diff --git a/src/activitypub/mocks.js b/src/activitypub/mocks.js
index c9bcaedd9a..8ebec0cee8 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/mocks.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/mocks.js
@@ -720,7 +720,8 @@ Mocks.notes.public = async (post) => {
 	 * audience is exposed as part of 1b12 but is now ignored by Lemmy.
 	 * Remove this and most references to audience in 2026.
 	 */
-	let audience = `${nconf.get('url')}/category/${post.category.cid}`; // default
+	let audience = utils.isNumber(post.category.cid) ? // default
+		`${nconf.get('url')}/category/${post.category.cid}` : post.category.cid;
 	if (inReplyTo) {
 		const chain = await activitypub.notes.getParentChain(post.uid, inReplyTo);
 		chain.forEach((post) => {
diff --git a/src/api/activitypub.js b/src/api/activitypub.js
index a6ba295b06..39cf3e5534 100644
--- a/src/api/activitypub.js
+++ b/src/api/activitypub.js
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ activitypubApi.create.note = enabledCheck(async (caller, { pid, post }) => {
 	await Promise.all([
 		activitypub.send('uid', caller.uid, Array.from(targets), activity),
 		activitypub.feps.announce(pid, activity),
-		// activitypubApi.add(caller, { pid }),
+		// utils.isNumber(post.cid) ? activitypubApi.add(caller, { pid }) : undefined,
 	]);
 });
 
diff --git a/src/api/topics.js b/src/api/topics.js
index 572183a195..7a8ed44203 100644
--- a/src/api/topics.js
+++ b/src/api/topics.js
@@ -87,9 +87,7 @@ topicsAPI.create = async function (caller, data) {
 	socketHelpers.notifyNew(caller.uid, 'newTopic', { posts: [result.postData], topic: result.topicData });
 
 	if (!isScheduling) {
-		setTimeout(() => {
-			activitypubApi.create.note(caller, { pid: result.postData.pid });
-		}, 5000);
+		await activitypubApi.create.note(caller, { pid: result.postData.pid });
 	}
 
 	return result.topicData;
diff --git a/test/activitypub/actors.js b/test/activitypub/actors.js
index cd683b6a92..d33524abf8 100644
--- a/test/activitypub/actors.js
+++ b/test/activitypub/actors.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ describe('Group assertion', () => {
 	});
 
 	it('should contain an entry in categories search zset', async () => {
-		const exists = await db.isSortedSetMember('categories:name', `${actorData.preferredUsername.toLowerCase()}:${actorUri}`);
+		const exists = await db.isSortedSetMember('categories:name', `${actorData.name.toLowerCase()}:${actorUri}`);
 
 		assert(exists);
 	});
@@ -545,9 +545,10 @@ describe('Pruning', () => {
 			const { id: uid } = helpers.mocks.person();
 			await activitypub.actors.assert([uid]);
 
+			const total = await db.sortedSetCard('usersRemote:lastCrawled');
 			const result = await activitypub.actors.prune();
 
-			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.deleted, 1);
+			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.deleted, total);
 			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.preserved, 0);
 			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.missing, 0);
 		});
@@ -591,10 +592,11 @@ describe('Pruning', () => {
 			const { id: cid } = helpers.mocks.group();
 			await activitypub.actors.assertGroup([cid]);
 
+			const total = await db.sortedSetCard('usersRemote:lastCrawled');
 			const result = await activitypub.actors.prune();
 
 			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.deleted, 1);
-			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.preserved, 0);
+			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.preserved, total - 1);
 		});
 
 		it('should do nothing if the category has topics in it', async () => {
@@ -606,10 +608,11 @@ describe('Pruning', () => {
 			});
 			await activitypub.notes.assert(0, id);
 
+			const total = await db.sortedSetCard('usersRemote:lastCrawled');
 			const result = await activitypub.actors.prune();
 
 			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.deleted, 0);
-			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.preserved, 1);
+			assert.strictEqual(result.counts.preserved, total);
 			assert(result.preserved.has(cid));
 		});
 	});
diff --git a/test/activitypub/helpers.js b/test/activitypub/helpers.js
index dc2e491086..4bb3abe385 100644
--- a/test/activitypub/helpers.js
+++ b/test/activitypub/helpers.js
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ Helpers.mocks.person = (override = {}) => {
 		outbox: `${id}/outbox`,
 
 		type: 'Person',
-		name: slugify(uuid),
-		preferredUsername: uuid,
+		name: slugify(id),
+		preferredUsername: id,
 
 		publicKey: {
 			id: `${id}#key`,
diff --git a/test/activitypub/notes.js b/test/activitypub/notes.js
index 5157bc5645..543fb255db 100644
--- a/test/activitypub/notes.js
+++ b/test/activitypub/notes.js
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ const utils = require('../../src/utils');
 const helpers = require('./helpers');
 
 describe('Notes', () => {
-	describe('Assertion', () => {
-		before(async () => {
-			meta.config.activitypubEnabled = 1;
-			await install.giveWorldPrivileges();
-		});
+	before(async () => {
+		meta.config.activitypubEnabled = 1;
+		await install.giveWorldPrivileges();
+	});
 
+	describe('Assertion', () => {
 		describe('Public objects', () => {
 			it('should pull a remote root-level object by its id and create a new topic', async () => {
 				const { id } = helpers.mocks.note();
@@ -229,6 +229,103 @@ describe('Notes', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('Creation', () => {
+		let uid;
+
+		before(async () => {
+			uid = await user.create({ username: utils.generateUUID() });
+		});
+
+		describe('Local categories', () => {
+			let cid;
+
+			before(async () => {
+				({ cid } = await categories.create({ name: utils.generateUUID() }));
+			});
+
+			afterEach(() => {
+				activitypub._sent.clear();
+			});
+
+			describe('new topics', () => {
+				let activity;
+
+				before(async () => {
+					const { tid } = await api.topics.create({ uid }, {
+						cid,
+						title: utils.generateUUID(),
+						content: utils.generateUUID(),
+					});
+
+					assert(tid);
+					assert.strictEqual(activitypub._sent.size, 1);
+					const key = Array.from(activitypub._sent.keys())[0];
+					activity = activitypub._sent.get(key);
+				});
+
+				it('should federate out a Create activity', () => {
+					assert(activity && activity.to);
+					assert.strictEqual(activity.type, 'Create');
+				});
+
+				it('should have the local category addressed', () => {
+					const addressees = new Set([
+						...(activity.to || []),
+						...(activity.cc || []),
+						...(activity.bcc || []),
+						...(activity.object.to || []),
+						...(activity.object.cc || []),
+						...(activity.object.bcc || []),
+					]);
+
+					assert(addressees.has(`${nconf.get('url')}/category/${cid}`));
+				});
+			});
+		});
+
+		describe('Remote Categories', () => {
+			let cid;
+
+			before(async () => {
+				({ id: cid } = helpers.mocks.group());
+				await activitypub.actors.assert([cid]);
+			});
+
+			afterEach(() => {
+				activitypub._sent.clear();
+			});
+
+			describe('new topics', () => {
+				it('should federate out a Create activity with the remote community addressed', async () => {
+					const { tid } = await api.topics.create({ uid }, {
+						cid,
+						title: utils.generateUUID(),
+						content: utils.generateUUID(),
+					});
+
+					assert(tid);
+					assert.strictEqual(activitypub._sent.size, 1);
+
+					const key = Array.from(activitypub._sent.keys())[0];
+					const activity = activitypub._sent.get(key);
+					assert(activity && activity.to);
+					assert.strictEqual(activity.type, 'Create');
+
+					const addressees = new Set([
+						...(activity.to || []),
+						...(activity.cc || []),
+						...(activity.bcc || []),
+						...(activity.object.to || []),
+						...(activity.object.cc || []),
+						...(activity.object.bcc || []),
+					]);
+
+					assert(addressees.has(cid));
+				});
+			});
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('Inbox Synchronization', () => {
 		let cid;
 		let uid;