diff --git a/includes/server/deliver.php b/includes/server/deliver.php
index ae14112..ac131a3 100644
--- a/includes/server/deliver.php
+++ b/includes/server/deliver.php
@@ -73,15 +73,11 @@ function get_recipient_urls( $object, $depth, $acc ) {
             return $recipients;
         case Link:
             if ( array_key_exists( 'href', $object ) ) {
-                $response = wp_remote_get( $object['href'] );
+                $response = \util\get_object_from_url( $object['href'] );
                 if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
                     return array();
                 }
-                $link_target = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-                if ( empty( $link_target ) ) {
-                    return array();
-                }
-                return get_recipient_urls( json_decode( $link_target, true ), $depth + 1, $acc );
+                return get_recipient_urls( $link_target, $depth + 1, $acc );
             } else {
                 return array();
             }
@@ -106,15 +102,11 @@ function get_recipient_urls( $object, $depth, $acc ) {
             return $recipients;
         } else {
             if ( filter_var( $object, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL ) ) {
-                $response = wp_remote_get( $object );
+                $response = \util\get_object_from_url( $object );
                 if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
                     return array();
                 }
-                $response_body = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-                if ( empty( $response_body ) ) {
-                    return $array();
-                }
-                return get_recipient_urls( json_decode( $response_body, true ), $depth + 1, $acc );
+                return get_recipient_urls( $response_body, $depth + 1, $acc );
             } else {
                 return array();
             }
@@ -123,13 +115,21 @@ function get_recipient_urls( $object, $depth, $acc ) {
 }
 
 function post_activity_to_inboxes( $activity, $recipients ) {
-    foreach ( $inbox as $recipients ) {
-        $args = array(
-            'body' => $activity,
-            'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/ld+json' )
-        );
-        // TODO do something with the result?
-        wp_remote_post( $inbox, $args );
+    foreach ( $recipients as $inbox ) {
+        if ( \util\is_local_url( $inbox ) ) {
+            $request = \WP_REST_Request::from_url( $inbox );
+            $request->set_method('POST');
+            $request->set_body( $activity );
+            $request->add_header( 'Content-Type', 'application/ld+json' );
+            $server = rest_get_server();
+            $server->dispatch( $request );
+        } else {
+            $args = array(
+                'body' => $activity,
+                'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/ld+json' )
+            );
+            wp_remote_post( $inbox, $args );
+        }
     }
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/includes/server/inbox.php b/includes/server/inbox.php
index 7f856de..7850fc8 100644
--- a/includes/server/inbox.php
+++ b/includes/server/inbox.php
@@ -110,35 +110,11 @@ function references_local_object( $object, $depth ) {
         if ( $result ) {
             return $result;
         }
-        // $field_value is either a url, a Link, or an object
-        if ( is_array( $field_value ) ) {
-            if ( array_key_exists( 'id', $field_value ) ) {
-                return \objects\is_local_object( $field_value );
-            } else if ( array_key_exists( 'href', $field_value ) ) {
-                $response = wp_remote_get( $field_value['href'] );
-                if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-                $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-                if ( empty( $body ) ) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-                $body_array = json_decode( $body, true );
-                return $body_array && references_local_object( $body_array, $depth + 1 );
-            } else {
-                return false;
-            }
+        $dereferenced = \util\dereference_object( $field_value );
+        if ( is_wp_error( $dereferenced ) ) {
+            return false;
         } else {
-            $response = wp_remote_get( $field_value );
-            if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            $body = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-            if ( empty( $body ) ) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            $body_array = json_decode( $body, true );
-            $result = $body_array && references_local_object( $body_array, $depth + 1 );
+            return \objects\is_local_object( $dereferenced );
         }
     }
     return false;
diff --git a/includes/server/objects.php b/includes/server/objects.php
index 7bde197..c0e48ff 100644
--- a/includes/server/objects.php
+++ b/includes/server/objects.php
@@ -262,11 +262,6 @@ function is_local_object( $object ) {
     if ( !$url ) {
         return false;
     }
-    $parsed = parse_url( $url );
-    if ( $parsed ) {
-        $site_host = parse_url( get_site_url() )['host'];
-        return $parsed['host'] === $site_host;
-    }
-    return false;
+    return \util\is_local_url( $url );
 }
 ?>
diff --git a/includes/util.php b/includes/util.php
index 3950622..aa6865e 100644
--- a/includes/util.php
+++ b/includes/util.php
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ function dereference_object_helper( $object, $depth ) {
              $object['type'] === 'Link' &&
              array_key_exists( 'href', $object ) &&
              filter_var( $object['href'], FILTER_VALIDATE_URL ) ) {
-            return get_object_from_url( $object['href'], $depth );
+            return get_object_from_url_helper( $object['href'], $depth );
         }
         return $object;
     } else if ( filter_var( $object, FILTER_VALIDATE_URL ) ) {
-        return get_object_from_url( $object, $depth );
+        return get_object_from_url_helper( $object, $depth );
     } else {
         return new \WP_Error(
             'invalid_object',
@@ -31,7 +31,14 @@ function dereference_object_helper( $object, $depth ) {
     }
 }
 
-function get_object_from_url( $url, $depth ) {
+function get_object_from_url( $url ) {
+    return get_object_from_url_helper( $url, 0 );
+}
+
+function get_object_from_url_helper( $url, $depth ) {
+    if ( is_local_url( $url ) ) {
+        return retrieve_local_url( $url );
+    }
     $response = wp_remote_get( $url );
     if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
         return $response;
@@ -48,6 +55,26 @@ function get_object_from_url( $url, $depth ) {
     return dereference_object_helper( $body_array, $depth + 1 );
 }
 
+function retrieve_local_object( $url ) {
+    $server = rest_get_server();
+    $request = new \WP_REST_Request( 'GET', $url );
+    $response = $server->dispatch( $request );
+    is ( $response->is_error() ) {
+        return $response->as_error();
+    } else {
+        return $response->get_data();
+    }
+}
+
+function is_local_url( $url ) {
+    $parsed = parse_url( $url );
+    if ( $parsed ) {
+        $site_host = parse_url( get_site_url() )['host'];
+        return $parsed['host'] === $site_host;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 function is_same_object( $object1, $object2 ) {
     return get_id( $object1 ) === get_id( $object2 );
 }