diff --git a/shell/model/Friends.py b/shell/model/Friends.py
index 2b7d6bf..552c9b6 100644
--- a/shell/model/Friends.py
+++ b/shell/model/Friends.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+import dbus
import os
from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
@@ -86,3 +87,16 @@ class Friends(gobject.GObject):
fileobject = open(self._path, 'w')
cp.write(fileobject)
fileobject.close()
+
+ # XXX: temporary hack
+ # remove this when the shell service has a D-Bus API for buddies
+
+ try:
+ bus = dbus.SessionBus()
+ ps = bus.get_object('org.laptop.Sugar.Presence',
+ '/org/laptop/Sugar/Presence')
+ psi = dbus.Interface(ps, 'org.laptop.Sugar.Presence')
+ psi.SyncFriends()
+ except Exception, exc:
+ logging.error("Error asking presence service to sync friends: %s"
+ % exc)