diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 2204c2e59..91e039080 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
   scope :local, where('people.owner_id IS NOT NULL')
 
   def self.featured_users
-    if AppConfig[:featured_users].present?
-      Person.where(:diaspora_handle => AppConfig[:featured_users])
-    end
+    AppConfig[:featured_users].present? ? Person.where(:diaspora_handle => AppConfig[:featured_users]) : []
   end
   
   def self.search_query_string(query)
diff --git a/spec/models/person_spec.rb b/spec/models/person_spec.rb
index 18818097a..3590e5763 100644
--- a/spec/models/person_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/person_spec.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ describe Person do
 
   before do
     @user = bob
-    @person  = Factory.create(:person)
+    @person = Factory.create(:person)
   end
 
   context 'scopes' do
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ describe Person do
     end
 
     it "deletes all of a person's posts upon person deletion" do
-      lambda {@deleter.destroy}.should change(Post, :count).by(-1)
+      lambda { @deleter.destroy }.should change(Post, :count).by(-1)
     end
 
     it "deletes a person's profile" do
@@ -156,30 +156,30 @@ describe Person do
     end
 
     it "deletes a person's comments on person deletion" do
-      Factory.create(:comment, :author_id => @deleter.id, :diaspora_handle => @deleter.diaspora_handle, :text => "i love you",     :post => @other_status)
-      Factory.create(:comment, :author_id => @person.id,:diaspora_handle => @person.diaspora_handle,  :text => "you are creepy", :post => @other_status)
+      Factory.create(:comment, :author_id => @deleter.id, :diaspora_handle => @deleter.diaspora_handle, :text => "i love you", :post => @other_status)
+      Factory.create(:comment, :author_id => @person.id, :diaspora_handle => @person.diaspora_handle, :text => "you are creepy", :post => @other_status)
 
-      lambda {@deleter.destroy}.should change(Comment, :count).by(-1)
+      lambda { @deleter.destroy }.should change(Comment, :count).by(-1)
     end
   end
 
   describe "disconnecting" do
     before do
-      @user2   = Factory(:user)
-      @aspect  = @user.aspects.create(:name => "Dudes")
+      @user2 = Factory(:user)
+      @aspect = @user.aspects.create(:name => "Dudes")
       @aspect2 = @user2.aspects.create(:name => "Abscence of Babes")
     end
     it 'should not delete an orphaned contact' do
       @user.contacts.create(:person => @person, :aspects => [@aspect])
 
-      lambda {@user.disconnect(@user.contact_for(@person))}.should_not change(Person, :count)
+      lambda { @user.disconnect(@user.contact_for(@person)) }.should_not change(Person, :count)
     end
 
     it 'should not delete an un-orphaned contact' do
       @user.contacts.create(:person => @person, :aspects => [@aspect])
       @user2.contacts.create(:person => @person, :aspects => [@aspect2])
 
-      lambda {@user.disconnect(@user.contact_for(@person))}.should_not change(Person, :count)
+      lambda { @user.disconnect(@user.contact_for(@person)) }.should_not change(Person, :count)
     end
   end
 
@@ -198,22 +198,22 @@ describe Person do
       @casey_grippi = Factory.create(:searchable_person)
 
       @robert_grimm.profile.first_name = "Robert"
-      @robert_grimm.profile.last_name  = "Grimm"
+      @robert_grimm.profile.last_name = "Grimm"
       @robert_grimm.profile.save
       @robert_grimm.reload
 
       @eugene_weinstein.profile.first_name = "Eugene"
-      @eugene_weinstein.profile.last_name  = "Weinstein"
+      @eugene_weinstein.profile.last_name = "Weinstein"
       @eugene_weinstein.profile.save
       @eugene_weinstein.reload
 
       @yevgeniy_dodis.profile.first_name = "Yevgeniy"
-      @yevgeniy_dodis.profile.last_name  = "Dodis"
+      @yevgeniy_dodis.profile.last_name = "Dodis"
       @yevgeniy_dodis.profile.save
       @yevgeniy_dodis.reload
 
       @casey_grippi.profile.first_name = "Casey"
-      @casey_grippi.profile.last_name  = "Grippi"
+      @casey_grippi.profile.last_name = "Grippi"
       @casey_grippi.profile.save
       @casey_grippi.reload
     end
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ describe Person do
       @casey_grippi.profile.save
 
       people = Person.search("AAA", @user)
-      people.map{|p| p.name}.should == [@yevgeniy_dodis, @robert_grimm, @casey_grippi, @eugene_weinstein].map{|p|p.name}
+      people.map { |p| p.name }.should == [@yevgeniy_dodis, @robert_grimm, @casey_grippi, @eugene_weinstein].map { |p| p.name }
     end
 
     it 'should return nothing on an empty query' do
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ describe Person do
     end
 
     it 'only displays searchable people' do
-      invisible_person = Factory(:person, :profile => Factory.build(:profile,:searchable => false, :first_name => "johnson"))
+      invisible_person = Factory(:person, :profile => Factory.build(:profile, :searchable => false, :first_name => "johnson"))
       Person.search("johnson", @user).should_not include invisible_person
       Person.search("", @user).should_not include invisible_person
     end
@@ -292,13 +292,13 @@ describe Person do
       @user.contacts.create(:person => @casey_grippi, :aspects => [@user.aspects.first])
 
       people = Person.search("AAA", @user)
-      people.map{|p| p.name}.should == [@casey_grippi, @yevgeniy_dodis, @robert_grimm, @eugene_weinstein].map{|p|p.name}
+      people.map { |p| p.name }.should == [@casey_grippi, @yevgeniy_dodis, @robert_grimm, @eugene_weinstein].map { |p| p.name }
     end
   end
 
   context 'people finders for webfinger' do
-    let(:user) {Factory(:user)}
-    let(:person) {Factory(:person)}
+    let(:user) { Factory(:user) }
+    let(:person) { Factory(:person) }
 
     describe '.by_account_identifier' do
       it 'should find a local users person' do
@@ -387,10 +387,22 @@ describe Person do
     end
     it 'return tags if asked' do
       @person.as_json(:includes => "tags").
-        should == @person.as_json.merge(:tags =>  @person.profile.tags.map{|t| "##{t.name}"})
+        should == @person.as_json.merge(:tags => @person.profile.tags.map { |t| "##{t.name}" })
     end
   end
 
   describe '.featured_users' do
+    describe "when the pod owner hasn't set up any featured users" do
+      before do
+        @existing_featured_users = AppConfig[:featured_users]
+        AppConfig[:featured_users] = nil
+      end
+      after do
+        AppConfig[:featured_users] = @existing_featured_users
+      end
+      it "returns an empty array" do
+        Person.featured_users.should == []
+      end
+    end
   end
 end