diff --git a/classes/Managed_DataObject.php b/classes/Managed_DataObject.php
index 925d6d3ae4..b8c78680a0 100644
--- a/classes/Managed_DataObject.php
+++ b/classes/Managed_DataObject.php
@@ -309,6 +309,54 @@ abstract class Managed_DataObject extends Memcached_DataObject
         return common_database_tablename($this->tableName());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an object by looking at the primary key column(s).
+     *
+     * Will require all primary key columns to be defined in an associative array
+     * and ignore any keys which are not part of the primary key.
+     *
+     * Will NOT accept NULL values as part of primary key.
+     *
+     * @param   array   $vals       Must match all primary key columns for the dataobject.
+     *
+     * @return  Managed_DataObject  of the get_called_class() type
+     * @throws  NoResultException   if no object with that primary key
+     */
+    static function getByPK(array $vals)
+    {
+        $classname = get_called_class();
+        var_dump($classname);
+
+        $pkey = static::pkeyCols();
+        if (is_null($pkey)) {
+            throw new ServerException("Failed to get primary key columns for class '{$classname}'");
+        }
+
+        $object = new $classname();
+        foreach ($pkey as $col) {
+            if (!array_key_exists($col, $vals)) {
+                throw new ServerException("Missing primary key column '{$col}'");
+            } elseif (is_null($vals[$col])) {
+                throw new ServerException("NULL values not allowed in getByPK for column '{$col}'");
+            }
+            $object->$col = $vals[$col];
+        }
+        if (!$object->find(true)) {
+            throw new NoResultException($object);
+        }
+        return $object;
+    }
+
+    static function getByID($id)
+    {
+        if (empty($id)) {
+            throw new ServerException('Empty ID on lookup');
+        }
+        // getByPK throws exception if id is null
+        // or if the class does not have a single 'id' column as primary key
+        return static::getByPK(array('id' => $id));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns an ID, checked that it is set and reasonably valid
      *
diff --git a/classes/Notice.php b/classes/Notice.php
index f9d80c1289..9246c26919 100644
--- a/classes/Notice.php
+++ b/classes/Notice.php
@@ -313,16 +313,6 @@ class Notice extends Managed_DataObject
         return $notice;
     }
 
-    public static function getById($id)
-    {
-        $notice = new Notice();
-        $notice->id = $id;
-        if (!$notice->find(true)) {
-            throw new NoResultException($notice);
-        }
-        return $notice;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Extract #hashtags from this notice's content and save them to the database.
      */
@@ -2761,7 +2751,7 @@ class Notice extends Managed_DataObject
         if (empty($this->reply_to)) {
             throw new NoParentNoticeException($this);
         }
-        return self::getById($this->reply_to);
+        return self::getByID($this->reply_to);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/plugins/ActivityVerb/actions/activityverb.php b/plugins/ActivityVerb/actions/activityverb.php
index 0abfacd645..45bb18be46 100644
--- a/plugins/ActivityVerb/actions/activityverb.php
+++ b/plugins/ActivityVerb/actions/activityverb.php
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class ActivityverbAction extends ManagedAction
             throw new ServerException('A verb has not been specified.');
         }
 
-        $this->notice = Notice::getById($this->trimmed('id'));
+        $this->notice = Notice::getByID($this->trimmed('id'));
 
         if (!$this->notice->inScope($this->scoped)) {
             // TRANS: %1$s is a user nickname, %2$d is a notice ID (number).
diff --git a/plugins/Share/SharePlugin.php b/plugins/Share/SharePlugin.php
index b5643c1d09..c337efbaec 100644
--- a/plugins/Share/SharePlugin.php
+++ b/plugins/Share/SharePlugin.php
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class SharePlugin extends ActivityVerbHandlerPlugin
     public function extendActivity(Notice $stored, Activity $act, Profile $scoped=null)
     {
         // TODO: How to handle repeats of deleted notices?
-        $target = Notice::getById($stored->repeat_of);
+        $target = Notice::getByID($stored->repeat_of);
         // TRANS: A repeat activity's title. %1$s is repeater's nickname
         //        and %2$s is the repeated user's nickname.
         $act->title = sprintf(_('%1$s repeated a notice by %2$s'),