diff --git a/actions/apisearchatom.php b/actions/apisearchatom.php
index fdf95f1ce9..b686edb00a 100644
--- a/actions/apisearchatom.php
+++ b/actions/apisearchatom.php
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ class ApiSearchAtomAction extends ApiPrivateAuthAction
         $source = null;
 
         $ns = $notice->getSource();
-        if ($ns) {
+        if ($ns instanceof Notice_source) {
             if (!empty($ns->name) && !empty($ns->url)) {
                 $source = '<a href="'
                    . htmlspecialchars($ns->url)
diff --git a/classes/Message.php b/classes/Message.php
index cc605ab54f..9c79862e5c 100644
--- a/classes/Message.php
+++ b/classes/Message.php
@@ -139,30 +139,32 @@ class Message extends Managed_DataObject
 
     function getSource()
     {
+        if (empty($this->source)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         $ns = new Notice_source();
-        if (!empty($this->source)) {
-            switch ($this->source) {
-            case 'web':
-            case 'xmpp':
-            case 'mail':
-            case 'omb':
-            case 'system':
-            case 'api':
+        switch ($this->source) {
+        case 'web':
+        case 'xmpp':
+        case 'mail':
+        case 'omb':
+        case 'system':
+        case 'api':
+            $ns->code = $this->source;
+            break;
+        default:
+            $ns = Notice_source::getKV($this->source);
+            if (!$ns instanceof Notice_source) {
+                $ns = new Notice_source();
                 $ns->code = $this->source;
-                break;
-            default:
-                $ns = Notice_source::getKV($this->source);
-                if (!$ns) {
-                    $ns = new Notice_source();
-                    $ns->code = $this->source;
-                    $app = Oauth_application::getKV('name', $this->source);
-                    if ($app) {
-                        $ns->name = $app->name;
-                        $ns->url  = $app->source_url;
-                    }
+                $app = Oauth_application::getKV('name', $this->source);
+                if ($app) {
+                    $ns->name = $app->name;
+                    $ns->url  = $app->source_url;
                 }
-                break;
             }
+            break;
         }
         return $ns;
     }
@@ -204,7 +206,7 @@ class Message extends Managed_DataObject
 
             $source = $this->getSource();
 
-            if ($source) {
+            if ($source instanceof Notice_source) {
                 $act->generator = ActivityObject::fromNoticeSource($source);
             }
 
diff --git a/classes/Notice.php b/classes/Notice.php
index f2a746a844..fd3a98f1f7 100644
--- a/classes/Notice.php
+++ b/classes/Notice.php
@@ -2407,31 +2407,34 @@ class Notice extends Managed_DataObject
      */
     function getSource()
     {
-        $ns = new Notice_source();
-        if (!empty($this->source)) {
-            switch ($this->source) {
-            case 'web':
-            case 'xmpp':
-            case 'mail':
-            case 'omb':
-            case 'system':
-            case 'api':
-                $ns->code = $this->source;
-                break;
-            default:
-                $ns = Notice_source::getKV($this->source);
-                if (!$ns) {
-                    $ns = new Notice_source();
-                    $ns->code = $this->source;
-                    $app = Oauth_application::getKV('name', $this->source);
-                    if ($app) {
-                        $ns->name = $app->name;
-                        $ns->url  = $app->source_url;
-                    }
-                }
-                break;
-            }
+        if (empty($this->source)) {
+            return false;
         }
+
+        $ns = new Notice_source();
+        switch ($this->source) {
+        case 'web':
+        case 'xmpp':
+        case 'mail':
+        case 'omb':
+        case 'system':
+        case 'api':
+            $ns->code = $this->source;
+            break;
+        default:
+            $ns = Notice_source::getKV($this->source);
+            if (!$ns) {
+                $ns = new Notice_source();
+                $ns->code = $this->source;
+                $app = Oauth_application::getKV('name', $this->source);
+                if ($app) {
+                    $ns->name = $app->name;
+                    $ns->url  = $app->source_url;
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+        }
+
         return $ns;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/apiaction.php b/lib/apiaction.php
index 4b4c94aed9..758d224553 100755
--- a/lib/apiaction.php
+++ b/lib/apiaction.php
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ class ApiAction extends Action
         $source = null;
 
         $ns = $notice->getSource();
-        if ($ns) {
+        if ($ns instanceof Notice_source) {
             if (!empty($ns->name) && !empty($ns->url)) {
                 $source = '<a href="'
 		    . htmlspecialchars($ns->url)
diff --git a/lib/jsonsearchresultslist.php b/lib/jsonsearchresultslist.php
index 357ab9be5d..0f764a72be 100644
--- a/lib/jsonsearchresultslist.php
+++ b/lib/jsonsearchresultslist.php
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class ResultItem
             break;
         default:
             $ns = Notice_source::getKV($source);
-            if ($ns) {
+            if ($ns instanceof Notice_source) {
                 $source_name = '<a href="' . $ns->url . '">' . $ns->name . '</a>';
             }
             break;
diff --git a/lib/noticelistitem.php b/lib/noticelistitem.php
index 81fcb72caa..d12a584022 100644
--- a/lib/noticelistitem.php
+++ b/lib/noticelistitem.php
@@ -417,48 +417,50 @@ class NoticeListItem extends Widget
     {
         $ns = $this->notice->getSource();
 
-        if ($ns) {
-            // TRANS: A possible notice source (web interface).
-            $source_name = (empty($ns->name)) ? ($ns->code ? _($ns->code) : _m('SOURCE','web')) : _($ns->name);
-            $this->out->text(' ');
-            $this->out->elementStart('span', 'source');
-            // @todo FIXME: probably i18n issue. If "from" is followed by text, that should be a parameter to "from" (from %s).
-            // TRANS: Followed by notice source.
-            $this->out->text(_('from'));
-            $this->out->text(' ');
-
-            $name  = $source_name;
-            $url   = $ns->url;
-            $title = null;
-
-            if (Event::handle('StartNoticeSourceLink', array($this->notice, &$name, &$url, &$title))) {
-                $name = $source_name;
-                $url  = $ns->url;
-            }
-            Event::handle('EndNoticeSourceLink', array($this->notice, &$name, &$url, &$title));
-
-            // if $ns->name and $ns->url are populated we have
-            // configured a source attr somewhere
-            if (!empty($name) && !empty($url)) {
-                $this->out->elementStart('span', 'device');
-
-                $attrs = array(
-                    'href' => $url,
-                    'rel' => 'external'
-                );
-
-                if (!empty($title)) {
-                    $attrs['title'] = $title;
-                }
-
-                $this->out->element('a', $attrs, $name);
-                $this->out->elementEnd('span');
-            } else {
-                $this->out->element('span', 'device', $name);
-            }
-
-            $this->out->elementEnd('span');
+        if (!$ns instanceof Notice_source) {
+            return false;
         }
+
+        // TRANS: A possible notice source (web interface).
+        $source_name = (empty($ns->name)) ? ($ns->code ? _($ns->code) : _m('SOURCE','web')) : _($ns->name);
+        $this->out->text(' ');
+        $this->out->elementStart('span', 'source');
+        // @todo FIXME: probably i18n issue. If "from" is followed by text, that should be a parameter to "from" (from %s).
+        // TRANS: Followed by notice source.
+        $this->out->text(_('from'));
+        $this->out->text(' ');
+
+        $name  = $source_name;
+        $url   = $ns->url;
+        $title = null;
+
+        if (Event::handle('StartNoticeSourceLink', array($this->notice, &$name, &$url, &$title))) {
+            $name = $source_name;
+            $url  = $ns->url;
+        }
+        Event::handle('EndNoticeSourceLink', array($this->notice, &$name, &$url, &$title));
+
+        // if $ns->name and $ns->url are populated we have
+        // configured a source attr somewhere
+        if (!empty($name) && !empty($url)) {
+            $this->out->elementStart('span', 'device');
+
+            $attrs = array(
+                'href' => $url,
+                'rel' => 'external'
+            );
+
+            if (!empty($title)) {
+                $attrs['title'] = $title;
+            }
+
+            $this->out->element('a', $attrs, $name);
+            $this->out->elementEnd('span');
+        } else {
+            $this->out->element('span', 'device', $name);
+        }
+
+        $this->out->elementEnd('span');
     }
 
     /**