diff --git a/skrub/_joiner.py b/skrub/_joiner.py
index 5cf06b569..2b6eb9ea8 100644
--- a/skrub/_joiner.py
+++ b/skrub/_joiner.py
@@ -334,13 +334,8 @@ def transform(self, X, y=None):
         _join_utils.check_column_name_duplicates(
             X, self._aux_table, self.suffix, main_table_name="X"
         )
-        main = self.vectorizer_.transform(
-            _compat_df(
-                sbd.set_column_names(
-                    s.select(X, s.cols(*self._main_key)), self._aux_key
-                )
-            )
-        )
+        main = sbd.set_column_names(s.select(X, s.cols(*self._main_key)), self._aux_key)
+        main = self.vectorizer_.transform(_compat_df(main))
         match_result = self._matching.match(main, self.max_dist_)
         matching_col = match_result["index"].copy()
         matching_col[~match_result["match_accepted"]] = -1
diff --git a/skrub/tests/test_joiner.py b/skrub/tests/test_joiner.py
index 7b14c583d..368ffe252 100644
--- a/skrub/tests/test_joiner.py
+++ b/skrub/tests/test_joiner.py
@@ -131,14 +131,15 @@ def test_max_dist(main_table, aux_table, max_dist):
 def test_missing_values(df_module):
     df = df_module.make_dataframe({"A": [None, "hollywood", "beverly"]})
     joiner = Joiner(df, key="A", suffix="_")
-    with pytest.xfail():
-        joiner.fit_transform(df)
+    out = joiner.fit_transform(df)
+    assert ns.shape(out) == (3, 5)
 
 
 def test_fit_transform_numeric(df_module):
     df = df_module.make_dataframe({"A": [4.5, 0.5, 1, -1.5]})
     joiner = Joiner(df, key="A", suffix="_")
-    joiner.fit_transform(df)
+    out = joiner.fit_transform(df)
+    assert ns.shape(out) == (4, 5)
 
 
 def test_fit_transform_datetimes(df_module):