diff --git a/src/Lib/Activity.php b/src/Lib/Activity.php
index c4c1c03f2..717479d24 100644
--- a/src/Lib/Activity.php
+++ b/src/Lib/Activity.php
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ class Activity
 {
     public const ACTOR_CACHE_DAYS = 3;
 
-    // Turn $element into an array if it isn't already.
+    // Turn $element into a list array if it isn't already. $element could be string or complex AS object
     public static function force_array($element) {
         if (empty($element)) {
             return [];
         }
-        return (is_array($element)) ? $element : [$element];
+        return (is_array($element) && array_is_list($element)) ? $element : [$element];
     }
 
     // $x (string|array)
@@ -480,11 +480,7 @@ class Activity
 
         $ret = [];
         if (array_key_exists('tag', $item) && is_array($item['tag'])) {
-            $ptr = $item['tag'];
-            if (!array_key_exists(0, $ptr)) {
-                $ptr = [$ptr];
-            }
-
+            $ptr = self::force_array($item['tag']);
             foreach ($ptr as $t) {
                 if (!is_array($t)) {
                     continue;
@@ -690,11 +686,11 @@ class Activity
         $ret = [];
 
         if (isset($item['attachment']) && is_array($item['attachment']) && $item['attachment']) {
-            $ptr = $item['attachment'];
-            if (!array_key_exists(0, $ptr)) {
-                $ptr = [$ptr];
-            }
+            $ptr = self::force_array($item['attachment']);
             foreach ($ptr as $att) {
+                if (! is_array($att)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 $entry = [];
                 if ($att['type'] === 'Note') {
                     if (array_key_exists('name', $att) && $att['name']) {
@@ -2356,9 +2352,7 @@ class Activity
                     $cover_photo = $ptr;
                 }
                 else {
-                    if (! array_key_exists(0, $ptr)) {
-                        $ptr = [$ptr];
-                    }
+                    $ptr = self::force_array($ptr);
                     foreach ($ptr as $p) {
                         if (isset($p['type']) && $p['type'] === 'Link' && isset($p['href'])) {
                             $cover_photo = $ptr['href'];
diff --git a/src/Lib/ActivityStreams.php b/src/Lib/ActivityStreams.php
index 97e73b6ae..daf27e46c 100644
--- a/src/Lib/ActivityStreams.php
+++ b/src/Lib/ActivityStreams.php
@@ -433,11 +433,11 @@ class ActivityStreams
      * @param string $property
      * @param mixed $base
      * @param string $namespace (optional) default empty
-     * @param bool $first (optional) default false, if true and result is a sequential array return only the first element
+     * @param bool $getFirst (optional) default false, if true and result is a sequential array return only the first element
      * @return NULL|mixed
      */
 
-    public function get_compound_property(string $property, mixed $base = '', string $namespace = '', bool $first = false): mixed
+    public function get_compound_property(string $property, mixed $base = '', string $namespace = '', bool $getFirst = false): mixed
     {
         $x = $this->get_property_obj($property, $base, $namespace);
         if (self::is_url($x)) {
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ class ActivityStreams
             }
         }
 
-        if ($first && is_array($x) && array_key_exists(0, $x)) {
+        if ($getFirst && is_array($x) && array_is_list($x)) {
             return $x[0];
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Lib/BaseObject.php b/src/Lib/BaseObject.php
index 7f16f3c71..96bb552b0 100644
--- a/src/Lib/BaseObject.php
+++ b/src/Lib/BaseObject.php
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class BaseObject
             return 'string';
         }
         if (is_array($object[$element])) {
-            if (array_key_exists(0, $object[$element])
+            if (array_is_list($object[$element])
                 || empty($object[$element])) {
                 return 'array';
             } else {