diff --git a/changelog.d/issue-3241.fix b/changelog.d/issue-3241.fix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d46db9805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/issue-3241.fix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Handle cases when users.inbox is nil.
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher.ex
index 9e7d00519..a42b4844e 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher.ex
@@ -158,19 +158,18 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Publisher do
     end
   end
 
-  defp should_federate?(inbox, public) do
-    if public do
-      true
-    else
-      %{host: host} = URI.parse(inbox)
+  def should_federate?(nil, _), do: false
+  def should_federate?(_, true), do: true
 
-      quarantined_instances =
-        Config.get([:instance, :quarantined_instances], [])
-        |> Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.instance_list_from_tuples()
-        |> Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.subdomains_regex()
+  def should_federate?(inbox, _) do
+    %{host: host} = URI.parse(inbox)
 
-      !Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.subdomain_match?(quarantined_instances, host)
-    end
+    quarantined_instances =
+      Config.get([:instance, :quarantined_instances], [])
+      |> Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.instance_list_from_tuples()
+      |> Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.subdomains_regex()
+
+    !Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.subdomain_match?(quarantined_instances, host)
   end
 
   @spec recipients(User.t(), Activity.t()) :: [[User.t()]]
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher_test.exs
index 7aa06a5c4..870f1f77a 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/publisher_test.exs
@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.PublisherTest do
 
   setup_all do: clear_config([:instance, :federating], true)
 
+  describe "should_federate?/1" do
+    test "it returns false when the inbox is nil" do
+      refute Publisher.should_federate?(nil, false)
+      refute Publisher.should_federate?(nil, true)
+    end
+
+    test "it returns true when public is true" do
+      assert Publisher.should_federate?(false, true)
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "gather_webfinger_links/1" do
     test "it returns links" do
       user = insert(:user)
@@ -205,6 +216,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.PublisherTest do
       refute called(Instances.set_reachable(inbox))
     end
 
+    @tag capture_log: true
     test_with_mock "calls `Instances.set_unreachable` on target inbox on non-2xx HTTP response code",
                    Instances,
                    [:passthrough],