diff --git a/pleroma-comments.lua b/pleroma-comments.lua
index 5efe92c..1c289ce 100644
--- a/pleroma-comments.lua
+++ b/pleroma-comments.lua
@@ -36,11 +36,12 @@ function tokenizeString(inputString, delimiter)
 end
 
 function get(link, filename)
-    print(link)
+    print("http/s GET: ".. link)
     local filename = filename or nil
     local args = {}
     if filename then
         args = {
+            "--timeout=10",
             "-qO",
             filename,
             link
@@ -48,10 +49,10 @@ function get(link, filename)
     else
         args = {
             "-qO-",
+            "--timeout=10",
             link
         }
     end
-
     local command = "wget " .. table.concat(args, ' ')
     local success, retval = pcall(
         function () 
@@ -86,14 +87,17 @@ function get_short_date(timestamp)
     )
 end
 
-function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, show_avatars)
-    show_avatars = show_avatars or false
+function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, avatar_path)
+    local avatar_mode = 1
+    if avatar_path then
+        avatar_mode = 2
+    end
 
     -- img mode : 0 = omit; 1 = display (hotlink); 2 = download
     function get_user(acct_data, instance, img_mode, folder)
         -- specify path to store avatars
         -- should be empty string if img_mode != 2
-        local folder = folderh or ""
+        local folder = folder or ""
 
         -- related to output
         local user_info = "" -- template
@@ -105,6 +109,7 @@ function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, show_avatars)
             handle = acct_data["acct"],
             host=instance
         }
+        local filename = nil
         local avatar_url = acct_data["avatar_static"]
         if img_mode then 
             user_info = [[
@@ -121,8 +126,8 @@ function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, show_avatars)
                 local extension = (avatar_url:match("([^?]+)")):match("^.+(%..+)$")
                 -- replace '@'s and '.'
                 local name = (acct_data["acct"]:gsub("@", "_at_")):gsub("%.", "_")
-                local filename = folder .. name .. extension
-                vars.avatar = filename
+                filename = name .. extension
+                vars.avatar = folder .. filename
             end
             result = user_info:gsub("%$(%w+)%$", vars)
         else
@@ -130,7 +135,7 @@ function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, show_avatars)
             result = user_info:gsub("%$(%w+)%$", vars)
         end
 --         print("vars: " .. vars.avatar)
-        return result, vars.avatar, avatar_url
+        return result, filename, avatar_url
     end
 
     function get_card(card, instance)
@@ -259,7 +264,7 @@ function write_comments(pleroma_posts, instance, show_avatars)
         table.insert(attrs, get_poll(post["poll"]))
 
         local user, img_file, img_url = get_user(
-            post["account"], instance, 2, "images/avatars/")
+            post["account"], instance, avatar_mode, avatar_path)
         add_unique(images, img_file)
         add_unique(links, img_url)
 
@@ -317,7 +322,10 @@ function get_replies(host, id)
     return got["descendants"]
 end
 
-function get_images(filenames, urls)
+function get_images(filenames, urls, folder)
+    if not folder then
+        folder = ""
+    end
     if not filenames or not urls then
         return
     end
@@ -325,16 +333,32 @@ function get_images(filenames, urls)
         return
     end
     for i = 1, #urls, 1 do 
-        get(urls[i], filenames[i])
+        -- still possible to have a ilst of nil (file names)
+        if not filenames[i]  then
+            break
+        end
+        get(urls[i], folder .. filenames[i])
     end
 end
 
 function Meta(meta)
     local pleroma_urls = meta["pleroma-urls"]
---     print(elem)
     if pleroma_urls == nil then
         return -- abort
     end
+
+    -- most servers appear to serve hotilnked avatars however
+    -- images will be missing in case of downtime or shutdown
+    local is_hotlink = true
+    -- where to save downloaded avatars
+    local pleroma_avatar_save_path = meta["pleroma-avatar-save-path"]
+    -- (page) path written on the page-
+    local pleroma_avatar_path = meta["pleroma-avatar-path"]
+    -- if both are defined, then do not hotlink avatars
+    if pleroma_avatar_save_path and pleroma_avatar_path then
+        is_hotlink = false
+    end
+
     local all_replies = {}
     local hrefs = {}
     local host = ""
@@ -357,10 +381,15 @@ function Meta(meta)
             return ta > tb
         end
     )
-    local c, i, l = write_comments(all_replies, "https://" .. host)
+    -- returns comments, images, links (img urls)
+    local c, i, l = write_comments(
+        all_replies, 
+        "https://" .. host,
+        "images/avatars/"
+    )
     printTable(i)
     printTable(l)
-    get_images(i, l)
+    get_images(i, l, "test/images/avatars/")
     meta["pleroma-comments"] = c
     meta["pleroma-comments-count"] = #c
     meta["pleroma-has-comments"] = (#c > 0)