diff --git a/app/lib/html_aware_formatter.rb b/app/lib/html_aware_formatter.rb
index 64edba09b5..303e4a15e7 100644
--- a/app/lib/html_aware_formatter.rb
+++ b/app/lib/html_aware_formatter.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ class HtmlAwareFormatter
   end
 
   def to_s
-    return ''.html_safe if text.blank?
-
     if local?
       linkify
     else
@@ -29,6 +27,8 @@ class HtmlAwareFormatter
   private
 
   def reformat
+    return ''.html_safe if text.blank?
+
     Sanitize.fragment(text, Sanitize::Config::MASTODON_STRICT)
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/v1/statuses_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/v1/statuses_spec.rb
index 5cfd4eaa48..5db9889e2d 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/v1/statuses_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/v1/statuses_spec.rb
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ RSpec.describe '/api/v1/statuses' do
             .to start_with('application/json')
           expect(response.parsed_body[:quote]).to be_present
           expect(response.parsed_body[:spoiler_text]).to eq 'this is a CW'
-          expect(response.parsed_body[:content]).to eq ''
+          expect(response.parsed_body[:content]).to match(/RE: /)
           expect(response.headers['X-RateLimit-Limit']).to eq RateLimiter::FAMILIES[:statuses][:limit].to_s
           expect(response.headers['X-RateLimit-Remaining']).to eq (RateLimiter::FAMILIES[:statuses][:limit] - 1).to_s
         end
diff --git a/spec/serializers/rest/status_serializer_spec.rb b/spec/serializers/rest/status_serializer_spec.rb
index be1b4bcae4..510328c7fb 100644
--- a/spec/serializers/rest/status_serializer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/serializers/rest/status_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,25 @@ RSpec.describe REST::StatusSerializer do
   let(:bob)   { Fabricate(:account, username: 'bob', domain: 'other.com') }
   let(:status) { Fabricate(:status, account: alice) }
 
+  context 'with a local status' do
+    context 'with a quote and a CW but no contents' do
+      let(:quoted_status) { Fabricate(:status, account: alice) }
+      let(:status) { Fabricate.build(:status, account: alice, text: '', spoiler_text: 'this is a CW') }
+
+      before do
+        Fabricate(:quote, status: status, quoted_status: quoted_status, state: :accepted)
+      end
+
+      it 'renders the status with a CW and fallback link' do
+        expect(subject)
+          .to include(
+            'content' => /RE: <a/,
+            'spoiler_text' => 'this is a CW'
+          )
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   context 'with a remote status' do
     let(:status) { Fabricate(:status, account: bob) }