diff --git a/services/presence/buddy.py b/services/presence/buddy.py
index eb072a18..ab397ef2 100644
--- a/services/presence/buddy.py
+++ b/services/presence/buddy.py
@@ -80,9 +80,7 @@ class Buddy(ExportedGObject):
         'property-changed': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE,
                             ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT])),
         'icon-changed':     (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE,
-                            ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT])),
-        'disappeared':      (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE,
-                            ([])),
+                            ([gobject.TYPE_PYOBJECT]))
     }
 
     __gproperties__ = {
@@ -238,12 +236,6 @@ class Buddy(ExportedGObject):
             full set of properties, just the changes.
         """
 
-    def add_telepathy_handle(self, tp_client, handle):
-        """Add a Telepathy handle."""
-        conn = tp_client.get_connection()
-        self.TelepathyHandleAdded(conn.service_name, conn.object_path, handle)
-        self.handles[tp_client] = handle
-
     @dbus.service.signal(_BUDDY_INTERFACE, signature='sou')
     def TelepathyHandleAdded(self, tp_conn_name, tp_conn_path, handle):
         """Another Telepathy handle has become associated with the buddy.
@@ -258,21 +250,6 @@ class Buddy(ExportedGObject):
             newly associated with the buddy
         """
 
-    def remove_telepathy_handle(self, tp_client, handle):
-        """Remove a Telepathy handle."""
-        conn = tp_client.get_connection()
-        my_handle = self.handles.get(tp_client, 0)
-        if my_handle == handle:
-            del self.handles[tp_client]
-            self.TelepathyHandleRemoved(conn.service_name, conn.object_path,
-                                        handle)
-            if not self.handles:
-                self.emit('disappeared')
-        else:
-            _logger.debug('Telepathy handle %u supposedly removed, but '
-                          'my handle on that connection is %u - ignoring',
-                          handle, my_handle)
-
     @dbus.service.signal(_BUDDY_INTERFACE, signature='sou')
     def TelepathyHandleRemoved(self, tp_conn_name, tp_conn_path, handle):
         """A Telepathy handle has ceased to be associated with the buddy,
diff --git a/services/presence/presenceservice.py b/services/presence/presenceservice.py
index 4bd4da80..c554ce6e 100644
--- a/services/presence/presenceservice.py
+++ b/services/presence/presenceservice.py
@@ -126,12 +126,12 @@ class PresenceService(ExportedGObject):
             objid = self._get_next_object_id()
             buddy = Buddy(self._bus_name, objid, key=key)
             buddy.connect("validity-changed", self._buddy_validity_changed_cb)
-            buddy.connect("disappeared", self._buddy_disappeared_cb)
             self._buddies[key] = buddy
 
-        self._handles_buddies[tp][handle] = buddy
+        buddies = self._handles_buddies[tp]
+        buddies[handle] = buddy
         # store the handle of the buddy for this CM
-        buddy.add_telepathy_handle(tp, handle)
+        buddy.handles[tp] = handle
 
         buddy.set_properties(props)
 
@@ -143,12 +143,6 @@ class PresenceService(ExportedGObject):
             self.BuddyDisappeared(buddy.object_path())
             _logger.debug("Buddy left: %s (%s)" % (buddy.props.nick, buddy.props.color))
 
-    def _buddy_disappeared_cb(self, buddy):
-        if buddy.props.valid:
-            self.BuddyDisappeared(buddy.object_path())
-            _logger.debug('Buddy left: %s (%s)' % (buddy.props.nick, buddy.props.color))
-        self._buddies.pop(buddy.props.key)
-
     def _contact_offline(self, tp, handle):
         if not self._handles_buddies[tp].has_key(handle):
             return
@@ -157,7 +151,12 @@ class PresenceService(ExportedGObject):
         key = buddy.props.key
 
         # the handle of the buddy for this CM is not valid anymore
-        buddy.remove_telepathy_handle(tp, handle)
+        buddy.handles.pop(tp)
+        if not buddy.handles:
+            if buddy.props.valid:
+                self.BuddyDisappeared(buddy.object_path())
+                _logger.debug("Buddy left: %s (%s)" % (buddy.props.nick, buddy.props.color))
+            self._buddies.pop(key)
 
     def _get_next_object_id(self):
         """Increment and return the object ID counter."""
@@ -305,42 +304,6 @@ class PresenceService(ExportedGObject):
                 return buddy.object_path()
         raise NotFoundError("The buddy was not found.")
 
-    @dbus.service.method(_PRESENCE_INTERFACE, in_signature='sou',
-                         out_signature='o')
-    def GetBuddyByTelepathyHandle(self, tp_conn_name, tp_conn_path, handle):
-        """Get the buddy corresponding to a Telepathy handle.
-
-        :Parameters:
-            `tp_conn_name` : str
-                The well-known bus name of a Telepathy connection
-            `tp_conn_path` : dbus.ObjectPath
-                The object path of the Telepathy connection
-            `handle` : int or long
-                The handle of a Telepathy contact on that connection,
-                of type HANDLE_TYPE_CONTACT. This may not be a
-                channel-specific handle.
-        :Returns: the object path of a Buddy
-        :Raises NotFoundError: if the buddy is not found.
-        """
-        for tp, handles in self._handles_buddies.iteritems():
-            conn = tp.get_connection()
-            if conn is None:
-                continue
-            if (conn.service_name == tp_conn_name
-                and conn.object_path == tp_conn_path):
-                buddy = handles.get(handle)
-                if buddy is not None and buddy.props.valid:
-                        return buddy.object_path()
-                # either the handle is invalid, or we don't have a Buddy
-                # object for that buddy because we don't have all their
-                # details yet
-                raise NotFoundError("The buddy %u was not found on the "
-                                    "connection to %s:%s"
-                                    % (handle, tp_conn_name, tp_conn_path))
-        raise NotFoundError("The buddy %u was not found: we have no "
-                            "connection to %s:%s" % (handle, tp_conn_name,
-                                                     tp_conn_path))
-
     @dbus.service.method(_PRESENCE_INTERFACE, out_signature="o")
     def GetOwner(self):
         if not self._owner: