diff --git a/src/activitypub/index.js b/src/activitypub/index.js
index 7bac91ff48..b9b0a60279 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/index.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/index.js
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ const winston = require('winston');
 const request = require('request-promise-native');
 
 const db = require('../database');
-const helpers = require('./helpers');
 
 const ActivityPub = module.exports;
 
+ActivityPub.helpers = require('./helpers');
+
 ActivityPub.getActor = async (id) => {
-	const { hostname, actorUri: uri } = await helpers.query(id);
+	const { hostname, actorUri: uri } = await ActivityPub.helpers.query(id);
 	if (!uri) {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/profile.js b/src/controllers/accounts/profile.js
index 909066da18..d97261ee1e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/profile.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/profile.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ profileController.getFederated = async function (req, res, next) {
 	const payload = {
 		uid,
 		username: `${preferredUsername}@${hostname}`,
-		userslug: slugify(`${preferredUsername}@${hostname}`),
+		userslug: `${preferredUsername}@${hostname}`,
 		fullname: name,
 		joindate: new Date(published).getTime(),
 		picture: typeof icon === 'string' ? icon : icon.url,
diff --git a/src/middleware/assert.js b/src/middleware/assert.js
index 6c0f5ef72f..ccbc007275 100644
--- a/src/middleware/assert.js
+++ b/src/middleware/assert.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const posts = require('../posts');
 const messaging = require('../messaging');
 const flags = require('../flags');
 const slugify = require('../slugify');
+const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
 
 const helpers = require('./helpers');
 const controllerHelpers = require('../controllers/helpers');
@@ -24,11 +25,14 @@ const controllerHelpers = require('../controllers/helpers');
 const Assert = module.exports;
 
 Assert.user = helpers.try(async (req, res, next) => {
-	if (!await user.exists(req.params.uid)) {
-		return controllerHelpers.formatApiResponse(404, res, new Error('[[error:no-user]]'));
+	if (
+		(isFinite(req.params.uid) && await user.exists(req.params.uid)) ||
+		(req.params.uid.indexOf('@') !== -1 && await activitypub.helpers.query(req.params.uid))
+	) {
+		return next();
 	}
 
-	next();
+	controllerHelpers.formatApiResponse(404, res, new Error('[[error:no-user]]'));
 });
 
 Assert.group = helpers.try(async (req, res, next) => {