diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 14eb4562c..788fe6aba 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -442,8 +442,13 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
     aq = self.aspects.create(:name => I18n.t('aspects.seed.acquaintances'))
 
     if AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join?
-      default_account = Person.find_or_fetch_by_identifier(AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join_user)
-      self.share_with(default_account, aq) if default_account
+      begin
+        default_account = Person.find_or_fetch_by_identifier(AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join_user)
+        share_with(default_account, aq)
+      rescue DiasporaFederation::Discovery::DiscoveryError
+        logger.warn "Error auto-sharing with #{AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join_user}
+                     fix autofollow_on_join_user in configuration."
+      end
     end
     aq
   end
diff --git a/app/workers/fetch_webfinger.rb b/app/workers/fetch_webfinger.rb
index d2f00b0dc..dbf4f95e6 100644
--- a/app/workers/fetch_webfinger.rb
+++ b/app/workers/fetch_webfinger.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ module Workers
       person = Person.find_or_fetch_by_identifier(account)
 
       # also, schedule to fetch a few public posts from that person
-      Diaspora::Fetcher::Public.queue_for(person) unless person.nil?
+      Diaspora::Fetcher::Public.queue_for(person)
+    rescue DiasporaFederation::Discovery::DiscoveryError
+      # Ignored
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index f457c9b28..623c87af8 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -811,10 +811,10 @@ describe User, :type => :model do
       context "with autofollow sharing enabled" do
         it "should start sharing with autofollow account" do
           AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join = true
-          AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join_user = "one"
-
-          expect(Person).to receive(:find_or_fetch_by_identifier).with("one")
+          person = FactoryBot.build(:person)
+          AppConfig.settings.autofollow_on_join_user = person.diaspora_handle
 
+          expect(Person).to receive(:find_or_fetch_by_identifier).with(person.diaspora_handle).and_return(person)
           user.seed_aspects
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/workers/fetch_webfinger_spec.rb b/spec/workers/fetch_webfinger_spec.rb
index 234c7d215..3ed3e4ffa 100644
--- a/spec/workers/fetch_webfinger_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/fetch_webfinger_spec.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ describe Workers::FetchWebfinger do
   end
 
   it "should webfinger and queue no job to fetch public posts if the person is not found" do
-    allow(Person).to receive(:find_or_fetch_by_identifier).and_return(nil)
+    allow(Person).to receive(:find_or_fetch_by_identifier).and_raise DiasporaFederation::Discovery::DiscoveryError
 
     expect(Diaspora::Fetcher::Public).not_to receive(:queue_for)