diff --git a/models/federation/federation.go b/models/federation/federation.go
index aebed0d61..f6d13bdfa 100644
--- a/models/federation/federation.go
+++ b/models/federation/federation.go
@@ -54,23 +54,70 @@ type FederatedUser struct {
 	FederationHostID int64  `xorm:"INDEX"`
 }
 
-func CreateFederatedUser(ctx context.Context, u *user.User, host *FederatedHost) error {
+func CreateFederatedUser(ctx context.Context, alias string, website string, hostname string) (*user.User, error) {
 	engine := db.GetEngine(ctx)
-	//	_, err := engine.
-	//		Insert(u)
-	//	if err != nil {
-	//		return err
-	//	}
+
+	// create FederatedHost
+	exists, err := FederatedHostExists(ctx, hostname)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var federatedHost FederatedHost
+	if exists {
+		x, err := GetFederatdHost(ctx, hostname)
+		federatedHost = *x
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	} else {
+		federatedHost := new(FederatedHost)
+		federatedHost.HostFqdn = hostname
+		if err = federatedHost.Save(ctx); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// create user.User
+	u := new(user.User)
+	u.Name = "@" + alias + "@" + hostname
+	//panic(u.Name)
+	u.Email = alias + "@" + hostname
+	u.Website = website
+	u.KeepEmailPrivate = true
+
+	exist, err := user.GetUser(ctx, u)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if exist {
+		return u, nil // TODO: must also check for federatedUser existence
+	}
+
+	if err = createUser(ctx, u); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	federatedUser := new(FederatedUser)
 	federatedUser.ExternalID = u.Name
 	federatedUser.UserID = u.ID
-	federatedUser.FederationHostID = host.ID
-	_, err := engine.Insert(federatedUser)
-	return err
+	federatedUser.FederationHostID = federatedHost.ID
+	exist, err = engine.Get(federatedUser)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if !exist {
+		_, err = engine.Insert(federatedUser)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return u, nil
 }
 
-func CreatUser(ctx context.Context, u *user.User) error {
+func createUser(ctx context.Context, u *user.User) error {
 	// set system defaults
 	u.Visibility = setting.Service.DefaultUserVisibilityMode
 	u.AllowCreateOrganization = setting.Service.DefaultAllowCreateOrganization && !setting.Admin.DisableRegularOrgCreation
diff --git a/routers/web/explore/user.go b/routers/web/explore/user.go
index 125b7ee3b..41e88a885 100644
--- a/routers/web/explore/user.go
+++ b/routers/web/explore/user.go
@@ -93,13 +93,6 @@ func RenderUserSearch(ctx *context.Context, opts *user_model.SearchUserOptions,
 
 	opts.Keyword = ctx.FormTrim("q")
 	opts.OrderBy = orderBy
-	if len(opts.Keyword) == 0 || isKeywordValid(opts.Keyword) {
-		users, count, err = user_model.SearchUsers(ctx, opts)
-		if err != nil {
-			ctx.ServerError("SearchUsers", err)
-			return
-		}
-	}
 
 	if len(opts.Keyword) > 0 && forgefed.IsFingerable(opts.Keyword) {
 		webfingerRes, err := forgefed.WebFingerLookup(opts.Keyword)
@@ -125,6 +118,14 @@ func RenderUserSearch(ctx *context.Context, opts *user_model.SearchUserOptions,
 		//		}
 	}
 
+	if len(opts.Keyword) == 0 || isKeywordValid(opts.Keyword) {
+		users, count, err = user_model.SearchUsers(ctx, opts)
+		if err != nil {
+			ctx.ServerError("SearchUsers", err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	if isSitemap {
 		m := sitemap.NewSitemap()
 		for _, item := range users {
diff --git a/services/forgefed/actor.go b/services/forgefed/actor.go
index f967e6500..15d27b8d1 100644
--- a/services/forgefed/actor.go
+++ b/services/forgefed/actor.go
@@ -63,46 +63,9 @@ func SavePerson(ctx context.Context, person *ap.Person) (*user.User, error) {
 	fmt.Println(person.ID.String())
 	hostname, err := GetHostnameFromResource(person.ID.String())
 
-	exists, err := federation.FederatedHostExists(ctx, hostname)
+	u, err := federation.CreateFederatedUser(ctx, person.PreferredUsername.String(), person.URL.GetID().String(), hostname)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	var federatedHost federation.FederatedHost
-	if exists {
-		x, err := federation.GetFederatdHost(ctx, hostname)
-		federatedHost = *x
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	} else {
-		federatedHost := new(federation.FederatedHost)
-		federatedHost.HostFqdn = hostname
-		if err = federatedHost.Save(ctx); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	u := new(user.User)
-	u.Name = "@" + person.PreferredUsername.String() + "@" + hostname
-	//panic(u.Name)
-	u.Email = person.PreferredUsername.String() + "@" + hostname
-	u.Website = person.URL.GetID().String()
-	u.KeepEmailPrivate = true
-
-	exist, err := user.GetUser(ctx, u)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if exist {
-		return u, nil // TODO: must also check for federatedUser existence
-	}
-
-	if err = federation.CreatUser(ctx, u); err != nil {
+		log.Error("Got error while saving person: %w", err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -116,10 +79,6 @@ func SavePerson(ctx context.Context, person *ap.Person) (*user.User, error) {
 		_ = user_service.UploadAvatar(ctx, u, avatar)
 	}
 
-	if err = federation.CreateFederatedUser(ctx, u, &federatedHost); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	return u, nil
 }