diff --git a/src/components/AccountSwitcher.svelte b/src/components/AccountSwitcher.svelte
index 56d3d98..d161c65 100644
--- a/src/components/AccountSwitcher.svelte
+++ b/src/components/AccountSwitcher.svelte
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 	import { AtpClient, resolveHandle } from '$lib/at/client.svelte';
 	import type { Handle } from '@atcute/lexicons';
 	import ProfilePicture from './ProfilePicture.svelte';
-	import PfpPlaceholder from './PfpPlaceholder.svelte';
 	import Popup from './Popup.svelte';
 	import Dropdown from './Dropdown.svelte';
 	import AccountSelector from './AccountSelector.svelte';
@@ -113,11 +112,7 @@
 			onclick={toggleDropdown}
 			class="flex h-13 w-13 items-center justify-center rounded-sm shadow-md transition-all hover:scale-110 hover:shadow-xl hover:saturate-150"
 		>
-			{#if selectedDid}
-				<ProfilePicture {client} did={selectedDid} size={13} />
-			{:else}
-				<PfpPlaceholder color="var(--nucleus-accent)" size={13} />
-			{/if}
+			<ProfilePicture {client} did={selectedDid} size={13} />
 		</button>
 	{/snippet}
 
diff --git a/src/components/ProfilePicture.svelte b/src/components/ProfilePicture.svelte
index 2ad4424..a461173 100644
--- a/src/components/ProfilePicture.svelte
+++ b/src/components/ProfilePicture.svelte
@@ -9,31 +9,31 @@
 
 	interface Props {
 		client: AtpClient;
-		did: Did;
 		size: number;
+		did: Did | null;
 	}
 
 	let { client, did, size }: Props = $props();
 
-	const avatarBlob = $derived(profiles.get(did)?.avatar);
-	const avatarUrl: string | null = $derived(
-		isBlob(avatarBlob) ? img('avatar_thumbnail', did, avatarBlob.ref.$link) : null
+	const avatarBlob = $derived(did ? profiles.get(did)?.avatar : null);
+	const avatarUrl = $derived(
+		did && isBlob(avatarBlob) ? img('avatar_thumbnail', did, avatarBlob.ref.$link) : null
 	);
 
-	const loadProfile = async (targetDid: Did) => {
+	const loadProfile = async (client: AtpClient, did: Did) => {
 		if (avatarBlob) return;
 
-		const profile = await client.getProfile(targetDid);
+		const profile = await client.getProfile(did);
 		if (profile.ok) profiles.set(did, profile.value);
-		else console.error(`${targetDid}: failed to load pfp: ${profile.error}`);
+		else console.error(`${did}: failed to load pfp: ${profile.error}`);
 	};
 
 	$effect(() => {
-		if (!client.user) return;
-		loadProfile(did);
+		if (!did) return;
+		loadProfile(client, did);
 	});
 
-	const color = $derived(generateColorForDid(did));
+	const color = $derived(did ? generateColorForDid(did) : 'var(--nucleus-accent)');
 </script>
 
 {#if avatarUrl}
diff --git a/src/lib/state.svelte.ts b/src/lib/state.svelte.ts
index 776e663..9b7d91e 100644
--- a/src/lib/state.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/state.svelte.ts
@@ -392,7 +392,6 @@ export const fetchForInteractions = async (client: AtpClient, subject: Did) => {
 
 	const threeDaysAgo = (Date.now() - 3 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000) * 1000;
 
-	// fetch only 1 item to prompt the cursor
 	const res = await client.listRecordsUntil(subject, 'app.bsky.feed.post', undefined, threeDaysAgo);
 	if (!res.ok) return;
 	const postsWithUri = res.value.records.map(
@@ -965,7 +964,10 @@ export const fetchInteractionsToFeedTimelineEnd = async (
 
 export const initialDone = new SvelteSet<Did>();
 export const fetchInitial = async (account: Account) => {
+	const start = Date.now();
 	const client = clients.get(account.did)!;
+	const profile = await client.getProfile();
+	if (profile.ok) profiles.set(account.did, profile.value);
 	await Promise.allSettled([
 		fetchBlocks(account),
 		fetchForInteractions(client, account.did),
@@ -974,6 +976,7 @@ export const fetchInitial = async (account: Account) => {
 		)
 	]);
 	initialDone.add(account.did);
+	console.log(`initial done for ${account.did} in ${Date.now() - start}ms`);
 };
 
 export const handleJetstreamEvent = async (event: JetstreamEvent) => {