diff --git a/mod/item.php b/mod/item.php
index e56e4c68d..6a3fd1896 100644
--- a/mod/item.php
+++ b/mod/item.php
@@ -367,9 +367,9 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 
 	// get contact info for owner
 	if ($profile_uid == local_user() || $allow_comment) {
-		$contact_record = $author;
+		$contact_record = $author ?: [];
 	} else {
-		$contact_record = DBA::selectFirst('contact', [], ['uid' => $profile_uid, 'self' => true]);
+		$contact_record = DBA::selectFirst('contact', [], ['uid' => $profile_uid, 'self' => true]) ?: [];
 	}
 
 	// Look for any tags and linkify them
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 
 	$original_contact_id = $contact_id;
 
-	if (!$toplevel_item_id && count($forum_contact) && ($private_forum || $only_to_forum)) {
+	if (!$toplevel_item_id && !empty($forum_contact) && ($private_forum || $only_to_forum)) {
 		// we tagged a forum in a top level post. Now we change the post
 		$private = $private_forum;
 
@@ -564,9 +564,9 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 	$datarray['gravity']       = $gravity;
 	$datarray['network']       = $network;
 	$datarray['contact-id']    = $contact_id;
-	$datarray['owner-name']    = $contact_record['name'];
-	$datarray['owner-link']    = $contact_record['url'];
-	$datarray['owner-avatar']  = $contact_record['thumb'];
+	$datarray['owner-name']    = $contact_record['name'] ?? '';
+	$datarray['owner-link']    = $contact_record['url'] ?? '';
+	$datarray['owner-avatar']  = $contact_record['thumb'] ?? '';
 	$datarray['owner-id']      = Contact::getIdForURL($datarray['owner-link']);
 	$datarray['author-name']   = $author['name'];
 	$datarray['author-link']   = $author['url'];
@@ -745,8 +745,8 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 	FileTag::updatePconfig($uid, $categories_old, $categories_new, 'category');
 
 	// These notifications are sent if someone else is commenting other your wall
-	if ($toplevel_item_id) {
-		if ($contact_record != $author) {
+	if ($contact_record != $author) {
+		if ($toplevel_item_id) {
 			notification([
 				'type'         => Type::COMMENT,
 				'notify_flags' => $user['notify-flags'],
@@ -764,9 +764,7 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 				'parent'       => $toplevel_item_id,
 				'parent_uri'   => $toplevel_item['uri']
 			]);
-		}
-	} else {
-		if (($contact_record != $author) && !count($forum_contact)) {
+		} elseif (empty($forum_contact)) {
 			notification([
 				'type'         => Type::WALL,
 				'notify_flags' => $user['notify-flags'],