diff --git a/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts b/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
index 62447ee38..8939f821a 100644
--- a/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 
 import { Capabilities, CLOSECODES, OPCODES, Payload, Send, setupListener, WebSocket } from "@spacebar/gateway";
 import {
-    arrayGroupBy,
     Application,
+    arrayGroupBy,
     Channel,
     checkToken,
     Config,
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ import {
 import { check } from "./instanceOf";
 import { In, Not } from "typeorm";
 import { PreloadedUserSettings } from "discord-protos";
-import { ChannelType, DefaultUserGuildSettings, DMChannel, IdentifySchema, PrivateUserProjection, PublicUser, PublicUserProjection } from "@spacebar/schemas";
-import { randomString } from "@spacebar/api*";
+import { ChannelType, DefaultUserGuildSettings, DMChannel, IdentifySchema, PrivateUserProjection, PublicUser, PublicUserProjection, RelationshipType } from "@spacebar/schemas";
+import { randomString } from "@spacebar/api";
 
 // TODO: user sharding
 // TODO: check privileged intents, if defined in the config
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export async function onIdentify(this: WebSocket, data: Payload) {
                 event: "PRESENCE_UPDATE",
                 data: {
                     user: tokenData.user.toPublicUser(),
-                    status: this.session.status,
+                    status: this.session.getPublicStatus(),
                     client_status: this.session.client_status,
                     activities: this.session.activities,
                 },
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ export async function onIdentify(this: WebSocket, data: Payload) {
         process.env.LOG_GATEWAY_TRACES ? JSON.stringify(d._trace, null, 2) : "",
     );
 
-    // actually send presence updates
+    // actually send presence updates - not using distributePresenceUpdate because we already have all of the data at hand
     if (presenceUpdateEventData) {
         for (const rel of d.relationships ?? []) {
             await emitEvent({
diff --git a/src/gateway/util/SessionUtils.ts b/src/gateway/util/SessionUtils.ts
index 24e2c99eb..843341cc5 100644
--- a/src/gateway/util/SessionUtils.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/util/SessionUtils.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 	along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
-import { Session } from "@spacebar/util";
-
 export function genSessionId() {
     return genRanHex(32);
 }
@@ -29,20 +27,3 @@ export function genVoiceToken() {
 function genRanHex(size: number) {
     return [...Array(size)].map(() => Math.floor(Math.random() * 16).toString(16)).join("");
 }
-
-export function getMostRelevantSession(sessions: Session[]) {
-    const statusMap = {
-        online: 0,
-        idle: 1,
-        dnd: 2,
-        invisible: 3,
-        offline: 4,
-        unknown: 5,
-    };
-    // sort sessions by relevance
-    sessions = sessions.sort((a, b) => {
-        return statusMap[a.status] - statusMap[b.status] + ((a.activities?.length ?? 0) - (b.activities?.length ?? 0)) * 2;
-    });
-
-    return sessions[0];
-}
diff --git a/src/util/util/Presence.ts b/src/util/util/Presence.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6703344f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/util/Presence.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+	Spacebar: A FOSS re-implementation and extension of the Discord.com backend.
+	Copyright (C) 2026 Spacebar and Spacebar Contributors
+
+	This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+	it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+	by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+	(at your option) any later version.
+
+	This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+	but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+	MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+	GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+	You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+	along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+import { emitEvent, Member, PresenceUpdateEvent, Recipient, Relationship, Session } from "@spacebar/util";
+import { RelationshipType } from "@spacebar/schemas";
+import { Not } from "typeorm";
+
+export function getMostRelevantSession(sessions: Session[]) {
+    const statusMap = {
+        online: 0,
+        idle: 1,
+        dnd: 2,
+        invisible: 3,
+        offline: 4,
+        unknown: 5,
+    };
+    // sort sessions by relevance
+    sessions = sessions.sort((a, b) => {
+        return statusMap[a.status] - statusMap[b.status] + ((a.activities?.length ?? 0) - (b.activities?.length ?? 0)) * 2;
+    });
+
+    return sessions[0];
+}
+
+export async function distributePresenceUpdate(userId: string, data: PresenceUpdateEvent) {
+    let relationships: Relationship[] | undefined = await Relationship.find({
+        where: { from_id: userId, type: RelationshipType.friends },
+        select: { from_id: true, to_id: true },
+    });
+    for (const rel of relationships)
+        await emitEvent({
+            ...data,
+            user_id: rel.to_id,
+        });
+    // noinspection JSUnusedAssignment - drop array ref
+    relationships = undefined;
+
+    let memberGuildIds: string[] | undefined = (
+        await Member.find({
+            where: { id: userId },
+            select: { guild_id: true },
+        })
+    ).map((x) => x.guild_id);
+    for (const rel of memberGuildIds)
+        await emitEvent({
+            ...data,
+            guild_id: rel,
+        });
+    // noinspection JSUnusedAssignment - drop array ref
+    memberGuildIds = undefined;
+
+    const recipients = await Recipient.find({ where: { user_id: userId, closed: false }, relations: { channel: true } });
+    for (const recipient of recipients) {
+        const otherRecipients = await Recipient.find({ where: { user_id: Not(userId), channel_id: recipient.channel_id } });
+        for (const otherRcpt of otherRecipients) {
+            if (otherRcpt.closed) continue;
+            await emitEvent({
+                ...data,
+                user_id: otherRcpt.user_id,
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}