diff --git src/bp-activity/bp-activity-functions.php src/bp-activity/bp-activity-functions.php
index 399faff7d..e8487a78f 100644
--- src/bp-activity/bp-activity-functions.php
+++ src/bp-activity/bp-activity-functions.php
@@ -2051,10 +2051,18 @@ function bp_activity_post_update( $args = '' ) {
 	);
 
 	if ( empty( $r['content'] ) || ! strlen( trim( $r['content'] ) ) ) {
+		if ( 'wp_error' === $r['error_type'] ) {
+			return new WP_Error( 'bp_activity_missing_content', __( 'Please enter some content to post.', 'buddypress' ) );
+		}
+
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	if ( bp_is_user_inactive( $r['user_id'] ) ) {
+		if ( 'wp_error' === $r['error_type'] ) {
+			return new WP_Error( 'bp_activity_inactive_user', __( 'User account has not yet been activated.', 'buddypress' ) );
+		}
+
 		return false;
 	}
 
diff --git tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/functions.php tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/functions.php
index d0176b853..4e1700f02 100644
--- tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/functions.php
+++ tests/phpunit/testcases/activity/functions.php
@@ -1456,6 +1456,19 @@ Bar!';
 		$this->assertFalse( bp_activity_post_update( array( 'user_id' => 3, ) ) );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @group bp_activity_post_update
+	 */
+	public function test_bp_activity_post_update_empty_content_wp_error() {
+		$activity = bp_activity_post_update( array(
+			'user_id'    => 3,
+			'error_type' => 'wp_error',
+		) );
+
+		$this->assertInstanceOf( 'WP_Error', $activity );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'bp_activity_missing_content', $activity->get_error_code() );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @group bp_activity_post_update
 	 */
@@ -1466,6 +1479,20 @@ Bar!';
 		) ) );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @group bp_activity_post_update
+	 */
+	public function test_bp_activity_post_update_inactive_user_wp_error() {
+		$activity = bp_activity_post_update( array(
+			'user_id'    => 3456,
+			'content'    => 'foo',
+			'error_type' => 'wp_error',
+		) );
+
+		$this->assertInstanceOf( 'WP_Error', $activity );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'bp_activity_inactive_user', $activity->get_error_code() );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @group bp_activity_post_update
 	 */