diff --git a/app/soapbox/normalizers/chat-message.ts b/app/soapbox/normalizers/chat-message.ts
index 642ae0bb3..f11a095b9 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/normalizers/chat-message.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/normalizers/chat-message.ts
@@ -50,11 +50,21 @@ const normalizeChatMessageEmojiReaction = (chatMessage: ImmutableMap<string, any
   }
 };
 
+/** Rewrite `<p></p>` to empty string. */
+const fixContent = (chatMessage: ImmutableMap<string, any>) => {
+  if (chatMessage.get('content') === '<p></p>') {
+    return chatMessage.set('content', '');
+  } else {
+    return chatMessage;
+  }
+};
+
 export const normalizeChatMessage = (chatMessage: Record<string, any>) => {
   return ChatMessageRecord(
     ImmutableMap(fromJS(chatMessage)).withMutations(chatMessage => {
       normalizeMedia(chatMessage);
       normalizeChatMessageEmojiReaction(chatMessage);
+      fixContent(chatMessage);
     }),
   );
 };
diff --git a/app/soapbox/normalizers/status.ts b/app/soapbox/normalizers/status.ts
index 277defb8f..57e27806f 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/normalizers/status.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/normalizers/status.ts
@@ -205,6 +205,15 @@ const normalizeEvent = (status: ImmutableMap<string, any>) => {
   }
 };
 
+/** Rewrite `<p></p>` to empty string. */
+const fixContent = (status: ImmutableMap<string, any>) => {
+  if (status.get('content') === '<p></p>') {
+    return status.set('content', '');
+  } else {
+    return status;
+  }
+};
+
 export const normalizeStatus = (status: Record<string, any>) => {
   return StatusRecord(
     ImmutableMap(fromJS(status)).withMutations(status => {
@@ -219,6 +228,7 @@ export const normalizeStatus = (status: Record<string, any>) => {
       fixFiltered(status);
       fixSensitivity(status);
       normalizeEvent(status);
+      fixContent(status);
     }),
   );
 };