diff --git a/cloud/routes.py b/cloud/routes.py
index e1ffa00..cb3131b 100644
--- a/cloud/routes.py
+++ b/cloud/routes.py
@@ -1,17 +1,22 @@
+import functools
 import itertools
 import json
 import logging
+import typing
 
-import pillar.api
-from pillar.web.users import forms
-
+from flask_login import current_user, login_required
+from flask import Blueprint, render_template, redirect, session, url_for, abort, flash
 from pillarsdk import Node, Project, User, exceptions as sdk_exceptions, Group
 from pillarsdk.exceptions import ResourceNotFound
-from flask_login import current_user, login_required
-from flask import Blueprint, current_app, render_template, redirect, session, url_for, abort, flash
+
+from pillar import current_app
+import pillar.api
+from pillar.web.users import forms
 from pillar.web.utils import system_util, get_file, current_user_is_authenticated
 from pillar.web.utils import attach_project_pictures
 from pillar.web.settings import blueprint as blueprint_settings
+from pillar.web.nodes.routes import url_for_node
+
 
 blueprint = Blueprint('cloud', __name__)
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -37,6 +42,7 @@ def homepage():
     # Append picture Files to last_posts
     for post in latest_posts._items:
         post.picture = get_file(post.picture, api=api)
+        post.url = url_for_node(node=post)
 
     # Get latest assets added to any project
     latest_assets = Node.latest('assets', api=api)
@@ -44,6 +50,7 @@ def homepage():
     # Append picture Files to latest_assets
     for asset in latest_assets._items:
         asset.picture = get_file(asset.picture, api=api)
+        asset.url = url_for_node(node=asset)
 
     # Get latest comments to any node
     latest_comments = Node.latest('comments', api=api)
@@ -53,18 +60,27 @@ def homepage():
 
     # Parse results for replies
     to_remove = []
+
+    @functools.lru_cache()
+    def _find_parent(parent_node_id) -> Node:
+        return Node.find(parent_node_id,
+                         {'projection': {
+                             '_id': 1,
+                             'name': 1,
+                             'node_type': 1,
+                             'project': 1,
+                         }},
+                         api=api)
+
     for idx, comment in enumerate(latest_comments._items):
         if comment.properties.is_reply:
             try:
-                comment.attached_to = Node.find(comment.parent.parent,
-                                                {'projection': {
-                                                    '_id': 1,
-                                                    'name': 1,
-                                                }},
-                                                api=api)
+                comment.attached_to = _find_parent(comment.parent.parent)
             except ResourceNotFound:
                 # Remove this comment
                 to_remove.append(idx)
+            else:
+                comment.attached_to.url = url_for_node(node=comment.attached_to)
         else:
             comment.attached_to = comment.parent
 
@@ -82,6 +98,9 @@ def homepage():
                                  latest_comments._items)
     activity_stream = sorted(activities, key=sort_key, reverse=True)
 
+    for node in activity_stream:
+        node.url = url_for_node(node=node)
+
     return render_template(
         'homepage.html',
         main_project=main_project,
@@ -192,33 +211,49 @@ def workshops():
     return render_page()
 
 
-def get_random_featured_nodes():
+def get_random_featured_nodes() -> typing.List[dict]:
+    """Returns a list of project/node combinations for featured nodes.
 
-    import random
+    A random subset of 3 featured nodes from all public projects is returned.
+    Assumes that the user actually has access to the public projects' nodes.
 
-    api = system_util.pillar_api()
-    projects = Project.all({
-        'projection': {'nodes_featured': 1},
-        'where': {'is_private': False},
-        'max_results': '15'
-        }, api=api)
+    The dict is a node, with a 'project' key that contains a projected project.
+    """
 
-    featured_nodes = (p.nodes_featured for p in projects._items if p.nodes_featured)
-    featured_nodes = [item for sublist in featured_nodes for item in sublist]
-    if len(featured_nodes) > 3:
-        featured_nodes = random.sample(featured_nodes, 3)
+    proj_coll = current_app.db('projects')
+    featured_nodes = proj_coll.aggregate([
+        {'$match': {'is_private': False}},
+        {'$project': {'nodes_featured': True,
+                      'url': True,
+                      'name': True}},
+        {'$unwind': {'path': '$nodes_featured'}},
+        {'$sample': {'size': 3}},
+        {'$lookup': {'from': 'nodes',
+                     'localField': 'nodes_featured',
+                     'foreignField': '_id',
+                     'as': 'node'}},
+        {'$unwind': {'path': '$node'}},
+        {'$project': {'url': True,
+                      'name': True,
+                      'node._id': True,
+                      'node.name': True,
+                      'node.permissions': True,
+                      'node.picture': True,
+                      'node.properties.content_type': True,
+                      'node.properties.url': True}},
+    ])
 
     featured_node_documents = []
+    api = system_util.pillar_api()
+    for node_info in featured_nodes:
+        # Turn the project-with-node doc into a node-with-project doc.
+        node_document = node_info.pop('node')
+        node_document['project'] = node_info
 
-    for node in featured_nodes:
-        node_document = Node.find(node, {
-                'projection': {'name': 1, 'project': 1, 'picture': 1,
-                                'properties.content_type': 1, 'properties.url': 1},
-                'embedded': {'project': 1}
-            }, api=api)
-
-        node_document.picture = get_file(node_document.picture, api=api)
-        featured_node_documents.append(node_document)
+        node = Node(node_document)
+        node.picture = get_file(node.picture, api=api)
+        node.url = url_for_node(node=node)
+        featured_node_documents.append(node)
 
     return featured_node_documents
 
diff --git a/src/templates/homepage.pug b/src/templates/homepage.pug
index a0a79a9..2f01d0a 100644
--- a/src/templates/homepage.pug
+++ b/src/templates/homepage.pug
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 				| {% for n in activity_stream %}
 				li.activity-stream__list-item(
 					class="{{ n.node_type }} {{ n.properties.content_type }} {% if n.picture %}with-picture{% endif %}",
-					data-url="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+					data-url="{{ n.url }}")
 					a.activity-stream__list-thumbnail(
 						class="{{ n.properties.content_type }}",
-						href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+						href="{{ n.url }}")
 						| {% if n.picture %}
 						img(src="{{ n.picture.thumbnail('m', api=api) }}")
 						| {% endif %}
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 
 
 					.activity-stream__list-details
-						a.title(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+						a.title(href="{{ n.url }}")
 							| {% if n.node_type == 'comment' %}
 							| {{ n.properties.content | striptags | truncate(200) }}
 							| {% else %}
@@ -88,13 +88,13 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 						ul.meta
 							| {% if n.node_type == 'comment' or not n.picture %}
 							li.when
-								a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}", title="{{ n._created }}") {{ n._created | pretty_date_time }}
+								a(href="{{ n.url }}", title="{{ n._created }}") {{ n._created | pretty_date_time }}
 							li.who {{ n.user.full_name }}
 							| {% endif %}
 
 							| {% if n.attached_to %}
 							li.where-parent
-								a(href="{{ url_for_node(node_id=n.attached_to._id) }}") {{ n.attached_to.name }}
+								a(href="{{ n.attached_to.url }}") {{ n.attached_to.name }}
 							| {% endif %}
 							li.where-project
 								a.project(href="{{ url_for('projects.view', project_url=n.project.url) }}") {{ n.project.name }}
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 						| {% if n.picture %}
 						ul.meta.extra
 							li.when
-								a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}", title="{{ n._created }}") {{ n._created | pretty_date_time }}
+								a(href="{{ n.url }}", title="{{ n._created }}") {{ n._created | pretty_date_time }}
 							li.who {{ n.user.full_name }}
 						| {% endif %}
 				| {% endfor %}
@@ -159,31 +159,31 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 				| {% if n.picture and loop.first %}
 				li.blog-stream__list-item.featured
 					a.blog-stream__thumbnail(
-						href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+						href="{{ n.url }}")
 						img(src="{{ n.picture.thumbnail('l', api=api) }}")
-					a.title(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+					a.title(href="{{ n.url }}")
 						| {{ n.name }}
 
 					ul.meta
 						li.when
-							a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}",
+							a(href="{{ n.url }}",
 								title="Updated {{ n._updated | pretty_date }}")
 								| {{ n._created | pretty_date }}
 						li.where-project
 							a.project(href="{{ url_for('projects.view', project_url=n.project.url) }}") {{ n.project.name }}
 				| {% else %}
 				li.blog-stream__list-item
-					a.blog-stream__list-thumbnail(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+					a.blog-stream__list-thumbnail(href="{{ n.url }}")
 						| {% if n.picture %}
 						img.image(src="{{ n.picture.thumbnail('s', api=api) }}")
 						| {% else %}
 						i.pi-newspaper
 						| {% endif %}
 					.blog-stream__list-details
-						a.title(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}") {{ n.name }}
+						a.title(href="{{ n.url }}") {{ n.name }}
 						ul.meta
 							li.when
-								a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}",
+								a(href="{{ n.url }}",
 									title="Updated {{ n._updated | pretty_date }}")
 									| {{ n._created | pretty_date }}
 							li.where-project
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 						span free
 					| {% endif %}
 					a.random-asset__thumbnail(
-						href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}",
+						href="{{ n.url }}",
 						class="{{ n.properties.content_type }}")
 						| {% if n.picture %}
 						img(src="{{ n.picture.thumbnail('l', api=api) }}")
@@ -225,11 +225,11 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 
 						| {% endif %}
 
-					a.title(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+					a.title(href="{{ n.url }}")
 						| {{ n.name }}
 					ul.meta
 						li.what
-							a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+							a(href="{{ n.url }}")
 								| {% if n.properties.content_type %}{{ n.properties.content_type }}{% else %}Folder{% endif %}
 						li.where
 							a(href="{{ url_for('projects.view', project_url=n.project.url) }}")
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 						span free
 					| {% endif %}
 					a.random-asset__list-thumbnail(
-						href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}",
+						href="{{ n.url }}",
 						class="{{ n.properties.content_type }}")
 						| {% if n.picture %}
 						img.image(src="{{ n.picture.thumbnail('s', api=api) }}")
@@ -258,10 +258,10 @@ meta(name="twitter:image", content="{% if main_project.picture_header %}{{ main_
 						| {% endif %}
 						| {% endif %}
 					.random-asset__list-details
-						a.title(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}") {{ n.name }}
+						a.title(href="{{ n.url }}") {{ n.name }}
 						ul.meta
 							li.what
-								a(href="{{ url_for_node(node=n) }}")
+								a(href="{{ n.url }}")
 									| {% if n.properties.content_type %}{{ n.properties.content_type }}{% else %}Folder{% endif %}
 							li.where
 								a(href="{{ url_for('projects.view', project_url=n.project.url) }}") {{ n.project.name }}