diff --git a/src/Model/Profile.php b/src/Model/Profile.php
index cd8fa29e13..f86fce9b21 100644
--- a/src/Model/Profile.php
+++ b/src/Model/Profile.php
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ class Profile
 	{
 		$user = dba::selectFirst('user', ['uid'], ['nickname' => $nickname]);
 
-		if (!$user && !count($user) && !count($profiledata)) {
+		if (!DBM::is_result($user) && empty($profiledata)) {
 			logger('profile error: ' . $a->query_string, LOGGER_DEBUG);
 			notice(L10n::t('Requested account is not available.') . EOL);
 			$a->error = 404;
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (!x($a->page, 'aside')) {
+		if (empty($a->page['aside'])) {
 			$a->page['aside'] = '';
 		}
 
@@ -157,10 +157,6 @@ class Profile
 			require_once $theme_info_file;
 		}
 
-		if (!x($a->page, 'aside')) {
-			$a->page['aside'] = '';
-		}
-
 		if (local_user() && local_user() == $a->profile['uid'] && $profiledata) {
 			$a->page['aside'] .= replace_macros(
 				get_markup_template('profile_edlink.tpl'),