diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/process_post.rb b/app/jobs/regular/process_post.rb
index 8a9cba11bb..88e340501a 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/process_post.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/process_post.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module Jobs
         end
       end
 
-      if !post.user.staff? && !post.user.staged
+      if !post.user&.staff? && !post.user&.staged?
         s = post.cooked
         s << " #{post.topic.title}" if post.post_number == 1
         if !args[:bypass_bump] && WordWatcher.new(s).should_flag?
diff --git a/spec/jobs/process_post_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/process_post_spec.rb
index 9c21d4f5fb..137eb176db 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/process_post_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/process_post_spec.rb
@@ -62,6 +62,19 @@ describe Jobs::ProcessPost do
       expect { Jobs::ProcessPost.new.execute(post_id: post.id) }.to change { TopicLink.count }.by(2)
     end
 
+    it "works for posts that belong to no existing user" do
+      cooked = post.cooked
+
+      post.update_columns(cooked: "frogs", user_id: nil)
+      Jobs::ProcessPost.new.execute(post_id: post.id, cook: true)
+      post.reload
+      expect(post.cooked).to eq(cooked)
+
+      post.update_columns(cooked: "frogs", user_id: User.maximum("id") + 1)
+      Jobs::ProcessPost.new.execute(post_id: post.id, cook: true)
+      post.reload
+      expect(post.cooked).to eq(cooked)
+    end
   end
 
 end