diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 9153b1911..367aeaba9 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -17,4 +17,20 @@ module ApplicationHelper
       "#{contact.ident} [#{contact.ident_country_code} #{contact.ident_type}]"
     end
   end
+
+  def creator_link(model)
+    return 'not present' if model.blank?
+    return model if model.kind_of? String
+
+    # can be api user or some other user
+    link_to(model.creator, ['admin', model.creator])
+  end
+
+  def updator_link(model)
+    return 'not present' if model.blank?
+    return model if model.kind_of? String
+
+    # can be api user or some other user
+    link_to(model.creator, ['admin', model.updator])
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/versions.rb b/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
index 8918647f1..099cecfb4 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
@@ -27,21 +27,25 @@ module Versions
     def creator
       return nil if creator_str.blank?
 
-      if creator_str =~ /^\d-api-/
+      creator = if creator_str =~ /^\d-api-/
         ApiUser.find_by(id: creator_str)
       else
         AdminUser.find_by(id: creator_str)
       end
+
+      creator.present? ? creator : creator_str
     end
 
     def updator
       return nil if updator_str.blank?
 
-      if updator_str =~ /^\d-api-/
+      updator = if updator_str =~ /^\d-api-/
         ApiUser.find_by(id: updator_str)
       else
         AdminUser.find_by(id: updator_str)
       end
+
+      updator.present? ? updator : updator_str
     end
 
     # callbacks
diff --git a/app/views/admin/contacts/partials/_general.haml b/app/views/admin/contacts/partials/_general.haml
index 2504bbc97..30c6c74b6 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/contacts/partials/_general.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/contacts/partials/_general.haml
@@ -32,18 +32,15 @@
       %dd
         = l(@contact.created_at, format: :short)
         by
-        = link_to(@contact.creator, [:admin, @contact.creator])
+        = creator_link(@contact)
 
       %dt= t(:updated)
       %dd
         = l(@contact.updated_at, format: :short)
         by
-        = link_to(@contact.updator, [:admin, @contact.updator])
-
+        = updator_link(@contact)
 
       %dt= t(:registrar)
       %dd
         - if @contact.registrar.present?
           = link_to(@contact.registrar, admin_registrar_path(@contact.registrar))
-
-