diff --git a/includes/client/posts.php b/includes/client/posts.php
index abcbbe8..383403f 100644
--- a/includes/client/posts.php
+++ b/includes/client/posts.php
@@ -4,22 +4,22 @@ namespace posts;
 require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . '../server/activities/create.php';
 
 function handle_post_status_change( $new_status, $old_status, $post ) {
-    // TODO find a way to get the id of an existing object for the post, if it exists
     $actor_slug = PTEROTYPE_BLOG_ACTOR_SLUG;
     $actor_outbox = get_rest_url(
         null, sprintf( 'pterotype/v1/actor/%s/outbox', $actor_slug )
     );
-    $post_object = post_to_object( $post );
     $activity = null;
     if ( $new_status == 'publish' && $old_status != 'publish' ) {
         // Create
+        $post_object = post_to_object( $post );
         $activity = \activities\create\make_create( $actor_slug, $post_object );
     } else if ( $new_status == 'publish' && $old_status == 'publish' ) {
         // Update
+        $post_object = post_to_object( $post );
         $activity = \activities\update\make_update( $actor_slug, $post_object );
     } else if ( $new_status != 'publish' && $old_status == 'publish' ) {
         // Delete
-        // TODO delete isn't working
+        $post_object = post_to_object( $post, true );
         $activity = \activities\delete\make_delete( $actor_slug, $post_object );
     }
     if ( $activity && ! is_wp_error( $activity ) ) {
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ function handle_post_status_change( $new_status, $old_status, $post ) {
 /**
 Return an object of type Article
 */
-function post_to_object( $post ) {
+function post_to_object( $post, $deleted = false ) {
+    $permalink = get_permalink( $post );
+    if ( $deleted ) {
+        $permalink = substr( $permalink, 0, -10 ) . '/';
+    }
     $object = array(
         '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Article',
@@ -44,20 +48,20 @@ function post_to_object( $post ) {
         'attributedTo' => get_rest_url(
             null, sprintf( '/pterotype/v1/actor/%s', PTEROTYPE_BLOG_ACTOR_SLUG )
         ),
-        'url' => get_permalink( $post ),
+        'url' => $permalink,
         'summary' => $post->post_excerpt,
     );
-    $existing = get_existing_object( $post );
+    $existing = get_existing_object( $permalink );
     if ( $existing ) {
         $object['id'] = $existing->activitypub_id;
     }
     return $object;
 }
 
-function get_existing_object( $post ) {
+function get_existing_object( $permalink ) {
     global $wpdb;
     return $wpdb->get_row( $wpdb->prepare(
-        'SELECT * FROM pterotype_objects WHERE object->"$.url" = %s', get_permalink( $post )
+        'SELECT * FROM pterotype_objects WHERE object->"$.url" = %s', $permalink
     ) );
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/includes/server/activities/create.php b/includes/server/activities/create.php
index 27e19ac..87fbcd6 100644
--- a/includes/server/activities/create.php
+++ b/includes/server/activities/create.php
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ function make_create( $actor_slug, $object ) {
         return $actor;
     }
     $activity = array(
-        '@context' => 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Create',
         'actor' => $actor,
         'object' => $object
diff --git a/includes/server/activities/delete.php b/includes/server/activities/delete.php
index c70b12b..5bcf905 100644
--- a/includes/server/activities/delete.php
+++ b/includes/server/activities/delete.php
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ function handle_outbox( $actor, $activity ) {
         );
     }
     $object = $activity['object'];
-    $res = \objects\delete_object( $object );
-    if ( is_wp_error( $res ) ) {
-        return $res;
+    $tombstone = \objects\delete_object( $object );
+    if ( is_wp_error( $tombstone ) ) {
+        return $tombstone;
     }
+    $activity['object'] = $tombstone;
     return $activity;
 }
 
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ function make_delete( $actor_slug, $object ) {
         return $actor;
     }
     return array(
-        '@context' => 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Delete',
         'actor' => $actor,
         'object' => $object
diff --git a/includes/server/activities/follow.php b/includes/server/activities/follow.php
index 0acc6ae..a84f9f3 100644
--- a/includes/server/activities/follow.php
+++ b/includes/server/activities/follow.php
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ function make_accept( $actor_slug, $follow ) {
         );
     }
     $accept = array(
-        '@context' => 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Accept',
         'actor' => \actors\get_actor_by_slug( $actor_slug ),
         'object' => $follow,
diff --git a/includes/server/activities/update.php b/includes/server/activities/update.php
index 4b406ed..57e4fa1 100644
--- a/includes/server/activities/update.php
+++ b/includes/server/activities/update.php
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function make_update( $actor_slug, $object ) {
         return $actor;
     }
     return array(
-        '@context' => 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Update',
         'actor' => $actor,
         'object' => $object
diff --git a/includes/server/collections.php b/includes/server/collections.php
index 78b2ca8..fa07f81 100644
--- a/includes/server/collections.php
+++ b/includes/server/collections.php
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ namespace collections;
 
 function make_ordered_collection( $objects ) {
     $ordered_collection = array(
-        '@context' => 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams',
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'OrderedCollection',
         'totalItems' => count( $objects ),
         'orderedItems' => $objects
diff --git a/includes/server/objects.php b/includes/server/objects.php
index e0b33b2..99312cc 100644
--- a/includes/server/objects.php
+++ b/includes/server/objects.php
@@ -105,19 +105,7 @@ function upsert_object( $object ) {
         );
         $row = new \stdClass();
         $row->id = $wpdb->insert_id;
-        $activites_res = $wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare(
-            '
-            UPDATE pterotype_activities
-            SET activity = JSON_SET(activity, "$.object", %s)
-            WHERE activity->"$.object.id" = %s;
-            ',
-            wp_json_encode( $object ), $object['id']
-        ) );
-        if ( $activities_res === false ) {
-            return new \WP_Error(
-                'db_error', __( 'Failed to update associated activities', 'pterotype' )
-            );
-        }
+        update_referencing_activities( $object );
     }
     if ( !$res ) {
         return new \WP_Error(
@@ -152,6 +140,12 @@ function update_object( $object ) {
             'db_error', __( 'Failed to update object row', 'pterotype' )
         );
     }
+    update_referencing_activities( $object );
+    return $object;
+}
+
+function update_referencing_activities( $object ) {
+    global $wpdb;
     $referencing_activities = $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare(
         'SELECT * FROM pterotype_activities WHERE activity->"$.object.id" = %s',
         $object['id']
@@ -163,7 +157,6 @@ function update_object( $object ) {
             \activities\persist_activity( $activity );
         }
     }
-    return $object;
 }
 
 function get_object( $id ) {
@@ -234,24 +227,13 @@ function delete_object( $object ) {
     if ( !$res ) {
         return new \WP_Error( 'db_error', __( 'Error deleting object', 'pterotype' ) );
     }
-    $res = $wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare(
-        '
-        UPDATE pterotype_activities
-        SET activity = JSON_SET(activity, "$.object", %s)
-        WHERE activity->"$.object.id" = %s;
-        ',
-        wp_json_encode( $tombstone ), $object['id']
-    ) );
-    if ( $res === false ) {
-        return new \WP_Error(
-            'db_error', __( 'Failed to update associated activities', 'pterotype' )
-        );
-    }
+    update_referencing_activities( $tombstone );
     return $tombstone;
 }
 
 function make_tombstone( $object ) {
     $tombstone = array(
+        '@context' => array( 'https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams' ),
         'type' => 'Tombstone',
         'formerType' => $object['type'],
         'id' => $object['id'],