diff --git a/src/api/activitypub.js b/src/api/activitypub.js
index be6600d3a2..ed9e6f2f64 100644
--- a/src/api/activitypub.js
+++ b/src/api/activitypub.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const winston = require('winston');
 
 const db = require('../database');
 const user = require('../user');
+const categories = require('../categories');
 const meta = require('../meta');
 const privileges = require('../privileges');
 const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
@@ -43,7 +44,14 @@ activitypubApi.follow = enabledCheck(async (caller, { type, id, actor } = {}) =>
 		throw new Error('[[error:activitypub.invalid-id]]');
 	}
 
-	actor = actor.includes('@') ? await user.getUidByUserslug(actor) : actor;
+	if (actor.includes('@')) {
+		const [uid, cid] = await Promise.all([
+			user.getUidByUserslug(actor),
+			categories.getCidByHandle(actor),
+		]);
+
+		actor = uid || cid;
+	}
 	const [handle, isFollowing] = await Promise.all([
 		user.getUserField(actor, 'username'),
 		db.isSortedSetMember(type === 'uid' ? `followingRemote:${id}` : `cid:${id}:following`, actor),
diff --git a/src/categories/index.js b/src/categories/index.js
index 308516cd97..de7ff6d769 100644
--- a/src/categories/index.js
+++ b/src/categories/index.js
@@ -85,7 +85,13 @@ Categories.getCategoryById = async function (data) {
 };
 
 Categories.getCidByHandle = async function (handle) {
-	return await db.sortedSetScore('categoryhandle:cid', handle);
+	let cid = await db.sortedSetScore('categoryhandle:cid', handle);
+	if (!cid) {
+		// remote cids
+		cid = await db.getObjectField('handle:cid', handle);
+	}
+
+	return cid;
 };
 
 Categories.getAllCidsFromSet = async function (key) {