diff --git a/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift b/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift
index 1004ca58..a56e7e73 100644
--- a/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift	
+++ b/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift	
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ class ProfileHeaderView: UIView {
     }
     
     private func createObservers() {
+        // mastodonController may be nil if the ProfileViewController is deinit'd before the header is even created
+        guard let mastodonController else {
+            return
+        }
+        
         cancellables = []
         
         mastodonController.persistentContainer.accountSubject