diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e4b6a051c..8ef6a45c3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 - Updated Status view, added ```video``` open graph tag support ([#1799](https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/pull/1799))
 - Updated AccountTransformer, added ```local``` attribute ([d2a90f11](https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/commit/d2a90f11))
 - Updated Laravel framework from v5.8 to v6.x ([3aff6de33](https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/commit/3aff6de33))
+- Updated FollowerController to fix bug affecting private profiles ([a429d961](https://github.com/pixelfed/pixelfed/commit/a429d961))
 
 ## Deprecated
     
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/FollowerController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/FollowerController.php
index b3b6b2e4a..f19790809 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/FollowerController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/FollowerController.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class FollowerController extends Controller
 
         $isFollowing = Follower::whereProfileId($user->id)->whereFollowingId($target->id)->exists();
 
-        if($private == true && $isFollowing == 0 && $remote == true) {
+        if($private == true && $isFollowing == 0) {
             if($user->following()->count() >= Follower::MAX_FOLLOWING) {
                 abort(400, 'You cannot follow more than ' . Follower::MAX_FOLLOWING . ' accounts');
             }
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class FollowerController extends Controller
             if($remote == true && config('federation.activitypub.remoteFollow') == true) {
                 $this->sendFollow($user, $target);
             } 
-        } elseif ($isFollowing == 0) {
+        } elseif ($private == false && $isFollowing == 0) {
             if($user->following()->count() >= Follower::MAX_FOLLOWING) {
                 abort(400, 'You cannot follow more than ' . Follower::MAX_FOLLOWING . ' accounts');
             }