diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub/activity.rs b/src/routes/activitypub/activity.rs
index 59e8ba5..0d4ecdc 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub/activity.rs
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub/activity.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-use axum::{extract::{Path, State}, http::StatusCode};
+use axum::extract::{Path, Query, State};
 use sea_orm::{ColumnTrait, QueryFilter};
-use crate::{model::{self, addressing::EmbeddedActivity}, server::{auth::AuthIdentity, Context}};
+use crate::{errors::UpubError, model::{self, addressing::EmbeddedActivity}, server::{auth::AuthIdentity, Context}};
 use apb::{ActivityMut, ObjectMut, BaseMut, Node};
 
-use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD};
+use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD, TryFetch};
 
 // TODO this is used outside /routes, maybe move in model?
 pub fn ap_activity(activity: model::activity::Model) -> serde_json::Value {
@@ -24,24 +24,25 @@ pub async fn view(
 	State(ctx): State<Context>,
 	Path(id): Path<String>,
 	AuthIdentity(auth): AuthIdentity,
-) -> Result<JsonLD<serde_json::Value>, StatusCode> {
+	Query(query): Query<TryFetch>,
+) -> crate::Result<JsonLD<serde_json::Value>> {
 	let aid = if id.starts_with('+') {
 		format!("https://{}", id.replacen('+', "", 1).replace('@', "/"))
 	} else {
 		ctx.aid(id.clone())
 	};
 	match model::addressing::Entity::find_activities()
-		.filter(model::activity::Column::Id.eq(aid))
+		.filter(model::activity::Column::Id.eq(&aid))
 		.filter(auth.filter_condition())
 		.into_model::<EmbeddedActivity>()
 		.one(ctx.db())
-		.await
+		.await?
 	{
-		Ok(Some(activity)) => Ok(JsonLD(serde_json::Value::from(activity).ld_context())),
-		Ok(None) => Err(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND),
-		Err(e) => {
-			tracing::error!("error querying for activity: {e}");
-			Err(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
+		Some(activity) => Ok(JsonLD(serde_json::Value::from(activity).ld_context())),
+		None => if auth.is_local() && query.fetch {
+			Ok(JsonLD(ap_activity(ctx.fetch().activity(&aid).await?).ld_context()))
+		} else {
+			Err(UpubError::not_found())
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub/mod.rs b/src/routes/activitypub/mod.rs
index c4cd3a9..3eaf9cc 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub/mod.rs
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub/mod.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ impl ActivityPubRouter for Router<crate::server::Context> {
 	}
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize)]
+pub struct TryFetch {
+	#[serde(default)]
+	pub fetch: bool,
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize)]
 // TODO i don't really like how pleroma/mastodon do it actually, maybe change this?
 pub struct Pagination {
diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub/object.rs b/src/routes/activitypub/object.rs
index 23e9cb4..72301fe 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub/object.rs
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub/object.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-use axum::{extract::{Path, State}, http::StatusCode};
+use axum::extract::{Path, Query, State};
 use sea_orm::{ColumnTrait, QueryFilter};
 
 use apb::{ObjectMut, BaseMut, Node};
-use crate::{model::{self, addressing::EmbeddedActivity}, server::{auth::AuthIdentity, Context}};
+use crate::{errors::UpubError, model::{self, addressing::EmbeddedActivity}, server::{auth::AuthIdentity, Context}};
 
-use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD};
+use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD, TryFetch};
 
 // TODO this is used outside /routes, maybe move in model?
 pub fn ap_object(object: model::object::Model) -> serde_json::Value {
@@ -28,25 +28,26 @@ pub async fn view(
 	State(ctx): State<Context>,
 	Path(id): Path<String>,
 	AuthIdentity(auth): AuthIdentity,
-) -> Result<JsonLD<serde_json::Value>, StatusCode> {
+	Query(query): Query<TryFetch>,
+) -> crate::Result<JsonLD<serde_json::Value>> {
 	let oid = if id.starts_with('+') {
 		format!("https://{}", id.replacen('+', "", 1).replace('@', "/"))
 	} else {
 		ctx.oid(id.clone())
 	};
 	match model::addressing::Entity::find_activities()
-		.filter(model::object::Column::Id.eq(oid))
+		.filter(model::object::Column::Id.eq(&oid))
 		.filter(auth.filter_condition())
 		.into_model::<EmbeddedActivity>()
 		.one(ctx.db())
-		.await
+		.await?
 	{
-		Ok(Some(EmbeddedActivity { activity: _, object: Some(object) })) => Ok(JsonLD(ap_object(object).ld_context())),
-		Ok(Some(EmbeddedActivity { activity: _, object: None })) => Err(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND),
-		Ok(None) => Err(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND),
-		Err(e) => {
-			tracing::error!("error querying for object: {e}");
-			Err(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
+		Some(EmbeddedActivity { activity: _, object: Some(object) }) => Ok(JsonLD(ap_object(object).ld_context())),
+		Some(EmbeddedActivity { activity: _, object: None }) => Err(UpubError::not_found()),
+		None => if auth.is_local() && query.fetch {
+			Ok(JsonLD(ap_object(ctx.fetch().object(&oid).await?).ld_context()))
+		} else {
+			Err(UpubError::not_found())
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/activitypub/user/mod.rs b/src/routes/activitypub/user/mod.rs
index 429d1a8..19d1a4f 100644
--- a/src/routes/activitypub/user/mod.rs
+++ b/src/routes/activitypub/user/mod.rs
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ pub mod outbox;
 
 pub mod following;
 
-use axum::extract::{Path, State};
+use axum::extract::{Path, Query, State};
 use sea_orm::EntityTrait;
 
 use apb::{ActorMut, BaseMut, CollectionMut, DocumentMut, DocumentType, Node, ObjectMut, PublicKeyMut};
 use crate::{errors::UpubError, model::{self, user}, server::{auth::AuthIdentity, Context}, url};
 
-use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD};
+use super::{jsonld::LD, JsonLD, TryFetch};
 
 pub fn ap_user(user: model::user::Model) -> serde_json::Value {
 	serde_json::Value::new_object()
@@ -48,13 +48,14 @@ pub async fn view(
 	State(ctx) : State<Context>,
 	AuthIdentity(auth): AuthIdentity,
 	Path(id): Path<String>,
+	Query(query): Query<TryFetch>,
 ) -> crate::Result<JsonLD<serde_json::Value>> {
 	let uid = if id.starts_with('+') {
 		format!("https://{}", id.replacen('+', "", 1).replace('@', "/"))
 	} else {
 		ctx.uid(id.clone())
 	};
-	match user::Entity::find_by_id(uid)
+	match user::Entity::find_by_id(&uid)
 		.find_also_related(model::config::Entity)
 		.one(ctx.db()).await?
 	{
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ pub async fn view(
 						.set_collection_type(Some(apb::CollectionType::OrderedCollection))
 						.set_first(Node::link(url!(ctx, "/users/{id}/following/page")))
 						.set_total_items(
-							if auth.is_user(&user.id) || cfg.show_following {
+							if auth.is_local_user(&user.id) || cfg.show_following {
 								Some(user.following_count as u64)
 							} else {
 								None
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ pub async fn view(
 						.set_collection_type(Some(apb::CollectionType::OrderedCollection))
 						.set_first(Node::link(url!(ctx, "/users/{id}/followers/page")))
 						.set_total_items(
-							if auth.is_user(&user.id) || cfg.show_followers {
+							if auth.is_local_user(&user.id) || cfg.show_followers {
 								Some(user.followers_count as u64)
 							} else {
 								None
@@ -101,7 +102,11 @@ pub async fn view(
 		},
 		// remote user TODDO doesn't work?
 		Some((user, None)) => Ok(JsonLD(ap_user(user).ld_context())),
-		None => Err(UpubError::not_found()),
+		None => if auth.is_local() && query.fetch {
+			Ok(JsonLD(ap_user(ctx.fetch().user(&uid).await?).ld_context()))
+		} else {
+			Err(UpubError::not_found())
+		},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server/auth.rs b/src/server/auth.rs
index 89adc18..5132939 100644
--- a/src/server/auth.rs
+++ b/src/server/auth.rs
@@ -30,14 +30,22 @@ impl Identity {
 		matches!(self, Self::Anonymous)
 	}
 
-	pub fn is_user(&self, uid: &str) -> bool {
+	pub fn is_local(&self) -> bool {
+		matches!(self, Self::Local(_))
+	}
+
+	pub fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+		matches!(self, Self::Remote(_))
+	}
+
+	pub fn is_local_user(&self, uid: &str) -> bool {
 		match self {
 			Self::Local(x) => x == uid,
 			_ => false,
 		}
 	}
 
-	pub fn is_server(&self, uid: &str) -> bool {
+	pub fn is_remote_server(&self, uid: &str) -> bool {
 		match self {
 			Self::Remote(x) => x == uid,
 			_ => false,