diff --git a/src/Module/DFRN/Notify.php b/src/Module/DFRN/Notify.php
index 34cf21f11..14b121e81 100644
--- a/src/Module/DFRN/Notify.php
+++ b/src/Module/DFRN/Notify.php
@@ -70,18 +70,8 @@ class Notify extends BaseModule
 				throw new \Friendica\Network\HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException();
 			}
 			$this->dispatchPrivate($user, $postdata);
-		} elseif (!$this->dispatchPublic($postdata)) {
-			(new Salmon(
-				$this->database,
-				$this->l10n,
-				$this->baseUrl,
-				$this->args,
-				$this->logger,
-				$this->profiler,
-				$this->response,
-				$this->server,
-				$this->parameters
-			))->rawContent($request);
+		} else {
+			$this->dispatchPublic($postdata);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Module/OStatus/Salmon.php b/src/Module/OStatus/Salmon.php
index 0d393afcc..f928e308d 100644
--- a/src/Module/OStatus/Salmon.php
+++ b/src/Module/OStatus/Salmon.php
@@ -66,11 +66,12 @@ class Salmon extends \Friendica\BaseModule
 	{
 		$xml = Network::postdata();
 
-		$this->logger->debug('New Salmon', ['nickname' => $this->parameters['nickname'], 'xml' => $xml]);
-
-		// Despite having a route with a mandatory nickname parameter, this method can also be called from
-		// \Friendica\Module\DFRN\Notify->post where the same parameter is optional 🤷‍
 		$nickname = $this->parameters['nickname'] ?? '';
+		if (empty($nickname)) {
+			throw new HTTPException\BadRequestException('nickname parameter is mandatory');
+		}
+
+		$this->logger->debug('New Salmon', ['nickname' => $nickname, 'xml' => $xml]);
 
 		$importer = $this->database->selectFirst('user', [], ['nickname' => $nickname, 'account_expired' => false, 'account_removed' => false]);
 		if (!$this->database->isResult($importer)) {