diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger.rb
index 28c7f01..30cb9ce 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       # @!attribute [r] alias_url
       #   @note could be nil
       #   @return [String] link to the users profile
-      property :alias_url, :string
+      property :alias_url, :string, default: nil
 
       # @!attribute [r] hcard_url
       #   @return [String] link to the +hCard+
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
 
       # @!attribute [r] profile_url
       #   @return [String] link to the users profile
-      property :profile_url, :string
+      property :profile_url, :string, default: nil
 
       # @!attribute [r] atom_url
       #   This atom feed is an Activity Stream of the user's public posts. diaspora*
@@ -61,18 +61,18 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       #   Note that this feed MAY also be made available through the PubSubHubbub
       #   mechanism by supplying a <link rel="hub"> in the atom feed itself.
       #   @return [String] atom feed url
-      property :atom_url, :string
+      property :atom_url, :string, default: nil
 
       # @!attribute [r] salmon_url
       #   @note could be nil
       #   @return [String] salmon endpoint url
       #   @see https://cdn.rawgit.com/salmon-protocol/salmon-protocol/master/draft-panzer-salmon-00.html#SMLR
       #     Panzer draft for Salmon, paragraph 3.3
-      property :salmon_url, :string
+      property :salmon_url, :string, default: nil
 
       # @!attribute [r] subscribe_url
       #   This url is used to find another user on the home-pod of the user in the webfinger.
-      property :subscribe_url, :string
+      property :subscribe_url, :string, default: nil
 
       # +hcard_url+ link relation
       REL_HCARD = "http://microformats.org/profile/hcard".freeze
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       # @return [String] XML string
       def to_xml
         doc = XrdDocument.new
-        doc.subject = @acct_uri
-        doc.aliases << @alias_url
+        doc.subject = acct_uri
+        doc.aliases << alias_url
 
         add_links_to(doc)
 
@@ -147,14 +147,18 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       end
 
       def add_links_to(doc)
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_HCARD, type: "text/html", href: @hcard_url}
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_SEED, type: "text/html", href: @seed_url}
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_HCARD, type: "text/html", href: hcard_url}
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_SEED, type: "text/html", href: seed_url}
 
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_PROFILE, type: "text/html", href: @profile_url}
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_ATOM, type: "application/atom+xml", href: @atom_url}
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_SALMON, href: @salmon_url}
+        add_optional_links_to(doc)
+      end
 
-        doc.links << {rel: REL_SUBSCRIBE, template: @subscribe_url}
+      def add_optional_links_to(doc)
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_PROFILE, type: "text/html", href: profile_url} if profile_url
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_ATOM, type: "application/atom+xml", href: atom_url} if atom_url
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_SALMON, href: salmon_url} if salmon_url
+
+        doc.links << {rel: REL_SUBSCRIBE, template: subscribe_url} if subscribe_url
       end
 
       private_class_method def self.find_link(links, rel)
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
index 15d92e6..afdca7d 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/web_finger_spec.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ module DiasporaFederation
   <Link rel="salmon" href="#{person.salmon_url}"/>
   <Link rel="http://ostatus.org/schema/1.0/subscribe" template="#{person.subscribe_url}"/>
 </XRD>
+XML
+
+    let(:minimal_xml) { <<-XML }
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<XRD xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/ns/xri/xrd-1.0">
+  <Subject>#{acct}</Subject>
+  <Link rel="http://microformats.org/profile/hcard" type="text/html" href="#{person.hcard_url}"/>
+  <Link rel="http://joindiaspora.com/seed_location" type="text/html" href="#{person.url}"/>
+</XRD>
 XML
 
     let(:string) { "WebFinger:#{data[:acct_uri]}" }
@@ -40,6 +49,15 @@ XML
         wf = Discovery::WebFinger.new(data)
         expect(wf.to_xml).to eq(xml)
       end
+
+      it "creates minimal XML document" do
+        wf = Discovery::WebFinger.new(
+          acct_uri:  "acct:#{person.diaspora_id}",
+          hcard_url: person.hcard_url,
+          seed_url:  person.url
+        )
+        expect(wf.to_xml).to eq(minimal_xml)
+      end
     end
 
     context "parsing" do
@@ -56,14 +74,6 @@ XML
       end
 
       it "reads minimal xml" do
-        minimal_xml = <<-XML
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<XRD xmlns="http://docs.oasis-open.org/ns/xri/xrd-1.0">
-  <Subject>#{acct}</Subject>
-  <Link rel="http://microformats.org/profile/hcard" type="text/html" href="#{person.hcard_url}"/>
-  <Link rel="http://joindiaspora.com/seed_location" type="text/html" href="#{person.url}"/>
-</XRD>
-XML
         wf = Discovery::WebFinger.from_xml(minimal_xml)
         expect(wf.acct_uri).to eq(acct)
         expect(wf.hcard_url).to eq(person.hcard_url)