diff --git a/actions/apiaccountratelimitstatus.php b/actions/apiaccountratelimitstatus.php
index 3c6c3e714d..9eba5c55db 100644
--- a/actions/apiaccountratelimitstatus.php
+++ b/actions/apiaccountratelimitstatus.php
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apibareauth.php';
 
 class ApiAccountRateLimitStatusAction extends ApiBareAuthAction
 {
-    var $format = null;
-
     /**
      * Take arguments for running
      *
@@ -67,7 +65,6 @@ class ApiAccountRateLimitStatusAction extends ApiBareAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apiaccountverifycredentials.php b/actions/apiaccountverifycredentials.php
index b9c9bf0f72..0d4928f6ce 100644
--- a/actions/apiaccountverifycredentials.php
+++ b/actions/apiaccountverifycredentials.php
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiAccountVerifyCredentialsAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-    var $format                = null;
-
     /**
      * Take arguments for running
      *
@@ -68,7 +66,6 @@ class ApiAccountVerifyCredentialsAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apiblockcreate.php b/actions/apiblockcreate.php
index ff303863ec..6421712713 100644
--- a/actions/apiblockcreate.php
+++ b/actions/apiblockcreate.php
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiBlockCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-    var $format  = null;
     var $user    = null;
     var $other   = null;
 
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ class ApiBlockCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
 
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->other  = $this->getTargetUser($this->arg('id'));
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
 
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/actions/apiblockdestroy.php b/actions/apiblockdestroy.php
index 0f24be3aaf..109e66ac41 100644
--- a/actions/apiblockdestroy.php
+++ b/actions/apiblockdestroy.php
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiBlockDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-    var $format  = null;
     var $user    = null;
     var $other   = null;
 
@@ -71,7 +70,6 @@ class ApiBlockDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
 
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->other  = $this->getTargetUser($this->arg('id'));
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
 
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/actions/apidirectmessage.php b/actions/apidirectmessage.php
index 87ae44d7a5..fa68833117 100644
--- a/actions/apidirectmessage.php
+++ b/actions/apidirectmessage.php
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiDirectMessageAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-    var $format       = null;
     var $messages     = null;
     var $page         = null;
     var $count        = null;
@@ -122,8 +121,6 @@ class ApiDirectMessageAction extends ApiAuthAction
             $this->id = "tag:$taguribase:DirectMessages:" . $this->user->id;
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
-
         $this->messages = $this->getMessages();
 
         return true;
diff --git a/actions/apidirectmessagenew.php b/actions/apidirectmessagenew.php
index d836409ae0..b531d7c5c7 100644
--- a/actions/apidirectmessagenew.php
+++ b/actions/apidirectmessagenew.php
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiDirectMessageNewAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-    var $format  = null;
     var $source  = null;
     var $user    = null;
     var $other   = null;
@@ -97,8 +96,6 @@ class ApiDirectMessageNewAction extends ApiAuthAction
             $this->other = $this->getTargetUser($user_param);
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
-
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apifavoritecreate.php b/actions/apifavoritecreate.php
index e45603c6a2..6ee6960ba5 100644
--- a/actions/apifavoritecreate.php
+++ b/actions/apifavoritecreate.php
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiFavoriteCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
     var $notice = null;
 
@@ -70,7 +68,6 @@ class ApiFavoriteCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->notice = Notice::staticGet($this->arg('id'));
 
diff --git a/actions/apifavoritedestroy.php b/actions/apifavoritedestroy.php
index a70d5c79b1..36946fbfbe 100644
--- a/actions/apifavoritedestroy.php
+++ b/actions/apifavoritedestroy.php
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 class ApiFavoriteDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
 
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
     var $notice = null;
+
     /**
      * Take arguments for running
      *
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ class ApiFavoriteDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->notice = Notice::staticGet($this->arg('id'));
 
diff --git a/actions/apifriendshipscreate.php b/actions/apifriendshipscreate.php
index 969fc12820..27bdbe0623 100644
--- a/actions/apifriendshipscreate.php
+++ b/actions/apifriendshipscreate.php
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiFriendshipsCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
     var $other  = null;
 
@@ -71,7 +69,6 @@ class ApiFriendshipsCreateAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->other  = $this->getTargetUser($id);
 
diff --git a/actions/apifriendshipsdestroy.php b/actions/apifriendshipsdestroy.php
index ef864c4db8..3ad12156dd 100644
--- a/actions/apifriendshipsdestroy.php
+++ b/actions/apifriendshipsdestroy.php
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apiauth.php';
 
 class ApiFriendshipsDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
     var $other  = null;
 
@@ -71,7 +69,6 @@ class ApiFriendshipsDestroyAction extends ApiAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         $this->user   = $this->auth_user;
         $this->other  = $this->getTargetUser($id);
 
diff --git a/actions/apifriendshipsexists.php b/actions/apifriendshipsexists.php
index d1d5d520fc..1ebfc9e8fd 100644
--- a/actions/apifriendshipsexists.php
+++ b/actions/apifriendshipsexists.php
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiFriendshipsExistsAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user_a = null;
     var $user_b = null;
 
@@ -64,8 +62,6 @@ class ApiFriendshipsExistsAction extends TwitterApiAction
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
-
         $user_a_id = $this->trimmed('user_a');
         $user_b_id = $this->trimmed('user_b');
 
diff --git a/actions/apifriendshipsshow.php b/actions/apifriendshipsshow.php
index d35825a433..2f975b121b 100644
--- a/actions/apifriendshipsshow.php
+++ b/actions/apifriendshipsshow.php
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/apibareauth.php';
 
 class ApiFriendshipsShowAction extends ApiBareAuthAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
     var $source = null;
     var $target = null;
@@ -70,8 +68,6 @@ class ApiFriendshipsShowAction extends ApiBareAuthAction
             }
         }
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
-
         $source_id          = (int)$this->trimmed('source_id');
         $source_screen_name = $this->trimmed('source_screen_name');
         $target_id          = (int)$this->trimmed('target_id');
diff --git a/actions/apigroupshow.php b/actions/apigroupshow.php
index a38d50afe7..cdaf707aa9 100644
--- a/actions/apigroupshow.php
+++ b/actions/apigroupshow.php
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiGroupShowAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-    var $format = null;
     var $group = null;
 
     /**
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ class ApiGroupShowAction extends TwitterApiAction
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         $this->group = $this->getTargetGroup($this->arg('id'));
 
         return true;
diff --git a/actions/apihelptest.php b/actions/apihelptest.php
index 2cec464627..ac1bb1a5b3 100644
--- a/actions/apihelptest.php
+++ b/actions/apihelptest.php
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiHelpTestAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-    var $format = null;
 
     /**
      * Take arguments for running
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ class ApiHelpTestAction extends TwitterApiAction
     function prepare($args)
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apistatusnetconfig.php b/actions/apistatusnetconfig.php
index 6847a48fe1..6fb65331f4 100644
--- a/actions/apistatusnetconfig.php
+++ b/actions/apistatusnetconfig.php
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiStatusnetConfigAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-    var $format = null;
-
     var $keys = array(
         'site' => array('name', 'server', 'theme', 'path', 'fancy', 'language',
                         'email', 'broughtby', 'broughtbyurl', 'closed',
@@ -73,7 +71,6 @@ class ApiStatusnetConfigAction extends TwitterApiAction
     function prepare($args)
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apistatusnetversion.php b/actions/apistatusnetversion.php
index e6f35e7d29..2cd99edb7a 100644
--- a/actions/apistatusnetversion.php
+++ b/actions/apistatusnetversion.php
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR . '/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiStatusnetVersionAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-    var $format = null;
-
     /**
      * Take arguments for running
      *
@@ -62,7 +60,6 @@ class ApiStatusnetVersionAction extends TwitterApiAction
     function prepare($args)
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/apiusershow.php b/actions/apiusershow.php
index afcbd3618d..1cd0cdfd5f 100644
--- a/actions/apiusershow.php
+++ b/actions/apiusershow.php
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/api.php';
 
 class ApiUserShowAction extends TwitterApiAction
 {
-
-    var $format = null;
     var $user   = null;
 
     /**
@@ -63,8 +61,6 @@ class ApiUserShowAction extends TwitterApiAction
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
 
-        $this->format = $this->arg('format');
-
         $email = $this->arg('email');
 
         // XXX: email field deprecated in Twitter's API
diff --git a/lib/api.php b/lib/api.php
index 93b4a75138..fb51d5260e 100644
--- a/lib/api.php
+++ b/lib/api.php
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ if (!defined('STATUSNET')) {
 
 class ApiAction extends Action
 {
+     var $format = null;
 
     /**
      * Initialization.
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ class ApiAction extends Action
     function prepare($args)
     {
         parent::prepare($args);
+        $this->format   = $this->arg('format');
         return true;
     }