diff --git a/database/entities/Federation.ts b/database/entities/Federation.ts
index 04390442..6d88ce7d 100644
--- a/database/entities/Federation.ts
+++ b/database/entities/Federation.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { User } from "@prisma/client";
 import type * as Lysand from "lysand-types";
 import { config } from "config-manager";
+import { getUserUri } from "./User";
 
 export const objectToInboxRequest = async (
     object: Lysand.Entity,
@@ -8,7 +9,11 @@ export const objectToInboxRequest = async (
     userToSendTo: User,
 ): Promise<Request> => {
     if (!userToSendTo.instanceId || !userToSendTo.endpoints.inbox) {
-        throw new Error("User has no inbox or is a local user");
+        throw new Error("UserToSendTo has no inbox or is a local user");
+    }
+
+    if (author.instanceId) {
+        throw new Error("Author is a remote user");
     }
 
     const privateKey = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
@@ -51,7 +56,9 @@ export const objectToInboxRequest = async (
             "Content-Type": "application/json",
             Date: date.toISOString(),
             Origin: new URL(config.http.base_url).host,
-            Signature: `keyId="${author.uri}",algorithm="ed25519",headers="(request-target) host date digest",signature="${signatureBase64}"`,
+            Signature: `keyId="${getUserUri(
+                author,
+            )}",algorithm="ed25519",headers="(request-target) host date digest",signature="${signatureBase64}"`,
         },
         body: JSON.stringify(object),
     });
diff --git a/database/entities/Status.ts b/database/entities/Status.ts
index c9ab43e8..b820df77 100644
--- a/database/entities/Status.ts
+++ b/database/entities/Status.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { applicationToAPI } from "./Application";
 import { attachmentToAPI, attachmentToLysand } from "./Attachment";
 import { emojiToAPI, emojiToLysand, parseEmojis } from "./Emoji";
 import type { UserWithRelations } from "./User";
-import { resolveUser, userToAPI } from "./User";
+import { getUserUri, userToAPI } from "./User";
 import { statusAndUserRelations, userRelations } from "./relations";
 import { objectToInboxRequest } from "./Federation";
 
@@ -497,23 +497,22 @@ export const statusToAPI = async (
     };
 };
 
+export const getStatusUri = (status?: Status | null) => {
+    if (!status) return undefined;
+
+    return (
+        status.uri ||
+        new URL(`/objects/note/${status.id}`, config.http.base_url).toString()
+    );
+};
+
 export const statusToLysand = (status: StatusWithRelations): Lysand.Note => {
     return {
         type: "Note",
         created_at: new Date(status.createdAt).toISOString(),
         id: status.id,
-        author:
-            status.author.uri ||
-            new URL(
-                `/users/${status.author.id}`,
-                config.http.base_url,
-            ).toString(),
-        uri:
-            status.uri ||
-            new URL(
-                `/objects/note/${status.id}`,
-                config.http.base_url,
-            ).toString(),
+        author: getUserUri(status.author),
+        uri: getStatusUri(status) ?? "",
         content: {
             "text/html": {
                 content: status.content,
@@ -527,8 +526,8 @@ export const statusToLysand = (status: StatusWithRelations): Lysand.Note => {
         ),
         is_sensitive: status.sensitive,
         mentions: status.mentions.map((mention) => mention.uri || ""),
-        quotes: status.quotingPost?.uri ?? undefined,
-        replies_to: status.inReplyToPost?.uri ?? undefined,
+        quotes: getStatusUri(status.quotingPost) ?? undefined,
+        replies_to: getStatusUri(status.inReplyToPost) ?? undefined,
         subject: status.spoilerText,
         visibility: status.visibility as Lysand.Visibility,
         extensions: {
diff --git a/database/entities/User.ts b/database/entities/User.ts
index d6437bfe..ed5499fd 100644
--- a/database/entities/User.ts
+++ b/database/entities/User.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,13 @@ export const resolveUser = async (uri: string) => {
     return user;
 };
 
+export const getUserUri = (user: User) => {
+    return (
+        user.uri ||
+        new URL(`/users/${user.id}`, config.http.base_url).toString()
+    );
+};
+
 /**
  * Resolves a WebFinger identifier to a user.
  * @param identifier Either a UUID or a username
@@ -513,9 +520,7 @@ export const userToLysand = (user: UserWithRelations): Lysand.User => {
     return {
         id: user.id,
         type: "User",
-        uri:
-            user.uri ||
-            new URL(`/users/${user.id}`, config.http.base_url).toString(),
+        uri: getUserUri(user),
         bio: {
             "text/html": {
                 content: user.note,
@@ -612,10 +617,7 @@ export const followRequestToLysand = (
     return {
         type: "Follow",
         id: id,
-        author: new URL(
-            `/users/${follower.id}`,
-            config.http.base_url,
-        ).toString(),
+        author: getUserUri(follower),
         followee: followee.uri,
         created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
         uri: new URL(`/follows/${id}`, config.http.base_url).toString(),
@@ -648,10 +650,7 @@ export const followAcceptToLysand = (
             config.http.base_url,
         ).toString(),
         created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
-        follower: new URL(
-            `/users/${follower.id}`,
-            config.http.base_url,
-        ).toString(),
+        follower: getUserUri(follower),
         uri: new URL(`/follows/${id}`, config.http.base_url).toString(),
     };
 };