diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 90d0a511b7..d87a54f91d 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ function api_get_user(App $a, $contact_id = null)
 				'name' => $contact["name"],
 				'screen_name' => (($contact['nick']) ? $contact['nick'] : $contact['name']),
 				'location' => ($contact["location"] != "") ? $contact["location"] : ContactSelector::networkToName($contact['network'], $contact['url'], $contact['protocol']),
-				'description' => BBCode::toPlaintext($contact["about"]),
+				'description' => BBCode::toPlaintext($contact["about"] ?? ''),
 				'profile_image_url' => $contact["micro"],
 				'profile_image_url_https' => $contact["micro"],
 				'profile_image_url_profile_size' => $contact["thumb"],
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ function api_get_user(App $a, $contact_id = null)
 		'name' => (($uinfo[0]['name']) ? $uinfo[0]['name'] : $uinfo[0]['nick']),
 		'screen_name' => (($uinfo[0]['nick']) ? $uinfo[0]['nick'] : $uinfo[0]['name']),
 		'location' => $location,
-		'description' => BBCode::toPlaintext($description),
+		'description' => BBCode::toPlaintext($description ?? ''),
 		'profile_image_url' => $uinfo[0]['micro'],
 		'profile_image_url_https' => $uinfo[0]['micro'],
 		'profile_image_url_profile_size' => $uinfo[0]["thumb"],