diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 2fbb49e..3f0ccf7 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -1064,7 +1064,7 @@ void enqueue_input(snac *snac, char *msg, char *req, int retries)
 
 
 void enqueue_output(snac *snac, char *msg, char *inbox, int retries)
-/* enqueues an output message for an actor */
+/* enqueues an output message to an inbox */
 {
     if (xs_startswith(inbox, snac->actor)) {
         snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_str_new("refusing enqueue to myself"));
@@ -1088,6 +1088,18 @@ void enqueue_output(snac *snac, char *msg, char *inbox, int retries)
 }
 
 
+void enqueue_output_by_actor(snac *snac, char *msg, char *actor, int retries)
+/* enqueues an output message for an actor */
+{
+    xs *inbox = get_actor_inbox(snac, actor);
+
+    if (!xs_is_null(inbox))
+        enqueue_output(snac, msg, inbox, retries);
+    else
+        snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("enqueue_output_by_actor cannot get inbox %s", actor));
+}
+
+
 void enqueue_email(snac *snac, char *msg, int retries)
 /* enqueues an email message to be sent */
 {
diff --git a/html.c b/html.c
index 1b227fa..b48eae4 100644
--- a/html.c
+++ b/html.c
@@ -1215,11 +1215,10 @@ int html_post_handler(d_char *req, char *q_path, d_char *payload, int p_size,
             if (msg != NULL) {
                 /* reload the actor from the message, in may be different */
                 actor = xs_dict_get(msg, "object");
-                xs *inbox = get_actor_inbox(&snac, actor);
 
                 following_add(&snac, actor, msg);
 
-                enqueue_output(&snac, msg, inbox, 0);
+                enqueue_output_by_actor(&snac, msg, actor, 0);
             }
         }
         else
@@ -1232,7 +1231,7 @@ int html_post_handler(d_char *req, char *q_path, d_char *payload, int p_size,
 
                 following_del(&snac, actor);
 
-                enqueue_output(&snac, msg, actor, 0);
+                enqueue_output_by_actor(&snac, msg, actor, 0);
 
                 snac_log(&snac, xs_fmt("unfollowed actor %s", actor));
             }
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index befbd32..8e3dbd2 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
             following_add(&snac, actor, msg);
 
-            enqueue_output(&snac, msg, actor, 0);
+            enqueue_output_by_actor(&snac, msg, actor, 0);
 
             if (dbglevel) {
                 xs *j = xs_json_dumps_pp(msg, 4);
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
             following_del(&snac, url);
 
-            enqueue_output(&snac, msg, url, 0);
+            enqueue_output_by_actor(&snac, msg, url, 0);
 
             snac_log(&snac, xs_fmt("unfollowed actor %s", url));
         }
diff --git a/snac.h b/snac.h
index cfb694a..852e40b 100644
--- a/snac.h
+++ b/snac.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ d_char *history_list(snac *snac);
 
 void enqueue_input(snac *snac, char *msg, char *req, int retries);
 void enqueue_output(snac *snac, char *msg, char *inbox, int retries);
+void enqueue_output_by_actor(snac *snac, char *msg, char *actor, int retries);
 void enqueue_email(snac *snac, char *msg, int retries);
 
 d_char *queue(snac *snac);