diff --git a/inc/common.php b/inc/common.php
index 297c363559ba42259e0d5b6d1cb2122eb9b5ffda..c18f436685bbaf8dce4c06c08a29f57e5a612bbb 100644
--- a/inc/common.php
+++ b/inc/common.php
@@ -1429,7 +1429,7 @@ function editorinfo($username) {
  *
  * @triggers COMMON_USER_LINK
  */
-function userinfo($username = false) {
+function userinfo($username = null) {
     global $conf, $INFO;
     /** @var DokuWiki_Auth_Plugin $auth */
     global $auth;
@@ -1450,7 +1450,7 @@ function userinfo($username = false) {
         ),
         'userinfo' => ''
     );
-    if($username === false) {
+    if($username === null) {
         $data['username'] = $username = $_SERVER['REMOTE_USER'];
         $data['name'] = '<bdi>'.hsc($INFO['userinfo']['name']).'</bdi> (<bdi>'.hsc($_SERVER['REMOTE_USER']).'</bdi>)';
     }