diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
index 18ea1db..3fad16f 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@
     <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/java"/>
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/target/generated-sources/gwt"/>
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/resources"/>
-        <dependent-module archiveName="gcube-widgets-2.2.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" deploy-path="/WEB-INF/lib" handle="module:/resource/gcube-widgets/gcube-widgets">
-            <dependency-type>uses</dependency-type>
-        </dependent-module>
     <property name="java-output-path" value="/${module}/target/www/WEB-INF/classes"/>
         <property name="context-root" value="news-feed"/>
   </wb-module>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
index 6284ae3..2014df8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/user/newsfeed/server/NewsServiceImpl.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.RangeFeeds;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ShowUserStatisticAction;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.UserInfo;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ex.ColumnNameNotFoundException;
+import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ex.CommentIDNotFoundException;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ex.FeedIDNotFoundException;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ex.FeedTypeNotFoundException;
 import org.gcube.portal.databook.shared.ex.LikeIDNotFoundException;
@@ -106,7 +107,6 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 
 	public void init() {
 		store = new DBCassandraAstyanaxImpl();
-
 		try {
 			escl = new ElasticSearchClientImpl(null);
 			_log.info("Elasticsearch connection created");
@@ -347,10 +347,8 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 
 		// TODO : check this error better
 		if(escl == null){
-
 			_log.warn("There is no connection to elasticsearch, sorry.");
 			return null;
-
 		}
 
 		PortalContext pContext = PortalContext.getConfiguration();
@@ -616,6 +614,11 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 
 		String escapedCommentText = Utils.escapeHtmlAndTransformUrl(commentText);
 
+		// get hashtags
+		List<String> hashtags = Utils.getHashTags(escapedCommentText);
+		if (hashtags != null && !hashtags.isEmpty())
+			escapedCommentText = Utils.convertHashtagsAnchorHTML(escapedCommentText, hashtags);
+
 		//copy the set into a list
 		ArrayList<String> mentionedUserFullNamesList = new ArrayList<String>();
 		mentionedUserFullNamesList.addAll(mentionedUserFullNames);
@@ -636,6 +639,17 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 			e.printStackTrace();
 			return new OperationResult(false, "Related post not found for this comment", comment);
 		}
+
+		try {
+			if (hashtags != null && !hashtags.isEmpty())
+				store.saveHashTagsComment(comment.getKey(), store.readFeed(comment.getFeedid()).getVreid(), hashtags);
+		} catch (CommentIDNotFoundException
+				| PrivacyLevelTypeNotFoundException
+				| FeedTypeNotFoundException | FeedIDNotFoundException
+				| ColumnNameNotFoundException e1) {
+			_log.error("Unable to save hashtags for this comment " + e1.getMessage());
+		}
+
 		//if the comment was correctly delivered && is not an app feed notify users involved
 		if (commentCommitResult && isWithinPortal()) {
 			PortalContext pContext = PortalContext.getConfiguration();
@@ -715,17 +729,38 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 
 	@Override
 	public OperationResult editComment(Comment toEdit) {
-		UserInfo user = getUserSettings().getUserInfo();
-		if (user.getUsername().compareTo(NewsConstants.TEST_USER) == 0) {
-			return new OperationResult(false, "Session Expired", null);
-		}		
-
-		String escapedCommentText = Utils.escapeHtmlAndTransformUrl(toEdit.getText());
-
-		Comment edited = new Comment(toEdit.getKey(), toEdit.getUserid(), 
-				toEdit.getTime(), toEdit.getFeedid(), escapedCommentText, user.getFullName(), user.getAvatarId(), true, new Date());
+		Comment edited = null;
 		try {
+			UserInfo user = getUserSettings().getUserInfo();
+			if (user.getUsername().compareTo(NewsConstants.TEST_USER) == 0) {
+				return new OperationResult(false, "Session Expired", null);
+			}		
+
+			String vreIdFeed = store.readFeed(toEdit.getFeedid()).getVreid();
+
+			// get old hashtags and delete them
+			String oldText = store.readCommentById(toEdit.getKey()).getText();
+			_log.debug("Old text for this comment is " + oldText);
+			List<String> oldHashtags = Utils.getHashTags(Utils.removeHTMLFromText(oldText));
+			if (oldHashtags != null && !oldHashtags.isEmpty()) {
+				_log.debug("The comment has hashtags, attempting to delete them ... " +  oldHashtags.toString());
+				boolean deletedHashtag = store.deleteHashTagsComment(toEdit.getKey(), vreIdFeed, oldHashtags);
+				_log.debug("deletedHashtag? " +  deletedHashtag);
+			}
+
+			// get new hashtags
+			String escapedCommentText = Utils.escapeHtmlAndTransformUrl(toEdit.getText());
+			List<String> newHashtags = Utils.getHashTags(escapedCommentText);
+			if (newHashtags != null && !newHashtags.isEmpty())
+				escapedCommentText = Utils.convertHashtagsAnchorHTML(escapedCommentText, newHashtags);
+
+			edited = new Comment(toEdit.getKey(), toEdit.getUserid(), 
+					toEdit.getTime(), toEdit.getFeedid(), escapedCommentText, user.getFullName(), user.getAvatarId(), true, new Date());
+
 			store.editComment(edited);
+
+			if (newHashtags != null && !newHashtags.isEmpty())
+				store.saveHashTagsComment(edited.getKey(), vreIdFeed, newHashtags);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			e.printStackTrace();
 			return new OperationResult(false, "Exception on the server: " + e.getMessage(), null);
@@ -869,6 +904,16 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 	public boolean deleteComment(String commentid, String feedid) {
 		_log.trace("Attempting to delete comment " + commentid);
 		try {
+			// get hashtags, if any, and delete them
+			Comment toDelete = store.readCommentById(commentid);
+			String vreIdFeed = store.readFeed(toDelete.getFeedid()).getVreid();
+			List<String> hashtags = Utils.getHashTags(Utils.removeHTMLFromText(toDelete.getText()));
+			if (hashtags != null && !hashtags.isEmpty()) {
+				_log.debug("The comment has hashtags, attempting to delete them ... " +  hashtags.toString());
+				boolean deletedHashtag = store.deleteHashTagsComment(toDelete.getKey(), vreIdFeed, hashtags);
+				_log.debug("deletedHashtag? " +  deletedHashtag);
+			}
+			_log.debug("Attempting to delete comment " + commentid);
 			return store.deleteComment(commentid, feedid);
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			e.printStackTrace();
@@ -877,16 +922,28 @@ public class NewsServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements NewsService
 	}
 	@Override
 	public boolean deleteFeed(String feedid) {
-		_log.trace("Called delete feed " + feedid);
+		_log.debug("Called delete feed " + feedid);
 		try {
 			Feed toDelete = store.readFeed(feedid);
-			List<String> hashtags = Utils.getHashTags(toDelete.getDescription());
-			if (hashtags != null && !hashtags.isEmpty()) {
-				_log.trace("The feed has hashtags, attempting to delete them ... " +  hashtags.toString());
-				boolean deletedHashtag = store.deleteHashTags(feedid, toDelete.getVreid(), hashtags);
-				_log.trace("deletedHashtag? " +  deletedHashtag);
+
+			// delete comments and hastags as well
+			boolean hasComments = Integer.parseInt(toDelete.getCommentsNo()) > 0;
+
+			if(hasComments){
+				_log.debug("Deleting feed's comments and their hashtags");
+				List<Comment> comments = store.getAllCommentByFeed(feedid);
+				for (Comment comment : comments) {
+					deleteComment(comment.getKey(), feedid);
+				}
 			}
-			_log.trace("Attempting to delete feed " + feedid);
+
+			List<String> hashtags = Utils.getHashTags(Utils.removeHTMLFromText(toDelete.getDescription()));
+			if (hashtags != null && !hashtags.isEmpty()) {
+				_log.debug("The feed has hashtags, attempting to delete them ... " +  hashtags.toString());
+				boolean deletedHashtag = store.deleteHashTags(feedid, toDelete.getVreid(), hashtags);
+				_log.debug("deletedHashtag? " +  deletedHashtag);
+			}
+			_log.debug("Attempting to delete feed " + feedid);
 			return store.deleteFeed(feedid);
 
 		} catch (Exception e) {