diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
index 1964d87f1b..9c99400576 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/recipients/Recipient.java
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ public class Recipient {
 
   public @NonNull Optional<String> getUsername() {
     if (FeatureFlags.usernames()) {
-      return Optional.ofNullable(username);
+      return OptionalUtil.absentIfEmpty(username);
     } else {
       return Optional.empty();
     }
diff --git a/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/util/OptionalUtil.kt b/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/util/OptionalUtil.kt
index 03f2934df9..06c788b999 100644
--- a/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/util/OptionalUtil.kt
+++ b/libsignal-service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/signalservice/api/util/OptionalUtil.kt
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ object OptionalUtil {
 
   @JvmStatic
   fun absentIfEmpty(value: String?): Optional<String> {
-    return if (value == null || value.isEmpty()) {
+    return if (value.isNullOrEmpty()) {
       Optional.empty()
     } else {
       Optional.of(value)