diff --git a/src/js/dataLayer/requests.js b/src/js/dataLayer/requests.js
index 208c5df6..7c9833ac 100644
--- a/src/js/dataLayer/requests.js
+++ b/src/js/dataLayer/requests.js
@@ -1363,9 +1363,8 @@ export class Requests {
   }
 
   async loadCurrentUserLists({ reload = false } = {}) {
-    const currentUser = this.dataStore.$currentUser.get();
-    if (!currentUser) return;
-    await this.loadActorLists(currentUser.did, { reload });
+    if (!this.api.isAuthenticated) return;
+    await this.loadActorLists(this.api.session.did, { reload });
   }
 
   async loadListsWithMembershipForActor(
diff --git a/src/js/plugins/pluginService.js b/src/js/plugins/pluginService.js
index bf3ebf91..29fe5644 100644
--- a/src/js/plugins/pluginService.js
+++ b/src/js/plugins/pluginService.js
@@ -1137,6 +1137,7 @@ export class PluginService extends ReactiveStore {
   }
 
   async getPostComposerInit({ kind, replyTo, replyRoot, quotedPost }) {
+    await this._waitForInitialPluginLoad();
     const listeners = this.registries.eventListeners.get("post-composer-open");
     if (!listeners || listeners.size === 0) return null;
     const context = { kind, replyTo, replyRoot, quotedPost };
diff --git a/src/js/views/search.view.js b/src/js/views/search.view.js
index 04615302..cff588e9 100644
--- a/src/js/views/search.view.js
+++ b/src/js/views/search.view.js
@@ -175,6 +175,12 @@ export default async function searchView({
   async function hydrateAndPruneRecentProfiles() {
     try {
       if (!isAuthenticated) return;
+      try {
+        await dataLayer.preferencesProvider.requirePreferences();
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.warn("Failed to load recent search profiles", error);
+        return;
+      }
       const entries = dataLayer.derived.$recentSearchProfiles.get() ?? [];
       if (entries.length === 0) return;
       const dids = entries.map((entry) => entry.did);
diff --git a/tests/unit/specs/dataLayer/requests.test.js b/tests/unit/specs/dataLayer/requests.test.js
index bf67e4a0..479cb268 100644
--- a/tests/unit/specs/dataLayer/requests.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/specs/dataLayer/requests.test.js
@@ -4214,7 +4214,7 @@ describe("loadActorLists", () => {
 });
 
 describe("loadCurrentUserLists", () => {
-  it("should do nothing when there is no current user", async () => {
+  it("should do nothing when not authenticated", async () => {
     let called = false;
     const mockApi = {
       getActorLists: async () => {
@@ -4232,11 +4232,12 @@ describe("loadCurrentUserLists", () => {
     assert.deepEqual(called, false);
   });
 
-  it("should load the current user's lists", async () => {
+  it("should load the session user's lists without waiting for the current user profile", async () => {
     const dataStore = new DataStore(createSessionState(null));
-    dataStore.$currentUser.set({ did: "did:plc:me" });
     let requestedDid = null;
     const mockApi = {
+      isAuthenticated: true,
+      session: { did: "did:plc:me" },
       getActorLists: async (did) => {
         requestedDid = did;
         return { lists: [{ uri: "l1" }], cursor: null };
diff --git a/tests/unit/specs/plugins/pluginService.test.js b/tests/unit/specs/plugins/pluginService.test.js
index 3131f6bd..b76f28bb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/specs/plugins/pluginService.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/specs/plugins/pluginService.test.js
@@ -2472,6 +2472,12 @@ describe("binaryCache host methods", () => {
 });
 
 describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
+  function makeLoadedService() {
+    const { service } = makeService();
+    service._completeInitialLoad();
+    return service;
+  }
+
   function addListener(service, pluginId, handler) {
     let listeners = service.registries.eventListeners.get("post-composer-open");
     if (!listeners) {
@@ -2482,13 +2488,13 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   }
 
   it("returns null when no listeners are registered", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     const result = await service.getPostComposerInit({ kind: "post" });
     assert.deepEqual(result, null);
   });
 
   it("returns null when listeners contribute no ops and no cursor", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     addListener(service, "noop", async () => ({ ops: [], cursor: null }));
     addListener(service, "alsoNoop", async () => null);
     const result = await service.getPostComposerInit({ kind: "post" });
@@ -2496,7 +2502,7 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   });
 
   it("appends text from a single listener", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     addListener(service, "sig", async () => ({
       ops: [{ op: "append", text: "\n\n— signed" }],
       cursor: null,
@@ -2506,7 +2512,7 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   });
 
   it("composes set/append/prepend across multiple listeners in order", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     addListener(service, "alpha", async () => ({
       ops: [{ op: "set", text: "middle" }],
       cursor: null,
@@ -2524,7 +2530,7 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   });
 
   it("last setCursor wins; nulls do not clobber prior cursor", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     addListener(service, "alpha", async () => ({
       ops: [{ op: "append", text: "a" }],
       cursor: 0,
@@ -2542,7 +2548,7 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   });
 
   it("ignores listeners that throw", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     addListener(service, "alpha", async () => {
       throw new Error("boom");
     });
@@ -2562,7 +2568,7 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
   });
 
   it("passes context through to each listener", async () => {
-    const { service } = makeService();
+    const service = makeLoadedService();
     let captured = null;
     addListener(service, "alpha", async (context) => {
       captured = context;
@@ -2579,6 +2585,23 @@ describe("getPostComposerInit", () => {
       quotedPost: undefined,
     });
   });
+
+  it("waits for the initial plugin load before reading listeners", async () => {
+    const { service } = makeService();
+    let result = null;
+    const pending = service
+      .getPostComposerInit({ kind: "post" })
+      .then((value) => {
+        result = value;
+      });
+    addListener(service, "late", async () => ({
+      ops: [{ op: "append", text: "late" }],
+      cursor: null,
+    }));
+    service._completeInitialLoad();
+    await pending;
+    assert.deepEqual(result, { text: "late", cursor: null });
+  });
 });
 
 describe("user-granted fetch origins", () => {