diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2f49df2c9..23754257c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 - Experimental websocket-based federation between Pleroma instances.
 - App metrics: ability to restrict access to specified IP whitelist.
 - Account backup
+- Configuration: Add `:instance, autofollowing_nicknames` setting to provide a way to make accounts automatically follow new users that register on the local Pleroma instance.
 
 ### Changed
 
@@ -50,7 +51,8 @@ switched to a new configuration mechanism, however it was not officially removed
 
 - Add documented-but-missing chat pagination.
 - Allow sending out emails again.
-- Allow sending chat messages to yourself
+- Allow sending chat messages to yourself.
+- Fix remote users with a whitespace name.
 
 ## Unreleased (Patch)
 
diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index 267ff2a3b..c0b6ac1d6 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@
     "text/bbcode"
   ],
   autofollowed_nicknames: [],
+  autofollowing_nicknames: [],
   max_pinned_statuses: 1,
   attachment_links: false,
   max_report_comment_size: 1000,
diff --git a/config/description.exs b/config/description.exs
index 0e8285280..8861cddea 100644
--- a/config/description.exs
+++ b/config/description.exs
@@ -831,6 +831,12 @@
         description:
           "Set to nicknames of (local) users that every new user should automatically follow"
       },
+      %{
+        key: :autofollowing_nicknames,
+        type: {:list, :string},
+        description:
+          "Set to nicknames of (local) users that automatically follows every newly registered user"
+      },
       %{
         key: :attachment_links,
         type: :boolean,
diff --git a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
index b40a2aebf..ebf95ebc9 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/cheatsheet.md
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ To add configuration to your config file, you can copy it from the base config.
     older software for theses nicknames.
 * `max_pinned_statuses`: The maximum number of pinned statuses. `0` will disable the feature.
 * `autofollowed_nicknames`: Set to nicknames of (local) users that every new user should automatically follow.
+* `autofollowing_nicknames`: Set to nicknames of (local) users that automatically follows every newly registered user.
 * `attachment_links`: Set to true to enable automatically adding attachment link text to statuses.
 * `max_report_comment_size`: The maximum size of the report comment (Default: `1000`).
 * `safe_dm_mentions`: If set to true, only mentions at the beginning of a post will be used to address people in direct messages. This is to prevent accidental mentioning of people when talking about them (e.g. "@friend hey i really don't like @enemy"). Default: `false`.
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/user.ex b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
index dc41d0001..a1e546b2d 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/user.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/user.ex
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ def remote_user_changeset(struct \\ %User{local: false}, params) do
       params,
       [
         :bio,
-        :name,
         :emoji,
         :ap_id,
         :inbox,
@@ -455,7 +454,9 @@ def remote_user_changeset(struct \\ %User{local: false}, params) do
         :accepts_chat_messages
       ]
     )
-    |> validate_required([:name, :ap_id])
+    |> cast(params, [:name], empty_values: [])
+    |> validate_required([:ap_id])
+    |> validate_required([:name], trim: false)
     |> unique_constraint(:nickname)
     |> validate_format(:nickname, @email_regex)
     |> validate_length(:bio, max: bio_limit)
@@ -765,6 +766,16 @@ defp autofollow_users(user) do
     follow_all(user, autofollowed_users)
   end
 
+  defp autofollowing_users(user) do
+    candidates = Config.get([:instance, :autofollowing_nicknames])
+
+    User.Query.build(%{nickname: candidates, local: true, deactivated: false})
+    |> Repo.all()
+    |> Enum.each(&follow(&1, user, :follow_accept))
+
+    {:ok, :success}
+  end
+
   @doc "Inserts provided changeset, performs post-registration actions (confirmation email sending etc.)"
   def register(%Ecto.Changeset{} = changeset) do
     with {:ok, user} <- Repo.insert(changeset) do
@@ -774,6 +785,7 @@ def register(%Ecto.Changeset{} = changeset) do
 
   def post_register_action(%User{} = user) do
     with {:ok, user} <- autofollow_users(user),
+         {:ok, _} <- autofollowing_users(user),
          {:ok, user} <- set_cache(user),
          {:ok, _} <- send_welcome_email(user),
          {:ok, _} <- send_welcome_message(user),
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
index d17c892a7..13869f897 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub.ex
@@ -1378,6 +1378,7 @@ def fetch_and_prepare_user_from_ap_id(ap_id, opts \\ []) do
          {:ok, data} <- user_data_from_user_object(data) do
       {:ok, maybe_update_follow_information(data)}
     else
+      # If this has been deleted, only log a debug and not an error
       {:error, "Object has been deleted" = e} ->
         Logger.debug("Could not decode user at fetch #{ap_id}, #{inspect(e)}")
         {:error, e}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json b/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..532d4cf70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+   "@context" : [
+      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
+      "https://princess.cat/schemas/litepub-0.1.jsonld",
+      {
+         "@language" : "und"
+      }
+   ],
+   "attachment" : [],
+   "capabilities" : {
+      "acceptsChatMessages" : true
+   },
+   "discoverable" : false,
+   "endpoints" : {
+      "oauthAuthorizationEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/oauth/authorize",
+      "oauthRegistrationEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/api/v1/apps",
+      "oauthTokenEndpoint" : "https://princess.cat/oauth/token",
+      "sharedInbox" : "https://princess.cat/inbox",
+      "uploadMedia" : "https://princess.cat/api/ap/upload_media"
+   },
+   "followers" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/followers",
+   "following" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/following",
+   "icon" : {
+      "type" : "Image",
+      "url" : "https://princess.cat/media/12794fb50e86911e65be97f69196814049dcb398a2f8b58b99bb6591576e648c.png?name=blobcatpresentpink.png"
+   },
+   "id" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew",
+   "image" : {
+      "type" : "Image",
+      "url" : "https://princess.cat/media/05d8bf3953ab6028fc920494ffc643fbee9dcef40d7bdd06f107e19acbfbd7f9.png"
+   },
+   "inbox" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/inbox",
+   "manuallyApprovesFollowers" : true,
+   "name" : " ",
+   "outbox" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew/outbox",
+   "preferredUsername" : "mewmew",
+   "publicKey" : {
+      "id" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew#main-key",
+      "owner" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew",
+      "publicKeyPem" : "-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----\nMIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAru7VpygVef4zrFwnj0Mh\nrbO/2z2EdKN3rERtNrT8zWsLXNLQ50lfpRPnGDrd+xq7Rva4EIu0d5KJJ9n4vtY0\nuxK3On9vA2oyjLlR9O0lI3XTrHJborG3P7IPXrmNUMFpHiFHNqHp5tugUrs1gUFq\n7tmOmM92IP4Wjk8qNHFcsfnUbaPTX7sNIhteQKdi5HrTb/6lrEIe4G/FlMKRqxo3\nRNHuv6SNFQuiUKvFzjzazvjkjvBSm+aFROgdHa2tKl88StpLr7xmuY8qNFCRT6W0\nLacRp6c8ah5f03Kd+xCBVhCKvKaF1K0ERnQTBiitUh85md+Mtx/CoDoLnmpnngR3\nvQIDAQAB\n-----END PUBLIC KEY-----\n\n"
+   },
+   "summary" : "please reply to my posts as direct messages if you have many followers",
+   "tag" : [],
+   "type" : "Person",
+   "url" : "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew"
+}
diff --git a/test/pleroma/user_test.exs b/test/pleroma/user_test.exs
index 7220ce846..9ae52d594 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/user_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/user_test.exs
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ test "fetches correct profile for nickname beginning with number" do
     }
 
     setup do: clear_config([:instance, :autofollowed_nicknames])
+    setup do: clear_config([:instance, :autofollowing_nicknames])
     setup do: clear_config([:welcome])
     setup do: clear_config([:instance, :account_activation_required])
 
@@ -408,6 +409,23 @@ test "it autofollows accounts that are set for it" do
       refute User.following?(registered_user, remote_user)
     end
 
+    test "it adds automatic followers for new registered accounts" do
+      user1 = insert(:user)
+      user2 = insert(:user)
+
+      Pleroma.Config.put([:instance, :autofollowing_nicknames], [
+        user1.nickname,
+        user2.nickname
+      ])
+
+      cng = User.register_changeset(%User{}, @full_user_data)
+
+      {:ok, registered_user} = User.register(cng)
+
+      assert User.following?(user1, registered_user)
+      assert User.following?(user2, registered_user)
+    end
+
     test "it sends a welcome message if it is set" do
       welcome_user = insert(:user)
       Pleroma.Config.put([:welcome, :direct_message, :enabled], true)
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
index 6ac883b23..43bd14ee6 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/activity_pub_test.exs
@@ -2273,4 +2273,15 @@ test "`following` still contains self-replies by friends" do
       assert length(activities) == 2
     end
   end
+
+  test "allow fetching of accounts with an empty string name field" do
+    Tesla.Mock.mock(fn
+      %{method: :get, url: "https://princess.cat/users/mewmew"} ->
+        file = File.read!("test/fixtures/mewmew_no_name.json")
+        %Tesla.Env{status: 200, body: file}
+    end)
+
+    {:ok, user} = ActivityPub.make_user_from_ap_id("https://princess.cat/users/mewmew")
+    assert user.name == " "
+  end
 end