diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 83549d208816d0b59dc1b062ed3bd7e120bdf58e..ee17959800d67f2bad9f40ed3da4cea27728d09a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -419,9 +419,6 @@ def show_merge_request
 
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html do
-        # use next to appease Rubocop
-        next render('invalid') if target_branch_missing?
-
         render_html_page
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
index b9684f31052447c3475625446da1662edf5d8d16..8627369a30b69e6c669ce36e11b9428e45dba26b 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller_spec.rb
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ def go(extra_params = {})
           go(format: :html)
 
           expect(response).to be_successful
+          expect(response).not_to render_template('projects/merge_requests/invalid')
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/support/shared_examples/requests/user_activity_shared_examples.rb b/spec/support/shared_examples/requests/user_activity_shared_examples.rb
index 323f42c84358729e4a7266e46eb423cd326e2630..133a8c3ef5af962470c958630399325a570462e5 100644
--- a/spec/support/shared_examples/requests/user_activity_shared_examples.rb
+++ b/spec/support/shared_examples/requests/user_activity_shared_examples.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 RSpec.shared_examples 'updating of user activity' do |paths_to_visit|
-  let(:user) { create(:user, last_activity_on: nil) }
+  let(:user) { create(:user, :with_namespace, last_activity_on: nil) }
 
   before do
     group = create(:group, name: 'group')