diff --git a/classes/Profile_list.php b/classes/Profile_list.php
index 2395a369f3..0586a8688c 100644
--- a/classes/Profile_list.php
+++ b/classes/Profile_list.php
@@ -185,10 +185,12 @@ class Profile_list extends Memcached_DataObject
     function getSubscribers($offset=0, $limit=null, $since=0, $upto=0)
     {
         $subs = new Profile();
-        $sub = new Profile_tag_subscription();
-        $sub->profile_tag_id = $this->id;
 
-        $subs->joinAdd($sub);
+        $subs->joinAdd(
+            array('id', 'profile_tag_subscription:profile_id')
+        );
+        $subs->whereAdd('profile_tag_subscription.profile_tag_id = ' . $this->id);
+
         $subs->selectAdd('unix_timestamp(profile_tag_subscription.' .
                          'created) as "cursor"');
 
diff --git a/classes/Profile_tag.php b/classes/Profile_tag.php
index 9e475e83ec..72dc9c7560 100644
--- a/classes/Profile_tag.php
+++ b/classes/Profile_tag.php
@@ -55,20 +55,17 @@ class Profile_tag extends Memcached_DataObject
             return $tags;
         }
 
-        $profile_tag = new Profile_tag();
-        $profile_list->tagger = $tagger;
-        $profile_tag->tagged = $tagged;
+        $qry = 'select profile_list.* from profile_list left join '.
+               'profile_tag on (profile_list.tag = profile_tag.tag and '.
+               'profile_list.tagger = profile_tag.tagger) where '.
+               'profile_tag.tagger = %d and profile_tag.tagged = %d ';
+        $qry = sprintf($qry, $tagger, $tagged);
 
-        $profile_list->selectAdd();
+        if (!$include_priv) {
+            $qry .= 'profile_list.private = 0';
+        }
 
-        // only fetch id, tag, mainpage and
-        // private hoping this will be faster
-        $profile_list->selectAdd('profile_list.id, ' .
-                                 'profile_list.tag, ' .
-                                 'profile_list.mainpage, ' .
-                                 'profile_list.private');
-        $profile_list->joinAdd($profile_tag);
-        $profile_list->find();
+        $profile_list->query($qry);
 
         Profile_list::setCache($key, $profile_list);
 
diff --git a/lib/peopletagnoticestream.php b/lib/peopletagnoticestream.php
index 9477ca8ea6..4422261ae9 100644
--- a/lib/peopletagnoticestream.php
+++ b/lib/peopletagnoticestream.php
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ class RawPeopletagNoticeStream extends NoticeStream
         $ptag = new Profile_tag();
         $ptag->tag    = $this->profile_list->tag;
         $ptag->tagger = $this->profile_list->tagger;
-        $notice->joinAdd($ptag);
+        $notice->joinAdd(array('profile_id', 'profile_tag:tagged'));
+        $notice->whereAdd('profile_tag.tagger = ' . $this->profile_list->tagger);
+        $notice->whereAdd(sprintf('profile_tag.tag = "%s"', $this->profile_list->tag));
 
         if ($since_id != 0) {
             $notice->whereAdd('notice.id > ' . $since_id);