diff --git a/src/core/xmpp.py b/src/core/xmpp.py
index 4b4538e0..86371c2d 100644
--- a/src/core/xmpp.py
+++ b/src/core/xmpp.py
@@ -224,11 +224,19 @@ class SatPresenceProtocol(xmppim.PresenceClientProtocol):
         
     
     def available(self, entity=None, show=None, statuses=None, priority=0):
-        if statuses and statuses.has_key('default'):
+	if not statuses:
+	    statuses = {}
+	# default for us is None for wokkel
+	# so we must temporarily switch to wokkel's convention...	
+        if 'default' in statuses:
             statuses[None] = statuses['default']
-            del statuses['default']
+
         xmppim.PresenceClientProtocol.available(self, entity, show, statuses, priority)
-   
+
+	# ... before switching back
+	if None in statuses:
+	    del statuses[None]
+
     def subscribed(self, entity):
         xmppim.PresenceClientProtocol.subscribed(self, entity)
         self.host.memory.delWaitingSub(entity.userhost(), self.parent.profile)