diff --git a/src/topics/fork.js b/src/topics/fork.js
index f300961143..fc8b030f63 100644
--- a/src/topics/fork.js
+++ b/src/topics/fork.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const privileges = require('../privileges');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const meta = require('../meta');
 const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
+const utils = require('../utils');
 
 module.exports = function (Topics) {
 	Topics.createTopicFromPosts = async function (uid, title, pids, fromTid, cid) {
@@ -90,8 +91,11 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 			Topics.events.log(fromTid, { type: 'fork', uid, href: `/topic/${tid}` }),
 		]);
 
-		const { activity } = await activitypub.mocks.activities.create(pids[0], uid);
-		await activitypub.feps.announce(pids[0], activity);
+		// ideally we should federate a "move" activity instead, then can capture remote posts too. tbd
+		if (utils.isNumber(pids[0])) {
+			const { activity } = await activitypub.mocks.activities.create(pids[0], uid);
+			await activitypub.feps.announce(pids[0], activity);
+		}
 
 		plugins.hooks.fire('action:topic.fork', { tid, fromTid, uid });
 
diff --git a/test/activitypub/feps.js b/test/activitypub/feps.js
index 274de2b3ea..09c5f1662f 100644
--- a/test/activitypub/feps.js
+++ b/test/activitypub/feps.js
@@ -80,10 +80,8 @@ describe('FEPs', () => {
 					content: utils.generateUUID(),
 				});
 				const { tid } = topicData;
-				const [{ pid: reply1Pid }, { pid: reply2Pid }] = await Promise.all([
-					topics.reply({ uid, tid, content: utils.generateUUID() }),
-					topics.reply({ uid, tid, content: utils.generateUUID() }),
-				]);
+				const { pid: reply1Pid } = await topics.reply({ uid, tid, content: utils.generateUUID() });
+				const { pid: reply2Pid } = await topics.reply({ uid, tid, content: utils.generateUUID() });
 				await topics.createTopicFromPosts(
 					adminUid, utils.generateUUID(), [reply1Pid, reply2Pid], tid, cid
 				);