diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 06d17b8c8..98d3b0b58 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ module ApplicationHelper
 
   def creator_link(model)
     return 'not present' if model.blank?
+    return 'unknown'     if model.creator.blank?
     return model.creator if model.creator.is_a? String
 
     # can be api user or some other user
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ module ApplicationHelper
 
   def updator_link(model)
     return 'not present' if model.blank?
+    return 'unknown'     if model.updator.blank?
     return model.updator if model.updator.is_a? String
 
     # can be api user or some other user
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/contact_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/contact_spec.rb
index a0b36e181..afd67c296 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/contact_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/contact_spec.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ feature 'Admin contact', type: :feature do
     visit admin_contacts_url
 
     click_link('Mr John')
-    page.should have_content('by autotest')
+    # initially it's created by unknown,
+    # indivitually running it's created by autotest
+    page.should have_content(/by [unknown|autotest]/)
   end
 end