diff --git a/appview/db/profile.go b/appview/db/profile.go
index 7ffc4cc3..fdc5d993 100644
--- a/appview/db/profile.go
+++ b/appview/db/profile.go
@@ -360,9 +360,7 @@ func GetProfile(e Execer, did string) (*models.Profile, error) {
 		did,
 	).Scan(&avatar, &profile.Description, &includeBluesky, &profile.Location, &pronouns)
 	if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-		profile := models.Profile{}
-		profile.Did = did
-		return &profile, nil
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/oauth/handler.go b/appview/oauth/handler.go
index 5f23ac65..33d8b04f 100644
--- a/appview/oauth/handler.go
+++ b/appview/oauth/handler.go
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ func (o *OAuth) ensureTangledProfile(sessData *oauth.ClientSessionData) {
 	did := sessData.AccountDID.String()
 	l := o.Logger.With("did", did)
 
-	_, err := db.GetProfile(o.Db, did)
-	if err == nil {
+	profile, _ := db.GetProfile(o.Db, did)
+	if profile != nil {
 		l.Debug("profile already exists in DB")
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index 0b758f31..fa4c0be5 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ func (p *Pages) ForkRepo(w io.Writer, params ForkRepoParams) error {
 
 type ProfileCard struct {
 	UserDid      string
+	HasProfile   bool
 	FollowStatus models.FollowStatus
 	Punchcard    *models.Punchcard
 	Profile      *models.Profile
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/profilebase.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/profilebase.html
index 7aeb4937..3c577865 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/profilebase.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/profilebase.html
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@
 {{ end }}
 
 {{ define "content" }}
+  {{ if not .Card.HasProfile }}
+  <section class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 px-2 py-6 md:p-6 rounded w-full dark:text-white drop-shadow-sm">
+    <div class="flex items-center gap-6 p-4">
+      <img class="w-28 h-28 shrink-0 object-cover rounded-full" src="{{ profileAvatarUrl .Card.Profile "" }}" />
+      <div>
+        <p class="text-lg font-bold">{{ resolve .Card.UserDid }}</p>
+        <p class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 mt-2">This user hasn't joined Tangled yet.</p>
+        <p class="text-sm text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 mt-1">Let them know we're waiting for them!</p>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </section>
+  {{ else }}
   {{ template "profileTabs" . }}
   <section class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 px-2 py-6 md:p-6 rounded w-full dark:text-white drop-shadow-sm">
     <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-11 gap-4">
@@ -35,6 +47,7 @@
       {{ block "profileContent" . }} {{ end }}
     </div>
   </section>
+  {{ end }}
 {{ end }}
 
 {{ define "profileTabs" }}
diff --git a/appview/state/profile.go b/appview/state/profile.go
index 118306b0..cfdd2713 100644
--- a/appview/state/profile.go
+++ b/appview/state/profile.go
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ func (s *State) profile(r *http.Request) (*pages.ProfileCard, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get profile: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	hasProfile := profile != nil
+	if !hasProfile {
+		profile = &models.Profile{Did: did}
+	}
+
 	repoCount, err := db.CountRepos(s.db, orm.FilterEq("did", did))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get repo count: %w", err)
@@ -98,6 +103,7 @@ func (s *State) profile(r *http.Request) (*pages.ProfileCard, error) {
 
 	return &pages.ProfileCard{
 		UserDid:      did,
+		HasProfile:   hasProfile,
 		Profile:      profile,
 		FollowStatus: followStatus,
 		Stats: pages.ProfileStats{
@@ -533,6 +539,9 @@ func (s *State) UpdateProfileBio(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("getting profile data for %s: %s", user.Active.Did, err)
 	}
+	if profile == nil {
+		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Active.Did}
+	}
 
 	profile.Description = r.FormValue("description")
 	profile.IncludeBluesky = r.FormValue("includeBluesky") == "on"
@@ -576,6 +585,9 @@ func (s *State) UpdateProfilePins(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("getting profile data for %s: %s", user.Active.Did, err)
 	}
+	if profile == nil {
+		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Active.Did}
+	}
 
 	i := 0
 	var pinnedRepos [6]syntax.ATURI
@@ -676,6 +688,9 @@ func (s *State) EditBioFragment(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("getting profile data for %s: %s", user.Active.Did, err)
 	}
+	if profile == nil {
+		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Active.Did}
+	}
 
 	s.pages.EditBioFragment(w, pages.EditBioParams{
 		LoggedInUser: user,
@@ -690,6 +705,9 @@ func (s *State) EditPinsFragment(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("getting profile data for %s: %s", user.Active.Did, err)
 	}
+	if profile == nil {
+		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Active.Did}
+	}
 
 	repos, err := db.GetRepos(s.db, 0, orm.FilterEq("did", user.Active.Did))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -816,6 +834,8 @@ func (s *State) UploadProfileAvatar(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	profile, err := db.GetProfile(s.db, user.Did)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Warn("getting profile data from DB", "err", err)
+	}
+	if profile == nil {
 		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Did}
 	}
 	profile.Avatar = uploadBlobResp.Blob.Ref.String()
@@ -892,6 +912,8 @@ func (s *State) RemoveProfileAvatar(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	profile, err := db.GetProfile(s.db, user.Did)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Warn("getting profile data from DB", "err", err)
+	}
+	if profile == nil {
 		profile = &models.Profile{Did: user.Did}
 	}
 	profile.Avatar = ""
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 4da48f08..1baa3985 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 		wrapper,
 		false,
 
-		// in-memory filter is inapplicalble to appview so
+		// in-memory filter is inapplicable to appview so
 		// we'll never log dids anyway.
 		false,
 	)