diff --git a/src/static/js/changesettracker.js b/src/static/js/changesettracker.js
index 94bc5071b..0a0ef9332 100644
--- a/src/static/js/changesettracker.js
+++ b/src/static/js/changesettracker.js
@@ -142,43 +142,42 @@ const makeChangesetTracker = (scheduler, apool, aceCallbacksProvider) => {
         // Sanitize authorship
         // We need to replace all author attribs with thisSession.author,
         // in case they copy/pasted or otherwise inserted other peoples changes
-        if (apool.numToAttrib) {
-          let authorAttr;
-          for (const attr in apool.numToAttrib) {
-            if (apool.numToAttrib[attr][0] === 'author' &&
-                apool.numToAttrib[attr][1] === authorId) {
-              authorAttr = Number(attr).toString(36);
-            }
+        let authorAttr;
+        for (const attr in apool.numToAttrib) {
+          if (apool.numToAttrib[attr][0] === 'author' &&
+              apool.numToAttrib[attr][1] === authorId) {
+            authorAttr = Number(attr).toString(36);
           }
-
-          // Replace all added 'author' attribs with the value of the current user
-          const cs = Changeset.unpack(userChangeset);
-          const iterator = Changeset.opIterator(cs.ops);
-          let op;
-          const assem = Changeset.mergingOpAssembler();
-
-          while (iterator.hasNext()) {
-            op = iterator.next();
-            if (op.opcode === '+') {
-              let newAttrs = '';
-
-              op.attribs.split('*').forEach((attrNum) => {
-                if (!attrNum) return;
-                const attr = apool.getAttrib(parseInt(attrNum, 36));
-                if (!attr) return;
-                if ('author' === attr[0]) {
-                  // replace that author with the current one
-                  newAttrs += `*${authorAttr}`;
-                } else { newAttrs += `*${attrNum}`; } // overtake all other attribs as is
-              });
-              op.attribs = newAttrs;
-            }
-            assem.append(op);
-          }
-          assem.endDocument();
-          userChangeset = Changeset.pack(cs.oldLen, cs.newLen, assem.toString(), cs.charBank);
-          Changeset.checkRep(userChangeset);
         }
+
+        // Replace all added 'author' attribs with the value of the current user
+        const cs = Changeset.unpack(userChangeset);
+        const iterator = Changeset.opIterator(cs.ops);
+        let op;
+        const assem = Changeset.mergingOpAssembler();
+
+        while (iterator.hasNext()) {
+          op = iterator.next();
+          if (op.opcode === '+') {
+            let newAttrs = '';
+
+            op.attribs.split('*').forEach((attrNum) => {
+              if (!attrNum) return;
+              const attr = apool.getAttrib(parseInt(attrNum, 36));
+              if (!attr) return;
+              if ('author' === attr[0]) {
+                // replace that author with the current one
+                newAttrs += `*${authorAttr}`;
+              } else { newAttrs += `*${attrNum}`; } // overtake all other attribs as is
+            });
+            op.attribs = newAttrs;
+          }
+          assem.append(op);
+        }
+        assem.endDocument();
+        userChangeset = Changeset.pack(cs.oldLen, cs.newLen, assem.toString(), cs.charBank);
+        Changeset.checkRep(userChangeset);
+
         if (Changeset.isIdentity(userChangeset)) toSubmit = null;
         else toSubmit = userChangeset;
       }