diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index beaab4c40c..c35feb4d24 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,75 @@
+#### v4.5.2 (2025-09-29)
+
+##### Chores
+
+*  remove obsolete deprecation (52fec493)
+*  up persona (405d2172)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.5.1 (69f4b61f)
+*  update changelog for v4.5.1 (a9fffd7c)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.5.0 (f05c5d06)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.6 (074043ad)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.5 (6f106923)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.4 (d323af44)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.3 (d354c2eb)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.2 (55c510ae)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.1 (5ae79b4e)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.4.0 (0a75eee3)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.3.2 (b92b5d80)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.3.1 (308e6b9f)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.3.0 (bff291db)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.2.2 (17fecc24)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.2.1 (852a270c)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.2.0 (87581958)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.1.1 (b2afbb16)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.1.0 (36c80850)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.6 (4a52fb2e)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.5 (1792a62b)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.4 (b1125cce)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.3 (2b65c735)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.2 (73fe5fcf)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.1 (a461b758)
+*  incrementing version number - v4.0.0 (c1eaee45)
+
+##### New Features
+
+*  add a term param to recent controller so it can be controller without req.query.term (9c18c6fe)
+*  add a new hook to override generateUrl in navigator.js (68a8db85)
+*  add topic templates per category, closes #13649 (0311b98e)
+
+##### Bug Fixes
+
+*  skip header checking during note assertion if test runner is active (7abdfd86)
+*  update note assertion topic members check to simpler posts.exists check (d0c05826)
+*  re-jig handling of ap tag values so that only hashtags are considered (not Piefed community tags, etc.) (4d68e3fe)
+*  missing actor assertion on 1b12 announced upboat (f9edb13f)
+*  use parameterized query for key lookup (6cca55e3)
+*  add pre-processing step to title generation logic so sbd doesn't fall over so badly (f7c47429)
+*  switch to action (f7bbec7c)
+*  handle cases where incoming ap object tag can be a non-array (b66c30a2)
+*  local pids not always converted to absolute URLs on topic actor controller (f67942ca)
+*  #13657, fix remote category data inconsistency in `sendNotificationToPostOwner` (225bf85e)
+*  don't show votes on unread if rep system disabled (dfe19a98)
+*  if reputation is disabled hide votes on /recent (8a786c71)
+*  favicon path (e2dc592c)
+*  check brand:touchIcon for correct path (56fad0be)
+*  remove .auth call (f9ddbeba)
+*  port the try/catch for notes.assert from develop (f9688b36)
+*  perform Link header check on note assertion only when skipChecks is falsy (953c051c)
+*  make auto-categorization logic case-insensitive (527f27af)
+*  closes #13641, log test email sending errors server side (b3ffa007)
+*  pass object to.auth (290a9395)
+* **deps:**  bump 2factor to 7.6.0 (d1f5060f)
+
+##### Other Changes
+
+*  remove unused (a6674f67)
+*  fix (a37521b0)
+
+##### Performance Improvements
+
+*  update upgrade script to use bulk methods (0a2fa45d)
+*  update old upgrade scripts to use bulkSet/Add (32d0ee48)
+
 #### v4.5.1 (2025-09-04)
 
 ##### Chores
diff --git a/install/package.json b/install/package.json
index a609ed462d..e57a59d011 100644
--- a/install/package.json
+++ b/install/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "name": "nodebb",
     "license": "GPL-3.0",
     "description": "NodeBB Forum",
-    "version": "4.5.1",
+    "version": "4.5.2",
     "homepage": "https://www.nodebb.org",
     "repository": {
         "type": "git",
@@ -202,4 +202,4 @@
             "url": "https://github.com/barisusakli"
         }
     ]
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/openapi/read/ap.yaml b/public/openapi/read/ap.yaml
index 0704cc6dab..89bee103c5 100644
--- a/public/openapi/read/ap.yaml
+++ b/public/openapi/read/ap.yaml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ get:
       name: resource
       schema:
         type: string
-      description: A URL to query for potential ActivityPub resource
-      example: 'https://example.org/ap'
+      description: A URL-encoded address to query for potential ActivityPub resource
+      example: 'https://try.nodebb.org/uid/1'
   responses:
     "200":
       description: Sent if the `/api` prefix is used. The `X-Redirect` header is sent with the redirection target.
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ get:
           schema:
             type: string
     "307":
-      description: Redirect the user to the local representation or original URL.
+      description: Redirect the user to the local representation or /outgoing interstitial page for original URL.
       headers:
         Location:
           schema:
diff --git a/src/activitypub/index.js b/src/activitypub/index.js
index 459c86c8fe..5971c69326 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/index.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/index.js
@@ -591,42 +591,58 @@ ActivityPub.buildRecipients = async function (object, { pid, uid, cid }) {
 
 ActivityPub.checkHeader = async (url, timeout) => {
 	timeout = timeout || meta.config.activitypubProbeTimeout || 2000;
-	const { response } = await request.head(url, {
-		timeout,
-	});
-	const { headers } = response;
-	if (headers && headers.link) {
-		// Multiple link headers could be combined
-		const links = headers.link.split(',');
-		let apLink = false;
 
-		links.forEach((link) => {
-			let parts = link.split(';');
-			const url = parts.shift().match(/<(.+)>/)[1];
-			if (!url || apLink) {
-				return;
-			}
-
-			parts = parts
-				.map(p => p.trim())
-				.reduce((memo, cur) => {
-					cur = cur.split('=');
-					if (cur.length < 2) {
-						cur.push('');
-					}
-					memo[cur[0]] = cur[1].slice(1, -1);
-					return memo;
-				}, {});
-
-			if (parts.rel === 'alternate' && parts.type === 'application/activity+json') {
-				apLink = url;
-			}
+	try {
+		const { hostname } = new URL(url);
+		const { response } = await request.head(url, {
+			timeout,
 		});
+		const { headers } = response;
 
-		return apLink;
+		// headers.link =
+		if (headers && headers.link) {
+			// Multiple link headers could be combined
+			const links = headers.link.split(',');
+			let apLink = false;
+
+			links.forEach((link) => {
+				let parts = link.split(';');
+				const url = parts.shift().match(/<(.+)>/)[1];
+				if (!url || apLink) {
+					return;
+				}
+
+				parts = parts
+					.map(p => p.trim())
+					.reduce((memo, cur) => {
+						cur = cur.split('=');
+						if (cur.length < 2) {
+							cur.push('');
+						}
+						memo[cur[0]] = cur[1].slice(1, -1);
+						return memo;
+					}, {});
+
+				if (parts.rel === 'alternate' && parts.type === 'application/activity+json') {
+					apLink = url;
+				}
+			});
+
+			if (apLink) {
+				const { hostname: compare } = new URL(apLink);
+				if (hostname !== compare) {
+					apLink = false;
+				}
+			}
+
+			return apLink;
+		}
+
+		return false;
+	} catch (e) {
+		ActivityPub.helpers.log(`[activitypub/checkHeader] Failed on ${url}: ${e.message}`);
+		return false;
 	}
-
-	return false;
 };
 
 ActivityPub.probe = async ({ uid, url }) => {
diff --git a/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js b/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
index 121c8536aa..c64ef9ef57 100644
--- a/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
+++ b/src/controllers/activitypub/index.js
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ Controller.fetch = async (req, res, next) => {
 			}
 		}
 
+		// Force outgoing links page on direct access
+		if (!res.locals.isAPI) {
+			url = new URL(`outgoing?url=${encodeURIComponent(url.href)}`, nconf.get('url'));
+		}
+
 		helpers.redirect(res, url.href, false);
 	} catch (e) {
 		if (!url || !url.href) {
diff --git a/src/controllers/authentication.js b/src/controllers/authentication.js
index fef6f088b6..d5a0965d7b 100644
--- a/src/controllers/authentication.js
+++ b/src/controllers/authentication.js
@@ -420,6 +420,10 @@ authenticationController.localLogin = async function (req, username, password, n
 	}
 
 	const userslug = slugify(username);
+	if (!utils.isUserNameValid(username) || !userslug) {
+		return next(new Error('[[error:invalid-username]]'));
+	}
+
 	const uid = await user.getUidByUserslug(userslug);
 	try {
 		const [userData, isAdminOrGlobalMod, canLoginIfBanned] = await Promise.all([