diff --git a/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js b/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
index ac0f9bf..6c59ca2 100644
--- a/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
+++ b/lib/mastodon/routes/statuses.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import {
   boostPost, unboostPost,
   bookmarkPost, unbookmarkPost,
 } from "../helpers/interactions.js";
-import { addTimelineItem } from "../../storage/timeline.js";
 import { tokenRequired } from "../middleware/token-required.js";
 import { scopeRequired } from "../middleware/scope-required.js";
 
@@ -166,130 +165,105 @@ router.post("/api/v1/statuses", tokenRequired, scopeRequired("write", "write:sta
       }
     }
 
-    // Build JF2 properties for the Micropub pipeline
+    // Build JF2 properties for the Micropub pipeline.
+    // Provide both text and html — linkify URLs since Micropub's markdown-it
+    // doesn't have linkify enabled. Mentions are preserved as plain text;
+    // the AP syndicator resolves them via WebFinger for federation delivery.
+    const contentText = statusText || "";
+    const contentHtml = contentText
+      .replace(/&/g, "&")
+      .replace(/</g, "&lt;")
+      .replace(/>/g, "&gt;")
+      .replace(/(https?:\/\/[^\s<>&"')\]]+)/g, '<a href="$1">$1</a>')
+      .replace(/\n/g, "<br>");
+
     const jf2 = {
       type: "entry",
-      content: statusText || "",
+      content: { text: contentText, html: `<p>${contentHtml}</p>` },
     };
 
     if (inReplyTo) {
       jf2["in-reply-to"] = inReplyTo;
     }
 
-    if (spoilerText) {
-      jf2.summary = spoilerText;
-    }
-
-    if (sensitive === true || sensitive === "true") {
-      jf2.sensitive = "true";
-    }
-
     if (visibility && visibility !== "public") {
       jf2.visibility = visibility;
     }
 
+    // Use content-warning (not summary) to match native reader behavior
+    if (spoilerText) {
+      jf2["content-warning"] = spoilerText;
+      jf2.sensitive = "true";
+    }
+
     if (language) {
       jf2["mp-language"] = language;
     }
 
-    // Syndicate to AP only — posts from Mastodon clients belong to the fediverse.
-    // Never cross-post to Bluesky (conversations stay in their protocol).
-    // The publication URL is the AP syndicator's uid.
+    // Syndicate to AP — posts from Mastodon clients belong to the fediverse
     const publicationUrl = pluginOptions.publicationUrl || baseUrl;
     jf2["mp-syndicate-to"] = [publicationUrl.replace(/\/$/, "") + "/"];
 
-    // Create post via Micropub pipeline (same functions the Micropub endpoint uses)
-    // postData.create() handles: normalization, post type detection, path rendering,
-    // mp-syndicate-to validated against configured syndicators, MongoDB posts collection
+    // Create post via Micropub pipeline (same internal functions)
     const { postData } = await import("@indiekit/endpoint-micropub/lib/post-data.js");
     const { postContent } = await import("@indiekit/endpoint-micropub/lib/post-content.js");
 
     const data = await postData.create(application, publication, jf2);
-    // postContent.create() handles: template rendering, file creation in store
     await postContent.create(publication, data);
 
     const postUrl = data.properties.url;
     console.info(`[Mastodon API] Created post via Micropub: ${postUrl}`);
 
-    // Add to ap_timeline so the post is visible in the Mastodon Client API
+    // Return a minimal status to the Mastodon client.
+    // No timeline entry is created here — the post will appear in the timeline
+    // after the normal flow: Eleventy rebuild → syndication webhook → AP delivery.
     const profile = await collections.ap_profile.findOne({});
     const handle = pluginOptions.handle || "user";
-    const actorUrl = profile?.url || `${publicationUrl}/users/${handle}`;
 
-    // Extract hashtags from status text and merge with any Micropub categories
-    const categories = data.properties.category || [];
-    const inlineHashtags = (statusText || "").match(/(?:^|\s)#([a-zA-Z_]\w*)/g);
-    if (inlineHashtags) {
-      const existing = new Set(categories.map((c) => c.toLowerCase()));
-      for (const match of inlineHashtags) {
-        const tag = match.trim().slice(1).toLowerCase();
-        if (!existing.has(tag)) {
-          existing.add(tag);
-          categories.push(tag);
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    // Resolve relative media URLs to absolute
-    const resolveMedia = (items) => {
-      if (!items || !items.length) return [];
-      return items.map((item) => {
-        if (typeof item === "string") {
-          return item.startsWith("http") ? item : `${publicationUrl.replace(/\/$/, "")}/${item.replace(/^\//, "")}`;
-        }
-        if (item?.url && !item.url.startsWith("http")) {
-          return { ...item, url: `${publicationUrl.replace(/\/$/, "")}/${item.url.replace(/^\//, "")}` };
-        }
-        return item;
-      });
-    };
-
-    // Process content: linkify URLs and extract @mentions
-    const rawContent = data.properties.content || { text: statusText || "", html: "" };
-    const processedContent = processStatusContent(rawContent, statusText || "");
-    const mentions = extractMentions(statusText || "");
-
-    const now = new Date().toISOString();
-    const timelineItem = await addTimelineItem(collections, {
-      uid: postUrl,
+    res.json({
+      id: String(Date.now()),
+      created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      content: `<p>${contentHtml}</p>`,
       url: postUrl,
-      type: data.properties["post-type"] || "note",
-      content: processedContent,
-      summary: spoilerText || "",
-      sensitive: sensitive === true || sensitive === "true",
+      uri: postUrl,
       visibility: visibility || "public",
+      sensitive: sensitive === true || sensitive === "true",
+      spoiler_text: spoilerText || "",
+      in_reply_to_id: inReplyToId || null,
+      in_reply_to_account_id: null,
       language: language || null,
-      inReplyTo,
-      published: data.properties.published || now,
-      createdAt: now,
-      author: {
-        name: profile?.name || handle,
+      replies_count: 0,
+      reblogs_count: 0,
+      favourites_count: 0,
+      favourited: false,
+      reblogged: false,
+      bookmarked: false,
+      account: {
+        id: "owner",
+        username: handle,
+        acct: handle,
+        display_name: profile?.name || handle,
         url: profile?.url || publicationUrl,
-        photo: profile?.icon || "",
-        handle: `@${handle}`,
+        avatar: profile?.icon || "",
+        avatar_static: profile?.icon || "",
+        header: "",
+        header_static: "",
+        followers_count: 0,
+        following_count: 0,
+        statuses_count: 0,
         emojis: [],
-        bot: false,
+        fields: [],
       },
-      photo: resolveMedia(data.properties.photo || []),
-      video: resolveMedia(data.properties.video || []),
-      audio: resolveMedia(data.properties.audio || []),
-      category: categories,
-      counts: { replies: 0, boosts: 0, likes: 0 },
-      linkPreviews: [],
-      mentions,
+      media_attachments: [],
+      mentions: extractMentions(contentText).map(m => ({
+        id: "0",
+        username: m.name.split("@")[1] || m.name,
+        acct: m.name.replace(/^@/, ""),
+        url: m.url,
+      })),
+      tags: [],
       emojis: [],
     });
-
-    // Serialize and return
-    const serialized = serializeStatus(timelineItem, {
-      baseUrl,
-      favouritedIds: new Set(),
-      rebloggedIds: new Set(),
-      bookmarkedIds: new Set(),
-      pinnedIds: new Set(),
-    });
-
-    res.json(serialized);
   } catch (error) {
     next(error);
   }
@@ -604,45 +578,6 @@ async function loadItemInteractions(collections, item) {
   return { favouritedIds, rebloggedIds, bookmarkedIds };
 }
 
-/**
- * Process status content: linkify bare URLs and convert @mentions to links.
- *
- * Mastodon clients send plain text — the server is responsible for
- * converting URLs and mentions into HTML links.
- *
- * @param {object} content - { text, html } from Micropub pipeline
- * @param {string} rawText - Original status text from client
- * @returns {object} { text, html } with linkified content
- */
-function processStatusContent(content, rawText) {
-  let html = content.html || content.text || rawText || "";
-
-  // If the HTML is just plain text wrapped in <p>, process it
-  // Don't touch HTML that already has links (from Micropub rendering)
-  if (!html.includes("<a ")) {
-    // Linkify bare URLs (http/https)
-    html = html.replace(
-      /(https?:\/\/[^\s<>"')\]]+)/g,
-      '<a href="$1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$1</a>',
-    );
-
-    // Convert @user@domain mentions to profile links
-    html = html.replace(
-      /(?:^|\s)(@([a-zA-Z0-9_]+)@([a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}))/g,
-      (match, full, username, domain) =>
-        match.replace(
-          full,
-          `<span class="h-card"><a href="https://${domain}/@${username}" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@${username}@${domain}</a></span>`,
-        ),
-    );
-  }
-
-  return {
-    text: content.text || rawText || "",
-    html,
-  };
-}
-
 /**
  * Extract @user@domain mentions from text into mention objects.
  *
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index dc2fb61..1e5fa18 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@rmdes/indiekit-endpoint-activitypub",
-  "version": "3.9.3",
+  "version": "3.9.4",
   "description": "ActivityPub federation endpoint for Indiekit via Fedify. Adds full fediverse support: actor, inbox, outbox, followers, following, syndication, and Mastodon migration.",
   "keywords": [
     "indiekit",