diff --git a/src/activitypub/inbox.js b/src/activitypub/inbox.js
index faab5c0674..754720f208 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/inbox.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/inbox.js
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ inbox.announce = async (req) => {
 		cid = actor;
 	}
 
+	// Received via relay?
+	const fromRelay = await activitypub.relays.is(actor);
+
 	switch(true) {
 		case object.type === 'Like': {
 			const id = object.object.id || object.object;
@@ -333,7 +336,7 @@ inbox.announce = async (req) => {
 				socketHelpers.sendNotificationToPostOwner(pid, actor, 'announce', 'notifications:activitypub.announce');
 			} else { // Remote object
 				// Follower check
-				if (!cid) {
+				if (!fromRelay && !cid) {
 					const { followers } = await activitypub.actors.getLocalFollowCounts(actor);
 					if (!followers) {
 						winston.verbose(`[activitypub/inbox.announce] Rejecting ${object.id} via ${actor} due to no followers`);
diff --git a/src/activitypub/relays.js b/src/activitypub/relays.js
index aa6000f154..1aff86c130 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/relays.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/relays.js
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ const db = require('../database');
 const activitypub = module.parent.exports;
 const Relays = module.exports;
 
+Relays.is = async (actor) => {
+	return db.isSortedSetMember('relays:createtime', actor);
+};
+
 Relays.list = async () => {
 	let relays = await db.getSortedSetMembersWithScores('relays:state');
 	relays = relays.reduce((memo, { value, score }) => {