diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/common_api/common_api.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/common_api/common_api.ex
index e3385310f..e0c9dedd5 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/common_api/common_api.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/common_api/common_api.ex
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ def get_visibility(%{"in_reply_to_status_id" => status_id}) when not is_nil(stat
         "public"
 
       inReplyTo ->
-        Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.StatusView.get_visibility(inReplyTo.data["object"])
+        # XXX: these heuristics should be moved out of MastodonAPI.
+        with %Object{} = object <- Object.normalize(inReplyTo.data["object"]) do
+          Pleroma.Web.MastodonAPI.StatusView.get_visibility(object.data)
+        end
     end
   end