diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user.ex b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
index dc41d0001..72f507f1e 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ def remote_user_changeset(struct \\ %User{local: false}, params) do
       params,
       [
         :bio,
-        :name,
         :emoji,
         :ap_id,
         :inbox,
@@ -455,7 +454,9 @@ def remote_user_changeset(struct \\ %User{local: false}, params) do
         :accepts_chat_messages
       ]
     )
-    |> validate_required([:name, :ap_id])
+    |> cast(params, [:name], empty_values: [])
+    |> validate_required([:ap_id])
+    |> validate_required([:name], trim: false)
     |> unique_constraint(:nickname)
     |> validate_format(:nickname, @email_regex)
     |> validate_length(:bio, max: bio_limit)
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
index d17c892a7..df18db603 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
@@ -1378,10 +1378,6 @@ def fetch_and_prepare_user_from_ap_id(ap_id, opts \\ []) do
          {:ok, data} <- user_data_from_user_object(data) do
       {:ok, maybe_update_follow_information(data)}
     else
-      {:error, "Object has been deleted" = e} ->
-        Logger.debug("Could not decode user at fetch #{ap_id}, #{inspect(e)}")
-        {:error, e}
-
       {:error, {:reject, reason} = e} ->
         Logger.info("Rejected user #{ap_id}: #{inspect(reason)}")
         {:error, e}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json b/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..532d4cf70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+   "@context" : [
+      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
+      "https://princess.cat/schemas/litepub-0.1.jsonld",
+      {
+         "@language" : "und"
+      }
+   ],
+   "attachment" : [],
+   "capabilities" : {
+      "acceptsChatMessages" : true
+   },
+   "discoverable" : false,
+   "endpoints" : {
+      "oauthAuthorizationEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/oauth/authorize",
+      "oauthRegistrationEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/api/v1/apps",
+      "oauthTokenEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/oauth/token",
+      "sharedInbox" : "https://princess.cat/inbox",
+      "uploadMedia" : "https://princess.cat/api/ap/upload_media"
+   },
+   "followers" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/followers",
+   "following" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/following",
+   "icon" : {
+      "type" : "Image",
+      "url" : "https://princess.cat/media/12794fb50e86911e65be97f69196814049dcb398a2f8b58b99bb6591576e648c.png?name=blobcatpresentpink.png"
+   },
+   "id" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew",
+   "image" : {
+      "type" : "Image",
+      "url" : "https://princess.cat/media/05d8bf3953ab6028fc920494ffc643fbee9dcef40d7bdd06f107e19acbfbd7f9.png"
+   },
+   "inbox" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/inbox",
+   "manuallyApprovesFollowers" : true,
+   "name" : " ",
+   "outbox" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/outbox",
+   "preferredUsername" : "mewmew",
+   "publicKey" : {
+      "id" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew#main-key",
+      "owner" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew",
+      "publicKeyPem" : "-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----\nMIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAru7VpygVef4zrFwnj0Mh\nrbO/2z2EdKN3rERtNrT8zWsLXNLQ50lfpRPnGDrd+xq7Rva4EIu0d5KJJ9n4vtY0\nuxK3On9vA2oyjLlR9O0lI3XTrHJborG3P7IPXrmNUMFpHiFHNqHp5tugUrs1gUFq\n7tmOmM92IP4Wjk8qNHFcsfnUbaPTX7sNIhteQKdi5HrTb/6lrEIe4G/FlMKRqxo3\nRNHuv6SNFQuiUKvFzjzazvjkjvBSm+aFROgdHa2tKl88StpLr7xmuY8qNFCRT6W0\nLacRp6c8ah5f03Kd+xCBVhCKvKaF1K0ERnQTBiitUh85md+Mtx/CoDoLnmpnngR3\nvQIDAQAB\n-----END PUBLIC KEY-----\n\n"
+   },
+   "summary" : "please reply to my posts as direct messages if you have many followers",
+   "tag" : [],
+   "type" : "Person",
+   "url" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew"
+}
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
index 6ac883b23..43bd14ee6 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
@@ -2273,4 +2273,15 @@ test "`following` still contains self-replies by friends" do
       assert length(activities) == 2
     end
   end
+
+  test "allow fetching of accounts with an empty string name field" do
+    Tesla.Mock.mock(fn
+      %{method: :get, url: "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew"} ->
+        file = File.read!("test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json")
+        %Tesla.Env{status: 200, body: file}
+    end)
+
+    {:ok, user} = ActivityPub.make_user_from_ap_id("https://princess.cat/users/mewmew")
+    assert user.name == " "
+  end
 end