diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validator.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validator.ex
index f75744203..15784b28c 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validator.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/object_validator.ex
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def cast_and_apply(%{"type" => "Article"} = object) do
 
   def cast_and_apply(o), do: {:error, {:validator_not_set, o}}
 
-  # is_struct/1 isn't present in Elixir 1.8.x
+  # is_struct/1 appears in Elixir 1.11
   def stringify_keys(%{__struct__: _} = object) do
     object
     |> Map.from_struct()
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline.ex
index 195596f94..0aa504e72 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline.ex
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ def common_pipeline(object, meta) do
     end
   end
 
+  def do_common_pipeline(%{__struct__: _}, _meta), do: {:error, :is_struct}
+
   def do_common_pipeline(object, meta) do
     with {_, {:ok, validated_object, meta}} <-
            {:validate_object, @object_validator.validate(object, meta)},
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline_test.exs
index 52fa933ee..e606fa3d1 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/pipeline_test.exs
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.PipelineTest do
       MRFMock
       |> expect(:pipeline_filter, fn o, m -> {:ok, o, m} end)
 
-      ActivityPubMock
-      |> expect(:persist, fn o, m -> {:ok, o, m} end)
-
       SideEffectsMock
       |> expect(:handle, fn o, m -> {:ok, o, m} end)
       |> expect(:handle_after_transaction, fn m -> m end)
@@ -42,6 +39,9 @@ test "when given an `object_data` in meta, Federation will receive a the origina
 
       activity_with_object = %{activity | data: Map.put(activity.data, "object", object)}
 
+      ActivityPubMock
+      |> expect(:persist, fn _, m -> {:ok, activity, m} end)
+
       FederatorMock
       |> expect(:publish, fn ^activity_with_object -> :ok end)
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ test "when given an `object_data` in meta, Federation will receive a the origina
 
       assert {:ok, ^activity, ^meta} =
                Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(
-                 activity,
+                 activity.data,
                  meta
                )
     end
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ test "it goes through validation, filtering, persisting, side effects and federa
       activity = insert(:note_activity)
       meta = [local: true]
 
+      ActivityPubMock
+      |> expect(:persist, fn _, m -> {:ok, activity, m} end)
+
       FederatorMock
       |> expect(:publish, fn ^activity -> :ok end)
 
@@ -66,29 +69,35 @@ test "it goes through validation, filtering, persisting, side effects and federa
       |> expect(:get, fn [:instance, :federating] -> true end)
 
       assert {:ok, ^activity, ^meta} =
-               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity, meta)
+               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity.data, meta)
     end
 
     test "it goes through validation, filtering, persisting, side effects without federation for remote activities" do
       activity = insert(:note_activity)
       meta = [local: false]
 
+      ActivityPubMock
+      |> expect(:persist, fn _, m -> {:ok, activity, m} end)
+
       ConfigMock
       |> expect(:get, fn [:instance, :federating] -> true end)
 
       assert {:ok, ^activity, ^meta} =
-               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity, meta)
+               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity.data, meta)
     end
 
     test "it goes through validation, filtering, persisting, side effects without federation for local activities if federation is deactivated" do
       activity = insert(:note_activity)
       meta = [local: true]
 
+      ActivityPubMock
+      |> expect(:persist, fn _, m -> {:ok, activity, m} end)
+
       ConfigMock
       |> expect(:get, fn [:instance, :federating] -> false end)
 
       assert {:ok, ^activity, ^meta} =
-               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity, meta)
+               Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.Pipeline.common_pipeline(activity.data, meta)
     end
   end
 end