diff --git a/fluxer_api/src/api/user/services/UserChannelService.ts b/fluxer_api/src/api/user/services/UserChannelService.ts
index a89f12bad..abed71305 100644
--- a/fluxer_api/src/api/user/services/UserChannelService.ts
+++ b/fluxer_api/src/api/user/services/UserChannelService.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {requireEmailVerified} from '../../auth/EmailVerificationUtils';
 import type {ChannelID, UserID} from '../../BrandedTypes';
 import {createChannelID, createMessageID, createUserID} from '../../BrandedTypes';
 import {mapChannelToResponse} from '../../channel/ChannelMappers';
+import {SYSTEM_USER_ID} from '../../constants/Core';
 import type {IChannelRepository} from '../../channel/IChannelRepository';
 import type {ChannelService} from '../../channel/services/ChannelService';
 import {dispatchMessageCreateBroadcast} from '../../channel/services/message/MessageGatewayDispatch';
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ export class UserChannelService {
 				requestCache,
 			});
 		}
-		if (!data.recipient_id) {
+		if (data.recipient_id == null) {
 			throw InputValidationError.fromCode('recipient_id', ValidationErrorCodes.RECIPIENT_IDS_CANNOT_BE_EMPTY);
 		}
 		const recipientId = createUserID(data.recipient_id);
@@ -179,6 +180,9 @@ export class UserChannelService {
 		}
 		const targetUser = await this.userRepository.findUnique(recipientId);
 		if (!targetUser) throw new UnknownUserError();
+		if (recipientId === SYSTEM_USER_ID) {
+			return await this.createNewDMChannel({userId, recipientId, userCacheService, requestCache});
+		}
 		await this.validateNewDmAllowed({sender: callingUser, recipient: targetUser});
 		const channel = await this.createNewDMChannel({userId, recipientId, userCacheService, requestCache});
 		return channel;
diff --git a/fluxer_api/src/api/user/tests/UserChannelService.test.ts b/fluxer_api/src/api/user/tests/UserChannelService.test.ts
index 5c38e3c8b..8bb522025 100644
--- a/fluxer_api/src/api/user/tests/UserChannelService.test.ts
+++ b/fluxer_api/src/api/user/tests/UserChannelService.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
+import {FLUXERBOT_ID} from '@fluxer/constants/src/AppConstants';
 import {ChannelTypes} from '@fluxer/constants/src/ChannelConstants';
 import {UserFlags} from '@fluxer/constants/src/UserConstants';
 import {afterAll, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, test} from 'vitest';
@@ -13,10 +14,14 @@ import {
 	createFriendship,
 	createGroupDmChannel,
 	createGuild,
+	deleteChannel,
 	getChannel,
 	type MinimalChannelResponse,
 	sendChannelMessage,
 } from '../../channel/tests/ChannelTestUtils';
+import {createChannelID, createUserID} from '../../BrandedTypes';
+import {SYSTEM_USER_ID} from '../../constants/Core';
+import {UserRepository} from '../../user/repositories/UserRepository';
 import {ensureSessionStarted} from '../../message/tests/MessageTestUtils';
 import {type ApiTestHarness, createApiTestHarness} from '../../test/ApiTestHarness';
 import {HTTP_STATUS} from '../../test/TestConstants';
@@ -149,6 +154,32 @@ describe('UserChannelService', () => {
 			const channel2 = await createDmChannel(harness, user1.token, user2.userId);
 			expect(channel2.id).toBe(channel1.id);
 		});
+		test('reopening closed system user DM accepts recipient_id 0', async () => {
+			const user = await createTestAccount(harness);
+			const userId = createUserID(BigInt(user.userId));
+			const channelId = createChannelID(1000000000000000001n);
+			const userRepository = new UserRepository();
+			const channel = await userRepository.createDmChannelAndState(userId, SYSTEM_USER_ID, channelId);
+			await userRepository.openPrivateChannelForUser(userId, channel);
+			await deleteChannel(harness, user.token, channelId.toString());
+			const reopened = await createBuilder<MinimalChannelResponse>(harness, user.token)
+				.post('/users/@me/channels')
+				.body({recipient_id: FLUXERBOT_ID})
+				.expect(HTTP_STATUS.OK)
+				.execute();
+			expect(reopened.id).toBe(channelId.toString());
+			expect(reopened.type).toBe(ChannelTypes.DM);
+		});
+		test('can create new system user DM without friendship or mutual guilds', async () => {
+			const user = await createTestAccount(harness);
+			const channel = await createBuilder<MinimalChannelResponse>(harness, user.token)
+				.post('/users/@me/channels')
+				.body({recipient_id: FLUXERBOT_ID})
+				.expect(HTTP_STATUS.OK)
+				.execute();
+			expect(channel.id).toBeDefined();
+			expect(channel.type).toBe(ChannelTypes.DM);
+		});
 	});
 	describe('Group DM creation', () => {
 		test('can create group DM with friends', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/domains/tests/UserRequestSchemas.test.ts b/packages/schema/src/domains/tests/UserRequestSchemas.test.ts
index 34ecdc757..06efd8ca0 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/domains/tests/UserRequestSchemas.test.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/domains/tests/UserRequestSchemas.test.ts
@@ -79,4 +79,11 @@ describe('CreatePrivateChannelRequest', () => {
 		);
 		expect(CreatePrivateChannelRequest.safeParse({recipients}).success).toBe(false);
 	});
+	it('allows DM requests to the system user id 0', () => {
+		const parsed = CreatePrivateChannelRequest.safeParse({recipient_id: '0'});
+		expect(parsed.success).toBe(true);
+		if (parsed.success) {
+			expect(parsed.data.recipient_id).toBe(0n);
+		}
+	});
 });
diff --git a/packages/schema/src/domains/user/UserRequestSchemas.ts b/packages/schema/src/domains/user/UserRequestSchemas.ts
index f8ad42dae..6887174e9 100644
--- a/packages/schema/src/domains/user/UserRequestSchemas.ts
+++ b/packages/schema/src/domains/user/UserRequestSchemas.ts
@@ -272,9 +272,13 @@ export const CreatePrivateChannelRequest = z
 			.optional()
 			.describe(`Array of user IDs for creating a group DM (max ${MAX_GROUP_DM_OTHER_RECIPIENTS})`),
 	})
-	.refine((data) => (data.recipient_id && !data.recipients) || (!data.recipient_id && data.recipients), {
-		message: 'Either recipient_id or recipients must be provided, but not both',
-	});
+	.refine(
+		(data) =>
+			(data.recipient_id != null && data.recipients == null) || (data.recipient_id == null && data.recipients != null),
+		{
+			message: 'Either recipient_id or recipients must be provided, but not both',
+		},
+	);
 
 export type CreatePrivateChannelRequest = z.infer<typeof CreatePrivateChannelRequest>;