diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
index 04f13430f5..c5d66404ea 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php
@@ -1071,12 +1071,15 @@ class WP_User_Query {
 		if ( isset( $args['blog_id'] ) ) {
 			$blog_id = absint( $args['blog_id'] );
 		}
-		if ( ( $args['has_published_posts'] && $blog_id ) || in_array( 'post_count', $ordersby, true ) ) {
-			$switch = get_current_blog_id() !== $blog_id;
+
+		if ( $args['has_published_posts'] || in_array( 'post_count', $ordersby, true ) ) {
+			$switch = $blog_id && get_current_blog_id() !== $blog_id;
 			if ( $switch ) {
 				switch_to_blog( $blog_id );
 			}
+
 			$last_changed .= wp_cache_get_last_changed( 'posts' );
+
 			if ( $switch ) {
 				restore_current_blog();
 			}
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/queryCache.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/queryCache.php
index 91e84c4e01..d8d26286a7 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/queryCache.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/queryCache.php
@@ -778,4 +778,26 @@ class Tests_User_Query_Cache extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 
 		$this->assertSame( $cache_key_1, $cache_key_2, 'Cache key differs when using wpdb placeholder.' );
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Verifies that generate_cache_key() does not throw a fatal error for switch_to_blog()
+	 * with 'orderby' => 'post_count' and the deprecated 'who' => 'authors' parameter.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 59011
+	 * @covers ::generate_cache_key
+	 *
+	 * @expectedDeprecated WP_User_Query
+	 */
+	public function test_generate_cache_key_with_orderby_post_count_and_deprecated_who_parameter() {
+		$query = new WP_User_Query(
+			array(
+				'fields'  => 'ID',
+				'orderby' => 'post_count',
+				'order'   => 'DESC',
+				'who'     => 'authors',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $query->get_results() );
+	}
 }