diff --git a/core/modules/content_translation/src/ContentTranslationMetadataWrapper.php b/core/modules/content_translation/src/ContentTranslationMetadataWrapper.php
index 76c3d2ddd4bdb51543cea2f719f38eb5f019bea0..1fd07c59c2298d3d8f64527a3e01f76488b5f2b7 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_translation/src/ContentTranslationMetadataWrapper.php
+++ b/core/modules/content_translation/src/ContentTranslationMetadataWrapper.php
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ public function getAuthor() {
    */
   public function setAuthor(UserInterface $account) {
     $field_name = $this->translation->hasField('content_translation_uid') ? 'content_translation_uid' : 'uid';
-    $this->setFieldOnlyIfTranslatable($field_name, $account->id());
+    if ($this->translation->hasField($field_name)) {
+      $this->setFieldOnlyIfTranslatable($field_name, $account->id());
+    }
     return $this;
   }