diff --git a/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/util.py b/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/util.py
index cb0269d..1ab17c6 100644
--- a/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/util.py
+++ b/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/util.py
@@ -49,9 +49,10 @@ def createPost(newsgroup, ref, form, files):
     msg["Subject"] = form["subject"] or "None"
     msg['Date'] = email.utils.format_datetime(datetime.now())
     msg['Message-ID'] = email.utils.make_msgid(randstr(13), settings.FRONTEND_NAME)
-    if not msgid_valid(ref):
+    if ref and not msgid_valid(ref):
         return None, "invalid reference: {}".format(ref)
-    msg["References"] = ref
+    if ref:
+        msg["References"] = ref
     msg["Newsgroups"] = newsgroup
     msg["From"] = '{} <anon@django.nntpchan.tld>'.format(form['name'] or 'Anonymous')
     if 'attachment' in files:
diff --git a/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/views.py b/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/views.py
index 56ab2da..869b0c8 100644
--- a/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/views.py
+++ b/contrib/frontends/django/nntpchan/nntpchan/frontend/views.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class BoardView(generic.View, Postable):
         name = 'overchan.{}'.format(name)
         if not util.newsgroup_valid(name):
             return None, "invalid newsgroup: {}".format(name)
-        return util.createPost(name, '', request.POST, request.FILES)
+        return util.createPost(name, None, request.POST, request.FILES)
 
     
     def get(self, request, name):