diff --git a/classes/Conversation.php b/classes/Conversation.php
index 929b06c149..ea8bd87b56 100755
--- a/classes/Conversation.php
+++ b/classes/Conversation.php
@@ -36,14 +36,43 @@ class Conversation extends Memcached_DataObject
 
     public $__table = 'conversation';                    // table name
     public $id;                              // int(4)  primary_key not_null
-    public $uri;                             // varchar(225)  unique_key not_null
+    public $uri;                             // varchar(225)  unique_key
     public $created;                         // datetime   not_null
     public $modified;                        // timestamp   not_null default_CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
 
     /* Static get */
-    function staticGet($k,$v=NULL) { return Memcached_DataObject::staticGet('Session',$k,$v); }
+    function staticGet($k,$v=NULL) { return Memcached_DataObject::staticGet('conversation',$k,$v); }
 
     /* the code above is auto generated do not remove the tag below */
     ###END_AUTOCODE
+
+    /**
+     * Factory method for creating a new conversation
+     *
+     * @return Conversation the new conversation DO
+     */
+    static function create()
+    {
+        $conv = new Conversation();
+        $conv->created = common_sql_now();
+        $id = $conv->insert();
+
+        if (empty($id)) {
+            common_log_db_error($conv, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $orig = clone($conv);
+        $orig->uri = common_local_url('conversation', array('id' => $id));
+        $result = $orig->update($conv);
+
+        if (empty($result)) {
+            common_log_db_error($conv, 'UPDATE', __FILE__);
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return $conv;
+    }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/classes/statusnet.ini b/classes/statusnet.ini
index 7a9ae07e70..81c1b68b23 100644
--- a/classes/statusnet.ini
+++ b/classes/statusnet.ini
@@ -49,12 +49,13 @@ consumer_key = K
 
 [conversation]
 id = 129
-uri = 130
+uri = 2
 created = 142
 modified = 384
 
 [conversation__keys]
 id = N
+uri = U
 
 [deleted_notice]
 id = 129
diff --git a/db/statusnet.sql b/db/statusnet.sql
index 74e5b69547..97117c80aa 100644
--- a/db/statusnet.sql
+++ b/db/statusnet.sql
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ create table inbox (
 
 create table conversation (
     id integer auto_increment primary key comment 'unique identifier',
-    uri varchar(225) not null unique comment 'URI of the conversation',
+    uri varchar(225) unique comment 'URI of the conversation',
     created datetime not null comment 'date this record was created',
     modified timestamp comment 'date this record was modified'
 ) ENGINE=InnoDB CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin;