diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/instance.js b/app/soapbox/actions/instance.js
index 85d8b2a3f..b1df09d64 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/instance.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/instance.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export function fetchInstance() {
         dispatch(fetchNodeinfo()); // Pleroma < 2.1 backwards compatibility
       }
     }).catch(error => {
+      console.error(error);
       dispatch({ type: INSTANCE_FETCH_FAIL, error, skipAlert: true });
     });
   };
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js b/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
index 1bbca72cc..d0df7959b 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
@@ -28,14 +28,22 @@ export default class Avatar extends React.PureComponent {
       height: `${size}px`,
     };
 
-    return (
-      <StillImage
-        className={classNames('account__avatar', { 'account__avatar-inline': inline })}
-        style={style}
-        src={account.get('avatar')}
-        alt=''
-      />
-    );
+    // Only render the image if src is provided
+    if (account.get('avatar')) {
+      return (
+        <StillImage
+          className={classNames('account__avatar', { 'account__avatar-inline': inline })}
+          style={style}
+          src={account.get('avatar')}
+          alt=''
+        />
+      );
+    } else {
+      // Fall back on rendering an empty div
+      return (
+        <div className={classNames('account__avatar', { 'account__avatar-inline': inline })} style={style} />
+      );
+    }
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/app/soapbox/utils/features.js b/app/soapbox/utils/features.js
index 6df42d1e7..e55ca455c 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/utils/features.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/utils/features.js
@@ -89,9 +89,20 @@ export const getFeatures = createSelector([
 export const parseVersion = version => {
   const regex = /^([\w\.]*)(?: \(compatible; ([\w]*) (.*)\))?$/;
   const match = regex.exec(version);
-  return {
-    software: match[2] || MASTODON,
-    version: match[3] || match[1],
-    compatVersion: match[1],
-  };
+
+  if (match) {
+    return {
+      software: match[2] || MASTODON,
+      version: match[3] || match[1],
+      compatVersion: match[1],
+    };
+  } else {
+    // If we can't parse the version, this is a new and exotic backend.
+    // Fall back to minimal featureset.
+    return {
+      software: null,
+      version: '0.0.0',
+      compatVersion: '0.0.0',
+    };
+  }
 };