML etc.). Doesn't affect AJAX calls.
               'show_thumbs' => true, // show thumbnails in notice lists for uploaded images, and photos and videos linked remotely that provide oEmbed info
               'process_links' => true, // check linked resources for embeddable photos and videos; this will hit referenced external web sites when processing new messages.
               ),
diff --git a/lib/router.php b/lib/router.php
index 32012bc729..0a835ce4d8 100644
--- a/lib/router.php
+++ b/lib/router.php
@@ -218,10 +218,6 @@ class Router
                         array('action' => 'attachment'),
                         array('attachment' => '[0-9]+'));
 
-            $m->connect('attachment/:attachment/ajax',
-                        array('action' => 'attachment_ajax'),
-                        array('attachment' => '[0-9]+'));
-
             $m->connect('attachment/:attachment/thumbnail',
                         array('action' => 'attachment_thumbnail'),
                         array('attachment' => '[0-9]+'));
diff --git a/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php b/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
index 5413ae94cd..655505309e 100644
--- a/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
+++ b/plugins/Oembed/OembedPlugin.php
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ class OembedPlugin extends Plugin
         case 'rich':
         case 'video':
         case 'link':
-            if (!empty($oembed->html) && common_config('attachments', 'show_html')) {
+            if (!empty($oembed->html)
+                    && (StatusNet::isAjax() || common_config('attachments', 'show_html'))) {
                 require_once INSTALLDIR.'/extlib/htmLawed/htmLawed.php';
                 $config = array(
                     'safe'=>1,