diff --git a/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/link-embed/link-embed-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/linkembed/service/MessageEmbedServiceBean.java b/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/link-embed/link-embed-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/linkembed/service/MessageEmbedServiceBean.java
index f45e43246..a8efb3ee4 100644
--- a/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/link-embed/link-embed-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/linkembed/service/MessageEmbedServiceBean.java
+++ b/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/link-embed/link-embed-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/linkembed/service/MessageEmbedServiceBean.java
@@ -137,7 +137,11 @@ public class MessageEmbedServiceBean implements MessageEmbedService {
     private CompletableFuture<MessageEmbeddedModel> buildTemplateParameter(Message message, CachedMessage embeddedMessage) {
         return userService.retrieveUserForId(embeddedMessage.getAuthor().getAuthorId()).thenApply(authorUser ->
             self.loadMessageEmbedModel(message, embeddedMessage, authorUser)
-        );
+        ).exceptionally(throwable -> {
+            log.warn("Failed to retrieve author for user {}.", embeddedMessage.getAuthor().getAuthorId(), throwable);
+            self.loadMessageEmbedModel(message, embeddedMessage, null);
+            return null;
+        });
     }
 
     @Transactional
diff --git a/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/starboard/starboard-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/starboard/service/StarboardServiceBean.java b/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/starboard/starboard-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/starboard/service/StarboardServiceBean.java
index 3f7478efc..d8219b7ed 100644
--- a/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/starboard/starboard-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/starboard/service/StarboardServiceBean.java
+++ b/abstracto-application/abstracto-modules/starboard/starboard-impl/src/main/java/dev/sheldan/abstracto/starboard/service/StarboardServiceBean.java
@@ -147,23 +147,30 @@ public class StarboardServiceBean implements StarboardService {
 
 
     private CompletableFuture<StarboardPostModel> buildStarboardPostModel(CachedMessage message, Integer starCount)  {
-        return userService.retrieveUserForId(message.getAuthor().getAuthorId()).thenApply(user -> {
-            Optional<TextChannel> channel = channelService.getTextChannelFromServerOptional(message.getServerId(), message.getChannelId());
-            Optional<Guild> guild = guildService.getGuildByIdOptional(message.getServerId());
-            String starLevelEmote = getAppropriateEmote(message.getServerId(), starCount);
-            return StarboardPostModel
-                    .builder()
-                    .message(message)
-                    .author(user)
-                    .sourceChannelId(message.getChannelId())
-                    .channel(channel.orElse(null))
-                    .starCount(starCount)
-                    .guild(guild.orElse(null))
-                    .starLevelEmote(starLevelEmote)
-                    .build();
+        return userService.retrieveUserForId(message.getAuthor().getAuthorId())
+        .thenApply(user -> createStarboardModel(message, starCount, user))
+        .exceptionally(throwable -> {
+            log.warn("Failed to retrieve user for author {} of starboard post.", message.getAuthor().getAuthorId(), throwable);
+            return createStarboardModel(message, starCount, null);
         });
     }
 
+    private StarboardPostModel createStarboardModel(CachedMessage message, Integer starCount, net.dv8tion.jda.api.entities.User user) {
+        Optional<TextChannel> channel = channelService.getTextChannelFromServerOptional(message.getServerId(), message.getChannelId());
+        Optional<Guild> guild = guildService.getGuildByIdOptional(message.getServerId());
+        String starLevelEmote = getAppropriateEmote(message.getServerId(), starCount);
+        return StarboardPostModel
+                .builder()
+                .message(message)
+                .author(user)
+                .sourceChannelId(message.getChannelId())
+                .channel(channel.orElse(null))
+                .starCount(starCount)
+                .guild(guild.orElse(null))
+                .starLevelEmote(starLevelEmote)
+                .build();
+    }
+
     @Override
     public CompletableFuture<Void> updateStarboardPost(StarboardPost post, CachedMessage message, List<AUserInAServer> userExceptAuthor)  {
         int starCount = userExceptAuthor.size();