diff --git a/modules/tweets/__init__.py b/modules/tweets/__init__.py
index 314bd4e2..21ba4910 100644
--- a/modules/tweets/__init__.py
+++ b/modules/tweets/__init__.py
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ class Module(ModuleManager.BaseModule):
                 tweet = self._from_username(target)
 
             if tweet:
-                tweet_str = format._tweet(self.exports, event["server"], tweet)
+                tweet_str = format._tweet(self.exports, event["server"], tweet,
+                    from_url=not url_match==None)
                 event["stdout"].write(tweet_str)
             else:
                 event["stderr"].write("Invalid tweet identifiers provided")
@@ -183,6 +184,7 @@ class Module(ModuleManager.BaseModule):
             tweet_id = event["match"].group(1)
             tweet = self._from_id(tweet_id)
             if tweet:
-                tweet_str = format._tweet(self.exports, event["server"], tweet)
+                tweet_str = format._tweet(self.exports, event["server"], tweet,
+                    from_url=True)
                 event["stdout"].write(tweet_str)
 
diff --git a/modules/tweets/format.py b/modules/tweets/format.py
index af6dfbbb..0a4926e4 100644
--- a/modules/tweets/format.py
+++ b/modules/tweets/format.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def _timestamp(dt):
     since, unit = utils.time_unit(seconds_since)
     return "%s %s ago" % (since, unit)
 
-def _tweet(exports, server, tweet):
+def _tweet(exports, server, tweet, from_url):
     linked_id = tweet.id
     username = tweet.user.screen_name
 
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ def _tweet(exports, server, tweet):
     tweet_link = "https://twitter.com/%s/status/%s" % (username,
         linked_id)
 
-    short_url = exports.get_one("shorturl")(server, tweet_link)
-    short_url = " - %s" % short_url if short_url else ""
+    short_url = ""
+    if not from_url:
+        short_url = exports.get_one("shorturl")(server, tweet_link)
+        short_url = " - %s" % short_url if short_url else ""
     created_at = _timestamp(tweet.created_at)
 
     # having to use hasattr here is nasty.