diff --git a/classes/File_redirection.php b/classes/File_redirection.php
index f128b3e07c..51b8be3b06 100644
--- a/classes/File_redirection.php
+++ b/classes/File_redirection.php
@@ -210,6 +210,14 @@ class File_redirection extends Memcached_DataObject
                 } else if (is_string($redir_data)) {
                     // The file is a known redirect target.
                     $file = File::staticGet('url', $redir_data);
+                    if (empty($file)) {
+                        // @fixme should we save a new one?
+                        // this case was triggering sometimes for redirects
+                        // with unresolvable targets; found while fixing
+                        // "can't linkify" bugs with shortened links to
+                        // SSL sites with cert issues.
+                        return null;
+                    }
                     $file_id = $file->id;
                 }
             } else {
diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index 9f62097d54..66600c766f 100644
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -830,7 +830,10 @@ function common_linkify($url) {
         } elseif (is_string($longurl_data)) {
             $longurl = $longurl_data;
         } else {
-            throw new ServerException("Can't linkify url '$url'");
+            // Unable to reach the server to verify contents, etc
+            // Just pass the link on through for now.
+            common_log(LOG_ERR, "Can't linkify url '$url'");
+            $longurl = $url;
         }
     }
     $attrs = array('href' => $canon, 'title' => $longurl, 'rel' => 'external');