diff --git a/lib/pleroma/plugs/authentication_plug.ex b/lib/pleroma/plugs/authentication_plug.ex
index 8706b32cd..3ac301b97 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/plugs/authentication_plug.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/plugs/authentication_plug.ex
@@ -37,4 +37,6 @@ def call(
     Pbkdf2.dummy_checkpw()
     conn
   end
+
+  def call(conn, _), do: conn
 end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug.ex b/lib/pleroma/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..05a567757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pleroma/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.Plugs.EnsureUserKeyPlug do
+  import Plug.Conn
+
+  def init(opts) do
+    opts
+  end
+
+  def call(%{assigns: %{user: _}} = conn, _), do: conn
+
+  def call(conn, _) do
+    conn
+    |> assign(:user, nil)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/plugs/basic_auth_decoder_plug_test.exs b/test/plugs/basic_auth_decoder_plug_test.exs
index 317f7d167..a4876fef7 100644
--- a/test/plugs/basic_auth_decoder_plug_test.exs
+++ b/test/plugs/basic_auth_decoder_plug_test.exs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-defmodule Pleroma.Plugs.AuthenticationPlugTest do
+defmodule Pleroma.Plugs.BasicAuthDecoderPlugTest do
   use Pleroma.Web.ConnCase, async: true
 
   alias Pleroma.Plugs.BasicAuthDecoderPlug
diff --git a/test/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug_test.exs b/test/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9beda838e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/plugs/ensure_user_key_plug_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+defmodule Pleroma.Plugs.EnsureUserKeyPlugTest do
+  use Pleroma.Web.ConnCase, async: true
+
+  alias Pleroma.Plugs.EnsureUserKeyPlug
+
+  test "if the conn has a user key set, it does nothing", %{conn: conn} do
+    conn =
+      conn
+      |> assign(:user, 1)
+
+    ret_conn =
+      conn
+      |> EnsureUserKeyPlug.call(%{})
+
+    assert conn == ret_conn
+  end
+
+  test "if the conn has no key set, it sets it to nil", %{conn: conn} do
+    conn =
+      conn
+      |> EnsureUserKeyPlug.call(%{})
+
+    assert Map.has_key?(conn.assigns, :user)
+  end
+end