diff --git a/daemon.py b/daemon.py
index e87ce93e3..320f3fa78 100644
--- a/daemon.py
+++ b/daemon.py
@@ -1154,46 +1154,46 @@ class PubServer(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
 
         # check for blocked domains so that they can be rejected early
         messageDomain = None
-        if messageJson.get('actor'):
-            # actor should be a string
-            if not isinstance(messageJson['actor'], str):
-                self._400()
-                self.server.POSTbusy = False
-                return 3
-
-            # actor should look like a url
-            if '://' not in messageJson['actor'] or \
-               '.' not in messageJson['actor']:
-                print('POST actor does not look like a url ' +
-                      messageJson['actor'])
-                self._400()
-                self.server.POSTbusy = False
-                return 3
-
-            # sent by an actor on a local network address?
-            if not self.server.allowLocalNetworkAccess:
-                localNetworkPatternList = getLocalNetworkAddresses()
-                for localNetworkPattern in localNetworkPatternList:
-                    if localNetworkPattern in messageJson['actor']:
-                        print('POST actor contains local network address ' +
-                              messageJson['actor'])
-                        self._400()
-                        self.server.POSTbusy = False
-                        return 3
-
-            messageDomain, messagePort = \
-                getDomainFromActor(messageJson['actor'])
-            if isBlockedDomain(self.server.baseDir, messageDomain):
-                print('POST from blocked domain ' + messageDomain)
-                self._400()
-                self.server.POSTbusy = False
-                return 3
-        else:
+        if not messageJson.get('actor'):
             print('Message arriving at inbox queue has no actor')
             self._400()
             self.server.POSTbusy = False
             return 3
 
+        # actor should be a string
+        if not isinstance(messageJson['actor'], str):
+            self._400()
+            self.server.POSTbusy = False
+            return 3
+
+        # actor should look like a url
+        if '://' not in messageJson['actor'] or \
+           '.' not in messageJson['actor']:
+            print('POST actor does not look like a url ' +
+                  messageJson['actor'])
+            self._400()
+            self.server.POSTbusy = False
+            return 3
+
+        # sent by an actor on a local network address?
+        if not self.server.allowLocalNetworkAccess:
+            localNetworkPatternList = getLocalNetworkAddresses()
+            for localNetworkPattern in localNetworkPatternList:
+                if localNetworkPattern in messageJson['actor']:
+                    print('POST actor contains local network address ' +
+                          messageJson['actor'])
+                    self._400()
+                    self.server.POSTbusy = False
+                    return 3
+
+        messageDomain, messagePort = \
+            getDomainFromActor(messageJson['actor'])
+        if isBlockedDomain(self.server.baseDir, messageDomain):
+            print('POST from blocked domain ' + messageDomain)
+            self._400()
+            self.server.POSTbusy = False
+            return 3
+
         # if the inbox queue is full then return a busy code
         if len(self.server.inboxQueue) >= self.server.maxQueueLength:
             if messageDomain: