diff --git a/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php b/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
index 71885bcdce..0e12f8fc6e 100644
--- a/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
+++ b/plugins/OStatus/classes/Ostatus_profile.php
@@ -832,7 +832,9 @@ class Ostatus_profile extends Memcached_DataObject
 
     protected static function getActivityObjectNickname($object, $hints=array())
     {
-        // XXX: check whatever PoCo calls a nickname first
+        if (!empty($object->nickname)) {
+            return common_nicknamize($object->nickname);
+        }
 
         // Try the definitive ID
 
diff --git a/plugins/OStatus/lib/activity.php b/plugins/OStatus/lib/activity.php
index af83f8bc66..a26248f199 100644
--- a/plugins/OStatus/lib/activity.php
+++ b/plugins/OStatus/lib/activity.php
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ if (!defined('STATUSNET')) {
     exit(1);
 }
 
+class PoCo
+{
+    const NS = 'http://portablecontacts.net/spec/1.0';
+    const USERNAME = 'preferredUsername';
+}
+
 /**
  * Utilities for turning DOMish things into Activityish things
  *
@@ -319,7 +325,8 @@ class ActivityObject
             $this->displayName = $this->title;
 
             // @fixme we may have multiple avatars with different resolutions specified
-            $this->avatar = ActivityUtils::getLink($element, 'avatar');
+            $this->avatar   = ActivityUtils::getLink($element, 'avatar');
+            $this->nickname = ActivityUtils::childContent($element, PoCo::USERNAME, PoCo::NS);
         }
     }