diff --git a/include/functions_picture.inc.php b/include/functions_picture.inc.php
index a6adad95f..20c665862 100644
--- a/include/functions_picture.inc.php
+++ b/include/functions_picture.inc.php
@@ -115,4 +115,24 @@ function encode_slideshow_params($decode_params=array())
   return $result;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Increase the number of visits for a given photo.
+ * 
+ * Code moved from picture.php to be used by both the API and picture.php
+ * 
+ * @since 14
+ * @param int $image_id
+ */
+function increase_image_visit_counter($image_id)
+{
+  // avoiding auto update of "lastmodified" field
+  $query = '
+UPDATE
+  '.IMAGES_TABLE.'
+  SET hit = hit+1, lastmodified = lastmodified
+  WHERE id = '.$image_id.'
+;';
+  pwg_query($query);
+}
+
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/ws_functions/pwg.php b/include/ws_functions/pwg.php
index bbb31546e..14de0e3c2 100644
--- a/include/ws_functions/pwg.php
+++ b/include/ws_functions/pwg.php
@@ -614,6 +614,14 @@ function ws_history_log($params, &$service)
     $page['tag_ids'] = explode(',', $params['tags_string']);
   }
 
+  // when visiting a photo (which is currently, in version 14, the only event registered
+  // by pwg.history.log) we should also increment images.hit
+  if (!empty($params['image_id']))
+  {
+    include_once(PHPWG_ROOT_PATH.'include/functions_picture.inc.php');
+    increase_image_visit_counter($params['image_id']);
+  }
+
   pwg_log($params['image_id'], 'picture');
 }
 
diff --git a/picture.php b/picture.php
index d7adab8c4..fccc5233e 100644
--- a/picture.php
+++ b/picture.php
@@ -430,14 +430,7 @@ else
 // don't increment if adding a comment
 if (trigger_change('allow_increment_element_hit_count', $inc_hit_count, $page['image_id'] ) )
 {
-  // avoiding auto update of "lastmodified" field
-  $query = '
-UPDATE
-  '.IMAGES_TABLE.'
-  SET hit = hit+1, lastmodified = lastmodified
-  WHERE id = '.$page['image_id'].'
-;';
-  pwg_query($query);
+  increase_image_visit_counter($page['image_id']);
 }
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------- related categories