diff --git a/lib/activitypub/federate.ts b/lib/activitypub/federate.ts
index a271cbd..f3ff330 100644
--- a/lib/activitypub/federate.ts
+++ b/lib/activitypub/federate.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function createActivity(article: Article): Create {
 	return createObject;
 }
 
-export async function getActor(url: string, db: Database, forceUpdate: boolean = false): Promise<Actor> {
+export async function getActor(url: string, db: Database, forceUpdate: boolean = false): Promise<Actor | null> {
 	if (!forceUpdate) {
 		try {
 			const cached = await getCachedActor(url, db);
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export async function getActor(url: string, db: Database, forceUpdate: boolean =
 		}
 	}
 	const remote = await fetchActor(url);
-	cacheActor(remote, db);
+	if (remote) cacheActor(remote, db);
 	return remote;
 }
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ async function cacheActor(actor: Actor, db: Database) {
 	});
 }
 
-async function fetchActor(url: string): Promise<Actor> {
+async function fetchActor(url: string): Promise<Actor | null> {
 	return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
 		request({
 			url,
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async function fetchActor(url: string): Promise<Actor> {
 			json: true
 		}, (err, res) => {
 			if (err) reject(err);
-			else resolve(res.body as Actor);
+			else resolve(res.body ? res.body as Actor : null);
 		});
 	});
 }
diff --git a/lib/activitypub/inbox.ts b/lib/activitypub/inbox.ts
index 6a9a6c3..143cf48 100644
--- a/lib/activitypub/inbox.ts
+++ b/lib/activitypub/inbox.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ async function handleFollow(activity: Activity, req: Request, res: Response) {
 	}
 	const db = req.app.get("db") as Database;
 	const actor = await getActor(follow.actor, db, true); // always force re-fetch the actor on follow
+	if (!actor) {
+		// if the actor ceases existing between the time the Follow is sent and when receive it, ignore it and end the request
+		res.end();
+		return;
+	}
 	const acceptObject = <Accept>{
 		"@context": [
 			"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
diff --git a/lib/activitypub/middleware/http-signature.ts b/lib/activitypub/middleware/http-signature.ts
index 77020da..0fa9b10 100644
--- a/lib/activitypub/middleware/http-signature.ts
+++ b/lib/activitypub/middleware/http-signature.ts
@@ -11,16 +11,28 @@ export = async (req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
 	}
 	const db = req.app.get("db") as Database;
 	const actor = await getActor(req.body.actor as string, db);
-	if (validate(req, actor.publicKey.publicKeyPem)) {
+	if (actor && validate(req, actor.publicKey.publicKeyPem)) {
 		next();
 	} else {
 		// if the first check fails, force re-fetch the actor and try again
 		const actor = await getActor(req.body.actor as string, db, true);
-		if (validate(req, actor.publicKey.publicKeyPem)) {
-			next();
-		} else {
+		if (!actor) {
+			// probably caused by Delete activity for an actor
+			if (req.body.type === "Delete") {
+				// if we don't have a cached copy of the key, we have had no interaction with actor
+				// so the Delete can be safely ignored
+				// we still send a 200 OK status, so that the originating instances knows it has successfully
+				// delivered the Delete (we just can't act on it)
+				res.status(200).end();
+			} else {
+				console.log(`Could not retrieve actor ${req.body.actor} to validate HTTP signature for`, req.body);
+				res.status(401).end("Could not retrieve actor to validate HTTP signature");
+			}
+		} else if (!validate(req, actor.publicKey.publicKeyPem)) {
 			console.log(`Could not validate HTTP signature for ${req.body.actor}`);
 			res.status(401).end("Could not validate HTTP signature");
+		} else {
+			next();
 		}
 	}
 };