diff --git a/.cspell.json b/.cspell.json
index ad3c9fe..cf04d5f 100644
--- a/.cspell.json
+++ b/.cspell.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
         "backlinks",
         "hyperaxe",
         "msgs",
-        "whoami"
+        "whoami",
+        "recps"
     ]
 }
diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 0a2fadf..4956497 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ module.exports = (config) => {
     })
     .post('/like/:message', koaBody(), async (ctx) => {
       const { message } = ctx.params
+      // TODO: convert all so `message` is full message and `messageKey` is key
+      const messageKey = message
 
       const voteValue = Number(ctx.request.body.voteValue)
 
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ module.exports = (config) => {
       }
 
       referer.hash = `centered-footer-${encoded.message}`
-      ctx.body = await like({ message, voteValue })
+      ctx.body = await like({ messageKey, voteValue })
       ctx.redirect(referer)
     })
 
diff --git a/src/pages/like.js b/src/pages/like.js
index 59bb366..435350f 100644
--- a/src/pages/like.js
+++ b/src/pages/like.js
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
 'use strict'
 const vote = require('./models/vote')
+const post = require('./models/post')
 
-module.exports = async function like ({ message, voteValue }) {
+module.exports = async function like ({ messageKey, voteValue }) {
   const value = Number(voteValue)
-  return vote.publish(message, value)
+  const message = await post.get(messageKey)
+
+  const isPrivate = message.value.meta.private === true
+  const messageRecipients = isPrivate ? message.value.content.recps : []
+
+  const normalized = messageRecipients.map(recipient => {
+    if (typeof recipient === 'string') {
+      return recipient
+    }
+
+    if (typeof recipient.link === 'string') {
+      return recipient.link
+    }
+  })
+
+  const recipients = normalized.length > 0 ? normalized : undefined
+
+  return vote.publish({ messageKey, value, recps: recipients })
 }
diff --git a/src/pages/models/vote.js b/src/pages/models/vote.js
index e34c636..578abf8 100644
--- a/src/pages/models/vote.js
+++ b/src/pages/models/vote.js
@@ -2,14 +2,15 @@
 const cooler = require('./lib/cooler')
 
 module.exports = {
-  publish: async (messageId, value) => {
+  publish: async ({ messageKey, value, recps }) => {
     const ssb = await cooler.connect()
     await cooler.get(ssb.publish, {
       type: 'vote',
       vote: {
-        link: messageId,
+        link: messageKey,
         value: Number(value)
-      }
+      },
+      recps
     })
   }
 }