diff --git a/actions/subscribe.php b/actions/subscribe.php
index c06057fb8d..871b34f31f 100644
--- a/actions/subscribe.php
+++ b/actions/subscribe.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 if (!defined('LACONICA')) { exit(1); }
 
 class SubscribeAction extends Action {
-	
+
 	function handle($args) {
 		parent::handle($args);
 
@@ -39,16 +39,23 @@ class SubscribeAction extends Action {
 		# CSRF protection
 
 		$token = $this->trimmed('token');
-		
+
 		if (!$token || $token != common_session_token()) {
 			$this->client_error(_('There was a problem with your session token. Try again, please.'));
 			return;
 		}
 
-		$other_nickname = $this->arg('subscribeto');
+		$other_id = $this->arg('subscribeto');
+
+        $other = User::staticGet('id', $other_id);
+
+        if (!$other) {
+			$this->client_error(_('Not a local user.'));
+			return;
+        }
+
+		$result = subs_subscribe_to($user, $other);
 
-		$result=subs_subscribe_user($user, $other_nickname);
-		
 		if($result != true) {
 			common_user_error($result);
 			return;
diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index ab683d1a2a..f6d5440f0d 100644
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -2050,15 +2050,15 @@ function common_nudge_response() {
 }
 
 function common_subscribe_form($profile) {
-	common_element_start('form', array('id' => 'subscribe-' . $profile->nickname,
+	common_element_start('form', array('id' => 'subscribe-' . $profile->id,
 									   'method' => 'post',
 									   'class' => 'subscribe',
 									   'action' => common_local_url('subscribe')));
 	common_hidden('token', common_session_token());
-	common_element('input', array('id' => 'subscribeto-' . $profile->nickname,
+	common_element('input', array('id' => 'subscribeto-' . $profile->id,
 								  'name' => 'subscribeto',
 								  'type' => 'hidden',
-								  'value' => $profile->nickname));
+								  'value' => $profile->id));
 	common_element('input', array('type' => 'submit',
 								  'class' => 'submit',
 								  'value' => _('Subscribe')));