diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user.ex b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
index 1edded415..0e5e2d943 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.User do
         select_merge: %{
           search_distance:
             fragment(
-              "? <-> (? || ?)",
+              "? <-> (? || coalesce(?, ''))",
               ^query,
               u.nickname,
               u.name
diff --git a/test/user_test.exs b/test/user_test.exs
index 869e9196d..74accb7c8 100644
--- a/test/user_test.exs
+++ b/test/user_test.exs
@@ -756,5 +756,15 @@ defmodule Pleroma.UserTest do
       assert user_four ==
                User.search("lain@ple") |> List.first() |> Map.put(:search_distance, nil)
     end
+
+    test "finds a user whose name is nil" do
+      _user = insert(:user, %{name: "notamatch", nickname: "testuser@pleroma.amplifie.red"})
+      user_two = insert(:user, %{name: nil, nickname: "lain@pleroma.soykaf.com"})
+
+      assert user_two ==
+               User.search("lain@pleroma.soykaf.com")
+               |> List.first()
+               |> Map.put(:search_distance, nil)
+    end
   end
 end