diff --git a/h/security/policy/_cookie.py b/h/security/policy/_cookie.py
index 24d7d877c26..5f4c53969a4 100644
--- a/h/security/policy/_cookie.py
+++ b/h/security/policy/_cookie.py
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ def identity(self, request):
 
         userid, ticket_id = self._get_cookie_value()
 
-        if not ticket_id:
-            return None
-
         user = request.find_service(AuthTicketService).verify_ticket(userid, ticket_id)
 
         if (not user) or user.deleted:
diff --git a/h/services/auth_ticket.py b/h/services/auth_ticket.py
index 4685e287ae0..bdd4f8ec8de 100644
--- a/h/services/auth_ticket.py
+++ b/h/services/auth_ticket.py
@@ -18,13 +18,12 @@ def __init__(self, session, user_service):
         self._user_service = user_service
         self._user = None
 
-    def verify_ticket(self, userid: str, ticket_id: str) -> User | None:
+    def verify_ticket(self, userid: str | None, ticket_id: str | None) -> User | None:
         """
         Return the User object matching the given userid and ticket_id, or None.
 
         Verify that there is an unexpired AuthTicket in the DB matching the
-        given `userid` and `ticket_id` and if so return the User corresponding
-        User object.
+        given `userid` and `ticket_id` and if so return the corresponding User.
         """
 
         if self._user:
diff --git a/tests/unit/h/security/policy/_cookie_test.py b/tests/unit/h/security/policy/_cookie_test.py
index ae79ca76294..ff2d2dd2ee4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/h/security/policy/_cookie_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/h/security/policy/_cookie_test.py
@@ -21,13 +21,6 @@ def test_identity(self, pyramid_request, auth_ticket_service, cookie_policy, use
             user=auth_ticket_service.verify_ticket.return_value
         )
 
-    def test_identity_when_no_ticket_in_cookie(
-        self, cookie, cookie_policy, pyramid_request
-    ):
-        cookie.get_value.return_value = None
-
-        assert cookie_policy.identity(pyramid_request) is None
-
     def test_identity_when_user_marked_as_deleted(
         self, pyramid_request, auth_ticket_service, cookie_policy
     ):
diff --git a/tests/unit/h/services/auth_ticket_test.py b/tests/unit/h/services/auth_ticket_test.py
index ac7f245a0ad..5674d849106 100644
--- a/tests/unit/h/services/auth_ticket_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/h/services/auth_ticket_test.py
@@ -31,9 +31,19 @@ def test_verify_ticket_short_circuits_if_user_cache_is_set(self, service):
             service.verify_ticket(sentinel.userid, sentinel.ticket_id) == service._user
         )
 
-    def test_verify_ticket_returns_None_if_there_is_no_ticket(self, service, user):
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures("auth_ticket")
+    def test_verify_ticket_returns_None_if_theres_no_matching_ticket(
+        self, service, user
+    ):
         assert service.verify_ticket(user.userid, ticket_id="does_not_exist") is None
 
+    def test_verify_ticket_when_theres_no_userid(self, service, auth_ticket):
+        assert service.verify_ticket(None, ticket_id=auth_ticket.id) is None
+
+    @pytest.mark.usefixtures("auth_ticket")
+    def test_verify_ticket_when_theres_no_ticket_id(self, service, user):
+        assert service.verify_ticket(user.userid, ticket_id=None) is None
+
     def test_verify_ticket_returns_None_if_the_ticket_has_expired(
         self, service, auth_ticket
     ):