diff --git a/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift b/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift
index 484c3a2d9f..9d6df349bc 100644
--- a/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift	
+++ b/Tusker/Views/Profile Header/ProfileHeaderView.swift	
@@ -181,8 +181,11 @@ class ProfileHeaderView: UIView {
     }
     
     @objc private func updateUIForPreferences() {
-        guard let mastodonController = mastodonController,
-              let account = mastodonController.persistentContainer.account(for: accountID) else {
+        // todo: mastodonController should never be nil, but ProfileHeaderViews are getting leaked
+        guard let mastodonController = mastodonController else {
+            return
+        }
+        guard let account = mastodonController.persistentContainer.account(for: accountID) else {
             fatalError("Missing cached account \(accountID!)")
         }