diff --git a/modules/webhooks/app/workers/represented_webhook_job.rb b/modules/webhooks/app/workers/represented_webhook_job.rb
index e56e6aec12c..c42db5e0c01 100644
--- a/modules/webhooks/app/workers/represented_webhook_job.rb
+++ b/modules/webhooks/app/workers/represented_webhook_job.rb
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@
 class RepresentedWebhookJob < WebhookJob
   attr_reader :resource
 
-  def perform(webhook_id, resource, event_name)
+  def perform(webhook_id, resource, event_name, actor: nil)
     @resource = resource
+    @actor = actor
     super(webhook_id, event_name)
 
     return unless accepted_in_project?
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@ class RepresentedWebhookJob < WebhookJob
   end
 
   def actor_payload
-    nil
+    return nil unless @actor
+
+    ::API::V3::Users::UserRepresenter.create(@actor, current_user: User.current)
   end
 end
diff --git a/modules/webhooks/app/workers/work_package_webhook_job.rb b/modules/webhooks/app/workers/work_package_webhook_job.rb
index 92312622479..04edb45a57e 100644
--- a/modules/webhooks/app/workers/work_package_webhook_job.rb
+++ b/modules/webhooks/app/workers/work_package_webhook_job.rb
@@ -29,14 +29,6 @@
 #++
 
 class WorkPackageWebhookJob < RepresentedWebhookJob
-  attr_reader :journal
-
-  def perform(webhook_id, journal, event_name)
-    @journal = journal
-    @resource = journal.journable
-    super(webhook_id, @resource, event_name)
-  end
-
   def payload_key
     :work_package
   end
@@ -44,11 +36,4 @@ class WorkPackageWebhookJob < RepresentedWebhookJob
   def payload_representer_class
     ::API::V3::WorkPackages::WorkPackageRepresenter
   end
-
-  def actor_payload
-    user = User.find_by(id: journal.user_id)
-    return nil unless user
-
-    ::API::V3::Users::UserRepresenter.create(user, current_user: User.current)
-  end
 end
diff --git a/modules/webhooks/lib/open_project/webhooks/event_resources/work_package.rb b/modules/webhooks/lib/open_project/webhooks/event_resources/work_package.rb
index 802ce5f44a5..4e1132b93f4 100644
--- a/modules/webhooks/lib/open_project/webhooks/event_resources/work_package.rb
+++ b/modules/webhooks/lib/open_project/webhooks/event_resources/work_package.rb
@@ -50,11 +50,13 @@ module OpenProject::Webhooks::EventResources
       protected
 
       def handle_notification(payload, event_name)
-        action = payload[:journal].initial? ? "created" : "updated"
+        journal = payload[:journal]
+        action = journal.initial? ? "created" : "updated"
         event_name = prefixed_event_name(action)
-        work_package = payload[:journal].journable
+        work_package = journal.journable
+        actor = User.find_by(id: journal.user_id)
         active_webhooks.with_event_name(event_name).pluck(:id).each do |id|
-          WorkPackageWebhookJob.perform_later(id, work_package, event_name)
+          WorkPackageWebhookJob.perform_later(id, work_package, event_name, actor:)
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/modules/webhooks/spec/workers/work_package_webhook_job_spec.rb b/modules/webhooks/spec/workers/work_package_webhook_job_spec.rb
index 51179708a80..85269ab78ce 100644
--- a/modules/webhooks/spec/workers/work_package_webhook_job_spec.rb
+++ b/modules/webhooks/spec/workers/work_package_webhook_job_spec.rb
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
   shared_let(:request_url) { "http://example.net/test/42" }
   shared_let(:work_package) { create(:work_package, subject: title) }
   shared_let(:webhook) { create(:webhook, all_projects: true, url: request_url, secret: nil) }
-  shared_let(:journal) { work_package.journals.first }
 
   shared_examples "a work package webhook call" do
     let(:event) { "work_package:created" }
-    let(:job) { described_class.perform_now webhook.id, journal, event }
+    let(:actor) { nil }
+    let(:job) { described_class.perform_now webhook.id, work_package, event, actor: }
 
     let(:stubbed_url) { request_url }
 
@@ -172,14 +172,15 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
     let(:author) { create(:user, firstname: "Original", lastname: "Author") }
     let(:updater) { create(:user, firstname: "Update", lastname: "User") }
     let(:work_package) { create(:work_package, author:, subject: title) }
-    let(:journal) do
+
+    before do
       work_package.add_journal(user: updater, notes: "Updated the work package")
       work_package.save!
-      work_package.journals.last
     end
 
     it_behaves_like "a work package webhook call" do
       let(:event) { "work_package:updated" }
+      let(:actor) { updater }
 
       it "includes actor matching the journal user, not the work package author" do
         subject
@@ -203,10 +204,10 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
   describe "actor field on created event" do
     let(:creator) { create(:user, firstname: "Creator", lastname: "Person") }
     let(:work_package) { User.execute_as(creator) { create(:work_package, author: creator, subject: title) } }
-    let(:journal) { work_package.journals.first }
 
     it_behaves_like "a work package webhook call" do
       let(:event) { "work_package:created" }
+      let(:actor) { creator }
 
       it "includes actor matching the creator" do
         subject
@@ -221,18 +222,10 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "actor absent when journal user has been deleted" do
-    let(:updater) { create(:user) }
-    let(:journal) do
-      work_package.add_journal(user: updater, notes: "Updated")
-      work_package.save!
-      work_package.journals.last
-    end
-
-    before { updater.destroy }
-
+  describe "actor absent when actor is nil" do
     it_behaves_like "a work package webhook call" do
       let(:event) { "work_package:updated" }
+      let(:actor) { nil }
 
       it "fires the webhook without an actor key" do
         expect { subject }.not_to raise_error
@@ -245,7 +238,7 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "admin custom field regression with journal (PR #16912)" do
+  describe "admin custom field regression with actor (PR #16912)" do
     shared_let(:project) { work_package.project }
     shared_let(:custom_field) do
       create(:project_custom_field, :string, admin_only: true, projects: [project])
@@ -257,14 +250,10 @@ RSpec.describe WorkPackageWebhookJob, :webmock, type: :model do
              value: "wat")
     end
     let(:updater) { create(:admin) }
-    let(:journal) do
-      work_package.add_journal(user: updater, notes: "Updated")
-      work_package.save!
-      work_package.journals.last
-    end
 
     it_behaves_like "a work package webhook call" do
       let(:event) { "work_package:updated" }
+      let(:actor) { updater }
 
       it "includes the custom field value" do
         subject