diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index a320162d..3a2805b4 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Feed(View):
 
         if tab == 'home':
             activities = get_activity_feed(
-                request.user, following_only=True, hide_dms=True)
+                request.user, following_only=True)
         elif tab == 'local':
             activities = get_activity_feed(
                 request.user, privacy=['public', 'followers'], local_only=True)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
index 78f210bf..10b6ed92 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def privacy_filter(viewer, queryset, privacy_levels=None, following_only=False):
 
 def get_activity_feed(
         user, privacy=None, local_only=False, following_only=False,
-        queryset=None, hide_dms=False):
+        queryset=None):
     ''' get a filtered queryset of statuses '''
     if not queryset:
         queryset = models.Status.objects.select_subclasses()
@@ -127,8 +127,16 @@ def get_activity_feed(
     queryset = privacy_filter(
         user, queryset, privacy, following_only=following_only)
 
-    if hide_dms:
+    # only show dms if we only want dms
+    if privacy == ['direct']:
         # dms are direct statuses not related to books
+        queryset = queryset.filter(
+            review__isnull=True,
+            comment__isnull=True,
+            quotation__isnull=True,
+            generatednote__isnull=True,
+        )
+    else:
         queryset = queryset.exclude(
             review__isnull=True,
             comment__isnull=True,
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/user.py b/bookwyrm/views/user.py
index 01002ce5..a218375f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/user.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/user.py
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ class User(View):
         activities = get_activity_feed(
             request.user,
             queryset=user.status_set.select_subclasses(),
-            hide_dms=True
         )
         paginated = Paginator(activities, PAGE_LENGTH)
         goal = models.AnnualGoal.objects.filter(