diff --git a/include/conversation.php b/include/conversation.php
index 6fdfd30b46..e623c9320b 100644
--- a/include/conversation.php
+++ b/include/conversation.php
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ function conversation_add_children(array $parents, $block_authors, $order, $uid)
 	$items = [];
 
 	foreach ($parents AS $parent) {
-		$condition = ["`item`.`parent-uri` = ? AND `item`.`uid` IN (0, ?) AND `vid` != ?",
+		$condition = ["`item`.`parent-uri` = ? AND `item`.`uid` IN (0, ?) AND (`vid` != ? OR `vid` IS NULL)",
 			$parent['uri'], $uid, Verb::getID(Activity::FOLLOW)];
 		$items = conversation_fetch_items($parent, $items, $condition, $block_authors, $params);
 	}
diff --git a/mod/ping.php b/mod/ping.php
index 73e759107b..6b3b015ac8 100644
--- a/mod/ping.php
+++ b/mod/ping.php
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ function ping_init(App $a)
 
 		$notifs = ping_get_notifications(local_user());
 
-		$condition = ["`unseen` AND `uid` = ? AND `contact-id` != ? AND `vid` != ?",
+		$condition = ["`unseen` AND `uid` = ? AND `contact-id` != ? AND (`vid` != ? OR `vid` IS NULL)",
 			local_user(), local_user(), Verb::getID(Activity::FOLLOW)];
 		$fields = ['id', 'parent', 'verb', 'author-name', 'unseen', 'author-link', 'author-avatar', 'contact-avatar',
 			'network', 'created', 'object', 'parent-author-name', 'parent-author-link', 'parent-guid', 'wall', 'activity'];