diff --git a/changelog.d/get-actor-crash.fix b/changelog.d/get-actor-crash.fix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..591ac3ba2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/get-actor-crash.fix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Reject fetched objects whose author has no id instead of crashing
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/object/containment.ex b/lib/pleroma/object/containment.ex
index fe42bfa69..531100cbb 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/object/containment.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/object/containment.ex
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Object.Containment do
     id
   end
 
+  # remote data can carry any shape here; callers treat nil as "no actor"
+  def get_actor(_), do: nil
+
   def get_object(%{"object" => id}) when is_binary(id) do
     id
   end
diff --git a/test/pleroma/object/containment_test.exs b/test/pleroma/object/containment_test.exs
index 1319064f2..2fdc83605 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/object/containment_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/object/containment_test.exs
@@ -128,6 +128,24 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Object.ContainmentTest do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "get_actor/1" do
+    test "returns nil for actor shapes without an id" do
+      for actor <- [%{"type" => "Person"}, %{"id" => 1}, 1, true] do
+        assert nil == Containment.get_actor(%{"actor" => actor})
+        assert nil == Containment.get_actor(%{"actor" => nil, "attributedTo" => actor})
+      end
+
+      assert nil == Containment.get_actor(%{})
+    end
+
+    test "contain_origin/2 rejects actor shapes without an id" do
+      assert :error ==
+               Containment.contain_origin("https://a.test/o/1", %{
+                 "attributedTo" => %{"type" => "Person"}
+               })
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "contain_id_to_fetch/2" do
     test "matches the exact id" do
       assert :ok =
diff --git a/test/pleroma/object/fetcher_test.exs b/test/pleroma/object/fetcher_test.exs
index c9c4890cd..61a6fb517 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/object/fetcher_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/object/fetcher_test.exs
@@ -488,6 +488,24 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Object.FetcherTest do
       assert Object.get_by_ap_id("https://mastodon.social/1").data["content"] == "test 1"
     end
 
+    test "it rejects a refetched object whose author has no id", %{object1: object1} do
+      {:ok, o} = Object.create(object1)
+
+      mock(fn %{method: :get, url: "https://mastodon.social/1"} ->
+        %Tesla.Env{
+          status: 200,
+          headers: [{"content-type", "application/activity+json"}],
+          body:
+            object1
+            |> Map.delete("actor")
+            |> Map.put("attributedTo", %{"type" => "Person"})
+            |> Jason.encode!()
+        }
+      end)
+
+      assert {:error, _} = Fetcher.refetch_object(o)
+    end
+
     test "it rejects a refetched object whose id changed", %{object1: object1} do
       {:ok, o} = Object.create(object1)
 
@@ -909,6 +927,25 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Object.FetcherTest do
                )
     end
 
+    test "it rejects objects whose author has no id" do
+      mock(fn %{method: :get, url: "https://host.test/objects/anon" = url} ->
+        %Tesla.Env{
+          status: 200,
+          headers: [{"content-type", "application/activity+json"}],
+          body:
+            Jason.encode!(%{
+              "id" => url,
+              "type" => "Note",
+              "content" => "anon",
+              "attributedTo" => %{"type" => "Person", "name" => "nobody"}
+            })
+        }
+      end)
+
+      assert {:containment, :error} =
+               Fetcher.fetch_object_from_id("https://host.test/objects/anon")
+    end
+
     test "it rejects documents without an id" do
       assert {:error, _} =
                Fetcher.fetch_and_contain_remote_object_from_id("https://host.test/objects/no-id")