diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserStatisticsWatcher.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserStatisticsWatcher.cs
index c91dfe9eb7..d410b7f3a4 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserStatisticsWatcher.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserStatisticsWatcher.cs
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Online
 
             AddStep("signal score processed", () => ((ISpectatorClient)spectatorClient).UserScoreProcessed(userId, scoreId));
             AddUntilStep("update received", () => update != null);
-            AddAssert("statistics values are correct", () => dummyAPI.LocalUser.Value.Statistics.TotalScore, () => Is.EqualTo(5_000_000));
+            AddAssert("statistics values are correct", () => statisticsProvider.GetStatisticsFor(ruleset)!.TotalScore, () => Is.EqualTo(5_000_000));
         }
 
         private int nextUserId = 2000;
diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/SongSelect/TestSceneBeatmapRecommendations.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/SongSelect/TestSceneBeatmapRecommendations.cs
index 66862e1b78..d5b0b3b1b0 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/SongSelect/TestSceneBeatmapRecommendations.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/SongSelect/TestSceneBeatmapRecommendations.cs
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Linq;
 using NUnit.Framework;
-using osu.Framework.Allocation;
-using osu.Framework.Extensions.IEnumerableExtensions;
 using osu.Framework.Platform;
 using osu.Framework.Testing;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Database;
 using osu.Game.Extensions;
 using osu.Game.Online.API;
+using osu.Game.Online.API.Requests;
+using osu.Game.Online.API.Requests.Responses;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Catch;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mania;
@@ -28,25 +28,31 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.SongSelect
 {
     public partial class TestSceneBeatmapRecommendations : OsuGameTestScene
     {
-        [Resolved]
-        private IRulesetStore rulesetStore { get; set; }
-
         [SetUpSteps]
         public override void SetUpSteps()
         {
             AddStep("populate ruleset statistics", () =>
             {
-                Dictionary<string, UserStatistics> rulesetStatistics = new Dictionary<string, UserStatistics>();
-
-                rulesetStore.AvailableRulesets.Where(ruleset => ruleset.IsLegacyRuleset()).ForEach(rulesetInfo =>
+                ((DummyAPIAccess)API).HandleRequest += r =>
                 {
-                    rulesetStatistics[rulesetInfo.ShortName] = new UserStatistics
+                    switch (r)
                     {
-                        PP = getNecessaryPP(rulesetInfo.OnlineID)
-                    };
-                });
+                        case GetUserRequest userRequest:
+                            userRequest.TriggerSuccess(new APIUser
+                            {
+                                Id = 99,
+                                Statistics = new UserStatistics
+                                {
+                                    PP = getNecessaryPP(userRequest.Ruleset?.OnlineID ?? 0)
+                                }
+                            });
 
-                API.LocalUser.Value.RulesetsStatistics = rulesetStatistics;
+                            return true;
+
+                        default:
+                            return false;
+                    }
+                };
             });
 
             decimal getNecessaryPP(int? rulesetID)
diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/DifficultyRecommender.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/DifficultyRecommender.cs
index 4d883e5327..0c75f19658 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/DifficultyRecommender.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/DifficultyRecommender.cs
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
             statisticsUpdate = statisticsProvider.StatisticsUpdate.GetBoundCopy();
             statisticsUpdate.BindValueChanged(u =>
             {
+                if (u.NewValue == null)
+                    return;
+
                 // algorithm taken from https://github.com/ppy/osu-web/blob/e6e2825516449e3d0f3f5e1852c6bdd3428c3437/app/Models/User.php#L1505
                 recommendedDifficultyMapping[u.NewValue.Ruleset.ShortName] = Math.Pow((double)(u.NewValue.NewStatistics.PP ?? 0), 0.4) * 0.195;
             }, true);
diff --git a/osu.Game/Online/API/Requests/Responses/APIUser.cs b/osu.Game/Online/API/Requests/Responses/APIUser.cs
index 452b5f7654..a829484506 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Online/API/Requests/Responses/APIUser.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Online/API/Requests/Responses/APIUser.cs
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API.Requests.Responses
         [JsonProperty(@"statistics")]
         public UserStatistics Statistics
         {
-            get => statistics;
+            get => statistics ??= new UserStatistics();
             set
             {
                 if (statistics != null)
@@ -244,11 +244,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API.Requests.Responses
         [JsonProperty(@"rank_history")]
         private APIRankHistory rankHistory
         {
-            set
-            {
-                statistics ??= new UserStatistics();
-                statistics.RankHistory = value;
-            }
+            set => Statistics.RankHistory = value;
         }
 
         [JsonProperty(@"active_tournament_banners")]