diff --git a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsidentity.h b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsidentity.h
index 82d22e046..815014d22 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsidentity.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsidentity.h
@@ -244,14 +244,22 @@ struct RsIdentityUsage : RsSerializable
 		CIRCLE_MEMBERSHIP_CHECK              = 0x13
 	} ;
 
+	RS_DEPRECATED
 	RsIdentityUsage( uint16_t service, const RsIdentityUsage::UsageCode& code,
 	                 const RsGxsGroupId& gid = RsGxsGroupId(),
 	                 const RsGxsMessageId& mid = RsGxsMessageId(),
 	                 uint64_t additional_id=0,
 	                 const std::string& comment = std::string() );
 
+	RsIdentityUsage( RsServiceType service,
+	                 RsIdentityUsage::UsageCode code,
+	                 const RsGxsGroupId& gid = RsGxsGroupId(),
+	                 const RsGxsMessageId& mid = RsGxsMessageId(),
+	                 uint64_t additional_id=0,
+	                 const std::string& comment = std::string() );
+
 	/// Id of the service using that identity, as understood by rsServiceControl
-	uint16_t mServiceId;
+	RsServiceType mServiceId;
 
 	/** Specific code to use. Will allow forming the correct translated message
 	 * in the GUI if necessary. */
@@ -504,6 +512,14 @@ struct RsIdentity : RsGxsIfaceHelper
 	 */
 	virtual void setDeleteBannedNodesThreshold(uint32_t days) = 0;
 
+	/**
+	 * @brief request details of a not yet known identity to the network
+	 * @jsonapi{development}
+	 * @param[in] id id of the identity to request
+	 * @return false on error, true otherwise
+	 */
+	virtual bool requestIdentity(const RsGxsId& id) = 0;
+
 
 	RS_DEPRECATED
 	virtual bool getGroupSerializedData(
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.cc b/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.cc
index 1853f1529..d1a05225f 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.cc
@@ -1153,6 +1153,16 @@ static void mergeIds(std::map<RsGxsId,std::list<RsPeerId> >& idmap,const RsGxsId
         old_peers.push_back(*it) ;
 }
 
+bool p3IdService::requestIdentity(const RsGxsId& id)
+{
+	RsIdentityUsage usageInfo( RsServiceType::GXSID,
+	                           RsIdentityUsage::IDENTITY_DATA_UPDATE );
+	std::list<RsPeerId> onlinePeers;
+
+	return rsPeers && rsPeers->getOnlineList(onlinePeers)
+	        && requestKey(id, onlinePeers, usageInfo);
+}
+
 bool p3IdService::requestKey(const RsGxsId &id, const std::list<RsPeerId>& peers,const RsIdentityUsage& use_info)
 {
     if(id.isNull())
@@ -4680,12 +4690,34 @@ void RsGxsIdGroup::serial_process(
 	RS_SERIAL_PROCESS(mReputation);
 }
 
+RsIdentityUsage::RsIdentityUsage(
+        RsServiceType service, RsIdentityUsage::UsageCode code,
+        const RsGxsGroupId& gid, const RsGxsMessageId& mid,
+        uint64_t additional_id, const std::string& comment ) :
+    mServiceId(service), mUsageCode(code), mGrpId(gid), mMsgId(mid),
+    mAdditionalId(additional_id), mComment(comment)
+{
+	/* This is a hack, since it will hash also mHash, but because it is
+	 * initialized to 0, and only computed in the constructor here, it should
+	 * be ok. */
+	librs::crypto::HashStream hs(librs::crypto::HashStream::SHA1);
+
+	hs << static_cast<uint32_t>(service); // G10h4ck: Why uint32 if it's 16 bits?
+	hs << static_cast<uint8_t>(code);
+	hs << gid;
+	hs << mid;
+	hs << static_cast<uint64_t>(additional_id);
+	hs << comment;
+
+	mHash = hs.hash();
+}
+
 RsIdentityUsage::RsIdentityUsage(
         uint16_t service, const RsIdentityUsage::UsageCode& code,
         const RsGxsGroupId& gid, const RsGxsMessageId& mid,
         uint64_t additional_id,const std::string& comment ) :
-    mServiceId(service), mUsageCode(code), mGrpId(gid), mMsgId(mid),
-    mAdditionalId(additional_id), mComment(comment)
+    mServiceId(static_cast<RsServiceType>(service)), mUsageCode(code),
+    mGrpId(gid), mMsgId(mid), mAdditionalId(additional_id), mComment(comment)
 {
 #ifdef DEBUG_IDS
     std::cerr << "New identity usage: " << std::endl;
@@ -4702,7 +4734,7 @@ RsIdentityUsage::RsIdentityUsage(
 	 * be ok. */
     librs::crypto::HashStream hs(librs::crypto::HashStream::SHA1) ;
 
-    hs << (uint32_t)service ;
+	hs << (uint32_t)service ; // G10h4ck: Why uint32 if it's 16 bits?
     hs << (uint8_t)code ;
     hs << gid ;
     hs << mid ;
@@ -4717,4 +4749,5 @@ RsIdentityUsage::RsIdentityUsage(
 }
 
 RsIdentityUsage::RsIdentityUsage() :
-    mServiceId(0), mUsageCode(UNKNOWN_USAGE), mAdditionalId(0) {}
+    mServiceId(RsServiceType::NONE), mUsageCode(UNKNOWN_USAGE), mAdditionalId(0)
+{}
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.h b/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.h
index 94b6981ec..3152096ce 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/services/p3idservice.h
@@ -370,6 +370,9 @@ public:
 	virtual bool deserialiseIdentityFromMemory(const std::string& radix_string,
 	                                           RsGxsId* id = nullptr);
 
+	/// @see RsIdentity
+	bool requestIdentity(const RsGxsId& id) override;
+
 	/**************** RsGixsReputation Implementation ****************/
 
 	// get Reputation.
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/Identity/IdDialog.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/Identity/IdDialog.cpp
index 8bd1f0352..d5b6b799b 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/Identity/IdDialog.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/Identity/IdDialog.cpp
@@ -1987,11 +1987,11 @@ QString IdDialog::createUsageString(const RsIdentityUsage& u) const
     RetroShareLink::enumType service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_UNKNOWN;
 
     switch(u.mServiceId)
-    {
-    case RS_SERVICE_GXS_TYPE_CHANNELS:  service_name = tr("Channels") ;service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHANNEL   ; break ;
-    case RS_SERVICE_GXS_TYPE_FORUMS:    service_name = tr("Forums") ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_FORUM     ; break ;
-    case RS_SERVICE_GXS_TYPE_POSTED:    service_name = tr("Posted") ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_POSTED    ; break ;
-    case RS_SERVICE_TYPE_CHAT:          service_name = tr("Chat")   ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHAT_ROOM ; break ;
+	{
+	case RsServiceType::CHANNELS:  service_name = tr("Channels") ;service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHANNEL   ; break ;
+	case RsServiceType::FORUMS:    service_name = tr("Forums") ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_FORUM     ; break ;
+	case RsServiceType::POSTED:    service_name = tr("Posted") ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_POSTED    ; break ;
+	case RsServiceType::CHAT:      service_name = tr("Chat")   ;  service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_CHAT_ROOM ; break ;
     default:
         service_name = tr("Unknown"); service_type = RetroShareLink::TYPE_UNKNOWN ;
     }