diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index 3e034ed6d..157bee633 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 * Fix recipient prefill on contacts and profile page [#7599](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/7599)
 * Display likes and reshares without login [#7583](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/7583)
 * Fix invalid data in the database for user data export [#7614](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/7614)
+* Fix local migration run without old private key [#7558](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/7558)
 
 ## Features
 * Ask for confirmation when leaving a submittable comment field [#7530](https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/pull/7530)
diff --git a/app/models/account_migration.rb b/app/models/account_migration.rb
index 266ab521e..ced82ace7 100644
--- a/app/models/account_migration.rb
+++ b/app/models/account_migration.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class AccountMigration < ApplicationRecord
   # executes a migration plan according to this AccountMigration object
   def perform!
     raise "already performed" if performed?
+    validate_sender if locally_initiated?
 
     ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
       account_deleter.tombstone_person_and_profile
@@ -115,6 +116,10 @@ class AccountMigration < ApplicationRecord
     EphemeralUser.new(old_person.diaspora_handle, old_private_key)
   end
 
+  def validate_sender
+    sender # sender method raises exception when sender can't be instantiated
+  end
+
   def update_all_references
     update_person_references
     update_user_references if user_changed_id_locally?
diff --git a/spec/models/account_migration_spec.rb b/spec/models/account_migration_spec.rb
index 02b79dde5..2121a5a7a 100644
--- a/spec/models/account_migration_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/account_migration_spec.rb
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ describe AccountMigration, type: :model do
       include_context "with local new user"
 
       it "dispatches account migration message" do
-        expect(account_migration).to receive(:sender).and_return(old_user)
+        expect(account_migration).to receive(:sender).twice.and_return(old_user)
         dispatcher = double
         expect(dispatcher).to receive(:dispatch)
         expect(Diaspora::Federation::Dispatcher).to receive(:build)
@@ -135,6 +135,14 @@ describe AccountMigration, type: :model do
           .and_return(dispatcher)
         account_migration.perform!
       end
+
+      it "doesn't run migration if old key is not provided" do
+        expect(embedded_account_deleter).not_to receive(:tombstone_person_and_profile)
+
+        expect {
+          account_migration.perform!
+        }.to raise_error "can't build sender without old private key defined"
+      end
     end
 
     context "with local old and new users" do