diff --git a/ts/services/backups/export.preload.ts b/ts/services/backups/export.preload.ts
index 2a908fafa1..4eb630be70 100644
--- a/ts/services/backups/export.preload.ts
+++ b/ts/services/backups/export.preload.ts
@@ -1348,8 +1348,12 @@ export class BackupExportStream extends Readable {
           members: convo.membersV2?.map(member => {
             return {
               joinedAtVersion: member.joinedAtVersion,
-              labelEmoji: member.labelEmoji,
-              labelString: member.labelString,
+              ...(member.labelString
+                ? {
+                    labelEmoji: member.labelEmoji,
+                    labelString: member.labelString,
+                  }
+                : undefined),
               role: member.role,
               userId: this.#aciToBytes(member.aci),
             };
@@ -1452,8 +1456,7 @@ export class BackupExportStream extends Readable {
     const isOutgoing = message.type === 'outgoing';
     const isIncoming = message.type === 'incoming';
 
-    // Pacify typescript
-    if (message.sourceServiceId) {
+    if (message.sourceServiceId && isAciString(message.sourceServiceId)) {
       authorId = this.#getOrPushPrivateRecipient({
         serviceId: message.sourceServiceId,
         e164: message.source,
@@ -2003,6 +2006,8 @@ export class BackupExportStream extends Readable {
 
     if (isGroupV2Change(message)) {
       updateMessage.groupChange = await this.toGroupV2Update(message, options);
+      strictAssert(this.#ourConversation?.id, 'our conversation must exist');
+      patch.authorId = this.#getOrPushPrivateRecipient(this.#ourConversation);
       return { kind: NonBubbleResultKind.Directionless, patch };
     }
 
diff --git a/ts/services/backups/index.preload.ts b/ts/services/backups/index.preload.ts
index 713f13b68a..62211080cb 100644
--- a/ts/services/backups/index.preload.ts
+++ b/ts/services/backups/index.preload.ts
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ export class BackupsService {
       };
     } catch (error) {
       log.warn(
-        'internal validation: failed with errors',
+        'internal validation: failed with errors\n',
         Errors.toLogFormat(error)
       );
       return { error: Errors.toLogFormat(error) };