diff --git a/actions/apistatusesupdate.php b/actions/apistatusesupdate.php
index b7128d0846..3a030f0fe8 100644
--- a/actions/apistatusesupdate.php
+++ b/actions/apistatusesupdate.php
@@ -112,10 +112,12 @@ class ApiStatusesUpdateAction extends ApiAuthAction
             return;
         }
 
-        if (empty($_POST) && $_SERVER['CONTENT_LENGTH']) {
-            $this->clientError(sprintf(_('The server was unable to handle ' .
-                                         'that much POST data (%s bytes) due to its current configuration.'),
-                                       $_SERVER['CONTENT_LENGTH']));
+        if (empty($this->status)) {
+            $this->clientError(
+                'Client must provide a \'status\' parameter with a value.',
+                400,
+                $this->format
+            );
             return;
         }
 
@@ -124,12 +126,10 @@ class ApiStatusesUpdateAction extends ApiAuthAction
             return;
         }
 
-        if (empty($this->status)) {
-            $this->clientError(
-                'Client must provide a \'status\' parameter with a value.',
-                400,
-                $this->format
-            );
+        // Workaround for PHP returning empty $_FILES when POST length > PHP settings
+
+        if (empty($_POST) && ($_SERVER['CONTENT_LENGTH'] > 0)) {
+            $this->clientError(_('Unable to handle that much POST data!'));
             return;
         }
 
@@ -192,27 +192,19 @@ class ApiStatusesUpdateAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
 
             $upload = null;
-
-            common_debug('looking for attachment');
-
             $upload = MediaFile::fromUpload('media', $this->user);
 
-            common_debug("uploaded file = " . var_export($upload, true));
-
             if (isset($upload)) {
-                common_debug('newNotice: found an upload');
+                $status_shortened .= ' ' . $upload->shortUrl();
 
-                    $status_shortened .= ' ' . $upload->shortUrl();
-
-                    common_debug('content w/upload = ' . $status_shortened);
-
-                    if (Notice::contentTooLong($status_shortened)) {
-                        $upload->delete();
-                        $this->clientError(sprintf(_('Max notice size is %d chars, including attachment URL.'),
-                                                   Notice::maxContent()));
-                    } else {
-                        common_debug('content not too long');
-                    }
+                if (Notice::contentTooLong($status_shortened)) {
+                    $upload->delete();
+                    $msg = _(
+                        'Max notice size is %d chars, ' .
+                        'including attachment URL.'
+                    );
+                    $this->clientError(sprintf($msg, Notice::maxContent()));
+                }
             }
 
             $this->notice = Notice::saveNew(
diff --git a/actions/newnotice.php b/actions/newnotice.php
index 5100e79e10..59fb9f4619 100644
--- a/actions/newnotice.php
+++ b/actions/newnotice.php
@@ -164,27 +164,21 @@ class NewnoticeAction extends Action
         }
 
         $upload = null;
-
-        common_debug('looking for attachment');
-
         $upload = MediaFile::fromUpload('attach');
 
-        common_debug("uploaded file = " . var_export($upload, true));
-
         if (isset($upload)) {
-            common_debug('newNotice: found an upload');
 
-                $content_shortened .= ' ' . $upload->shortUrl();
+            $content_shortened .= ' ' . $upload->shortUrl();
 
-                common_debug('content w/upload = ' . $content_shortened);
-
-                if (Notice::contentTooLong($content_shortened)) {
-                    $upload->delete();
-                    $this->clientError(sprintf(_('Max notice size is %d chars, including attachment URL.'),
-                                               Notice::maxContent()));
-                } else {
-                    common_debug('content not too long');
-                }
+            if (Notice::contentTooLong($content_shortened)) {
+                $upload->delete();
+                $this->clientError(
+                    sprintf(
+                        _('Max notice size is %d chars, including attachment URL.'),
+                          Notice::maxContent()
+                    )
+                );
+            }
         }
 
         $notice = Notice::saveNew($user->id, $content_shortened, 'web', 1,
diff --git a/lib/mediafile.php b/lib/mediafile.php
index 4aa8211c32..40f37ba61a 100644
--- a/lib/mediafile.php
+++ b/lib/mediafile.php
@@ -47,39 +47,21 @@ class MediaFile
             $this->user = common_current_user();
         }
 
-        common_debug('in MediaFile constructor');
-
-        $this->filename = $filename;
-        $this->mimetype = $mimetype;
-
-        common_debug('storing file');
+        $this->filename   = $filename;
+        $this->mimetype   = $mimetype;
         $this->fileRecord = $this->storeFile();
-        common_debug('finished storing file');
 
         $this->fileurl = common_local_url('attachment',
                                     array('attachment' => $this->fileRecord->id));
 
-        common_debug('$this->fileurl() = ' . $this->fileurl);
-
-        // not sure this is necessary -- Zach
         $this->maybeAddRedir($this->fileRecord->id, $this->fileurl);
-
-        common_debug('shortening file url');
         $this->short_fileurl = common_shorten_url($this->fileurl);
-        common_debug('shortened file url =  ' . $short_fileurl);
-
-        // Also, not sure this is necessary -- Zach
         $this->maybeAddRedir($this->fileRecord->id, $this->short_fileurl);
-
-        common_debug("MediaFile: end of constructor");
     }
 
     function attachToNotice($notice)
     {
-        common_debug('MediaFile::attachToNotice() -- doing File_to_post');
         File_to_post::processNew($this->fileRecord->id, $notice->id);
-        common_debug('MediaFile done doing File_to_post');
-
         $this->maybeAddRedir($this->fileRecord->id,
                              common_local_url('file', array('notice' => $notice->id)));
     }
@@ -98,31 +80,21 @@ class MediaFile
     function storeFile() {
 
         $file = new File;
+
         $file->filename = $this->filename;
-
-        common_debug('storing ' . $this->filename);
-
-        $file->url = File::url($this->filename);
-        common_debug('file->url = ' . $file->url);
-
-        $filepath = File::path($this->filename);
-        common_debug('filepath = ' . $filepath);
-
-        $file->size = filesize($filepath);
-        $file->date = time();
+        $file->url      = File::url($this->filename);
+        $filepath       = File::path($this->filename);
+        $file->size     = filesize($filepath);
+        $file->date     = time();
         $file->mimetype = $this->mimetype;
 
         $file_id = $file->insert();
 
         if (!$file_id) {
-
-            common_debug("storeFile: problem inserting new file");
             common_log_db_error($file, "INSERT", __FILE__);
             throw new ClientException(_('There was a database error while saving your file. Please try again.'));
         }
 
-        common_debug('finished storing file');
-
         return $file;
     }
 
@@ -133,15 +105,10 @@ class MediaFile
 
     function maybeAddRedir($file_id, $url)
     {
-
-        common_debug("maybeAddRedir: looking up url: $url for file id $file_id");
-
         $file_redir = File_redirection::staticGet('url', $url);
 
         if (empty($file_redir)) {
 
-            common_debug("maybeAddRedir: $url is not in the db");
-
             $file_redir = new File_redirection;
             $file_redir->url = $url;
             $file_redir->file_id = $file_id;
@@ -152,22 +119,16 @@ class MediaFile
                 common_log_db_error($file_redir, "INSERT", __FILE__);
                 throw new ClientException(_('There was a database error while saving your file. Please try again.'));
             }
-        } else {
-
-            common_debug("maybeAddRedir: no need to add $url, it's already in the db");
         }
     }
 
     static function fromUpload($param = 'media', $user = null)
     {
-        common_debug("fromUpload: param = $param");
-
         if (empty($user)) {
             $user = common_current_user();
         }
 
         if (!isset($_FILES[$param]['error'])){
-            common_debug('no file found');
             return;
         }
 
@@ -221,8 +182,6 @@ class MediaFile
             $filename = File::filename($user->getProfile(), $basename, $mimetype);
             $filepath = File::path($filename);
 
-            common_debug("filepath = " . $filepath);
-
             $result = move_uploaded_file($_FILES[$param]['tmp_name'], $filepath);
 
             if (!$result) {
@@ -277,8 +236,6 @@ class MediaFile
     static function getUploadedFileType($f) {
         require_once 'MIME/Type.php';
 
-        common_debug("in getUploadedFileType");
-
         $cmd = &PEAR::getStaticProperty('MIME_Type', 'fileCmd');
         $cmd = common_config('attachments', 'filecommand');