diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
index 2d934b3fac..2987cbeace 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row.js
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ exports.save = async function(ctx) {
 
   // this returns the table and row incase they have been updated
   const dbTable = await db.get(inputs.tableId)
-  let { table, row } = inputProcessing(ctx.user || {}, dbTable, inputs)
+  let { table, row } = inputProcessing(ctx.user, dbTable, inputs)
   const validateResult = await validate({
     row,
     table,
diff --git a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor.js b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor.js
index 97e2a2880c..c0c3aff8ae 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/utilities/rowProcessor.js
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ exports.coerce = (row, type) => {
  * @param {object} table the table which the row is being saved to.
  * @returns {object} the row which has been prepared to be written to the DB.
  */
-exports.inputProcessing = (user, table, row) => {
+exports.inputProcessing = (user = {}, table, row) => {
   let clonedRow = cloneDeep(row)
   // need to copy the table so it can be differenced on way out
   const copiedTable = cloneDeep(table)