diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 1566399fa2..dbb7fff6f8 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -201,26 +201,6 @@ function setupRW()
     return;
 }
 
-function checkMirror($action_obj, $args)
-{
-    global $config;
-
-    if (common_config('db', 'mirror') && $action_obj->isReadOnly($args)) {
-        if (is_array(common_config('db', 'mirror'))) {
-            // "load balancing", ha ha
-            $arr = common_config('db', 'mirror');
-            $k = array_rand($arr);
-            $mirror = $arr[$k];
-        } else {
-            $mirror = common_config('db', 'mirror');
-        }
-
-        // everyone else uses the mirror
-
-        $config['db']['database'] = $mirror;
-    }
-}
-
 function isLoginAction($action)
 {
     static $loginActions =  array('login', 'recoverpassword', 'api', 'doc', 'register', 'publicxrds', 'otp', 'opensearch', 'rsd', 'hostmeta');
@@ -315,7 +295,7 @@ function main()
 
     Event::handle('ArgsInitialize', array(&$args));
 
-    $action = $args['action'];
+    $action = basename($args['action']);
 
     if (!$action || !preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]*$/', $action)) {
         common_redirect(common_local_url('public'));
@@ -356,14 +336,8 @@ function main()
         $cac = new ClientErrorAction(_('Unknown action'), 404);
         $cac->showPage();
     } else {
-        $action_obj = new $action_class();
-
-        checkMirror($action_obj, $args);
-
         try {
-            if ($action_obj->prepare($args)) {
-                $action_obj->handle($args);
-            }
+            call_user_func("$action_class::run", $args);
         } catch (ClientException $cex) {
             $cac = new ClientErrorAction($cex->getMessage(), $cex->getCode());
             $cac->showPage();
diff --git a/lib/action.php b/lib/action.php
index 8e0f7be94a..3b87b3f5ec 100644
--- a/lib/action.php
+++ b/lib/action.php
@@ -55,7 +55,20 @@ require_once INSTALLDIR.'/lib/htmloutputter.php';
  */
 class Action extends HTMLOutputter // lawsuit
 {
-    var $args;
+    // This should be protected/private in the future
+    public $args = array();
+
+    // Action properties, set per-class
+    protected $action = false;
+    protected $ajax   = false;
+    protected $menus  = true;
+
+    // The currently scoped profile
+    protected $scoped = null;
+
+    // Messages to the front-end user
+    protected $error = null;
+    protected $msg   = null;
 
     /**
      * Constructor
@@ -73,6 +86,44 @@ class Action extends HTMLOutputter // lawsuit
         parent::__construct($output, $indent);
     }
 
+    function getError()
+    {
+        return $this->error;
+    }
+
+    function getInfo()
+    {
+        return $this->msg;
+    }
+
+    static public function run(array $args=array(), $output='php://output', $indent=null) {
+        $class = get_called_class();
+        $action = new $class($output, $indent);
+        $action->execute($args);
+        return $action;
+    }
+
+    public function execute(array $args=array()) {
+        // checkMirror stuff
+        if (common_config('db', 'mirror') && $this->isReadOnly($args)) {
+            if (is_array(common_config('db', 'mirror'))) {
+                // "load balancing", ha ha
+                $arr = common_config('db', 'mirror');
+                $k = array_rand($arr);
+                $mirror = $arr[$k];
+            } else {
+                $mirror = common_config('db', 'mirror');
+            }
+
+            // everyone else uses the mirror
+            common_config_set('db', 'database', $mirror);
+        }
+
+        if ($this->prepare($args)) {
+            $this->handle($args);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * For initializing members of the class.
      *
@@ -80,14 +131,19 @@ class Action extends HTMLOutputter // lawsuit
      *
      * @return boolean true
      */
-    function prepare($argarray)
+    function prepare(array $args=array())
     {
-        $this->args =& common_copy_args($argarray);
+        $this->args = common_copy_args($args);
 
-        if ($this->boolean('ajax')) {
+        $this->action = $this->trimmed('action');
+
+        if ($this->ajax || $this->boolean('ajax')) {
+            // check with StatusNet::isAjax()
             StatusNet::setAjax(true);
         }
 
+        $this->scoped = Profile::current();
+
         return true;
     }