diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator.ex
index 183be4940..a368ccc16 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator.ex
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.ObjectValidators.UserValidator do
   addressing and visibility checks, and map signature key ids back to
   the actor. If an actor could point any of these at another host, it
   could redirect our signed deliveries or claim another actor's
-  collections. Optional fields are only checked when present.
+  collections. Optional fields are only checked when present; null and
+  empty strings count as missing.
 
   Based on Akkoma's UserValidator.
   """
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.ObjectValidators.UserValidator do
 
   def validate(_data, _meta), do: {:error, "Actor has no id"}
 
-  defp same_origin?(_id, nil), do: true
+  defp same_origin?(_id, value) when value in [nil, ""], do: true
   defp same_origin?(id, %{"id" => value}), do: same_origin?(id, value)
   defp same_origin?(id, value), do: Containment.same_origin(id, value) == :ok
 
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator_test.exs
index 91b33b9e2..fbc89462e 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validators/user_validator_test.exs
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.ObjectValidators.UserValidatorTest do
     end
   end
 
+  test "treats empty and null fields as missing" do
+    data =
+      actor()
+      |> Map.merge(%{"inbox" => "", "followers" => nil, "following" => "", "featured" => ""})
+      |> put_in(["endpoints", "sharedInbox"], "")
+      |> put_in(["publicKey", "id"], "")
+
+    assert {:ok, _, _} = UserValidator.validate(data, [])
+  end
+
   for field <- ["inbox", "followers", "following", "featured"] do
     test "rejects an actor whose #{field} is on another host" do
       data = Map.put(actor(), unquote(field), "https://victim.example/users/lain/x")