diff --git a/include/identity.php b/include/identity.php
index b9ee00623..c8b5a3679 100644
--- a/include/identity.php
+++ b/include/identity.php
@@ -890,6 +890,8 @@ function profile_sidebar($profile, $block = 0, $show_connect = true) {
 		|| (x($profile,'country_name') == 1))
 		$location = t('Location:');
 
+	$profile['homepage'] = linkify($profile['homepage']);
+
 	$gender   = ((x($profile,'gender')   == 1) ? t('Gender:')   : False);
 	$marital  = ((x($profile,'marital')  == 1) ? t('Status:')   : False);
 	$homepage = ((x($profile,'homepage') == 1) ? t('Homepage:') : False);
diff --git a/mod/profiles.php b/mod/profiles.php
index 14f24c5cf..86de72629 100644
--- a/mod/profiles.php
+++ b/mod/profiles.php
@@ -514,6 +514,8 @@ function profiles_post(&$a) {
 		}
 
 		if($is_default) {
+			// reload the info for the sidebar widget - why does this not work?
+			profile_load($a,$channel['channel_address']);
 			proc_run('php','include/directory.php',local_user());
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/view/tpl/profile_vcard.tpl b/view/tpl/profile_vcard.tpl
index 3c83cd685..6904c2fec 100755
--- a/view/tpl/profile_vcard.tpl
+++ b/view/tpl/profile_vcard.tpl
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 
 	{{if $marital}}<dl class="marital"><dt class="marital-label"><span class="heart">&hearts;</span>{{$marital}}</dt><dd class="marital-text">{{$profile.marital}}</dd></dl>{{/if}}
 
-	{{if $homepage}}<dl class="homepage"><dt class="homepage-label">{{$homepage}}</dt><dd class="homepage-url"><a href="{{$profile.homepage}}" >{{$profile.homepage}}</a></dd></dl>{{/if}}
+	{{if $homepage}}<dl class="homepage"><dt class="homepage-label">{{$homepage}}</dt><dd class="homepage-url">{{$profile.homepage}}</dd></dl>{{/if}}
 
 	{{if $diaspora}}
 	{{include file="diaspora_vcard.tpl"}}