diff --git a/data-plane/db/models.ts b/data-plane/db/models.ts
index 12a514d..20265d6 100644
--- a/data-plane/db/models.ts
+++ b/data-plane/db/models.ts
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ export const likeSchema = new Schema<LikeDocument>({
   viaCid: { type: String, required: false },
 })
   .index({ authorDid: 1, subject: 1 }, { unique: true })
-  .index({ subject: 1, createdAt: -1 });
+  .index({ subject: 1, createdAt: -1 })
+  .index({ subject: 1, authorDid: 1 });
 
 // follows
 
@@ -177,7 +178,8 @@ export const followSchema = new Schema<FollowDocument>({
   subject: { type: String, required: true, index: true },
 })
   .index({ authorDid: 1, subject: 1 }, { unique: true })
-  .index({ subject: 1, createdAt: -1 });
+  .index({ subject: 1, createdAt: -1 })
+  .index({ subject: 1, authorDid: 1 });
 
 // blocks
 
@@ -260,7 +262,8 @@ export const repostSchema = new Schema<RepostDocument>({
   viaCid: { type: String, required: false },
 })
   .index({ subject: 1, createdAt: -1 })
-  .index({ authorDid: 1, createdAt: -1 });
+  .index({ authorDid: 1, createdAt: -1 })
+  .index({ subject: 1, authorDid: 1 });
 
 // posts
 
@@ -340,7 +343,9 @@ export const replySchema = new Schema<ReplyDocument>({
   likeCount: { type: Number, required: true, default: 0 },
   replyCount: { type: Number, required: true, default: 0 },
 })
-  .index({ reply: 1, createdAt: -1 });
+  .index({ reply: 1, createdAt: -1 })
+  .index({ "reply.parent.uri": 1, authorDid: 1 })
+  .index({ "reply.root.uri": 1, createdAt: -1 });
 
 // stories
 
diff --git a/data-plane/routes/follows.ts b/data-plane/routes/follows.ts
index f0bd266..be37be7 100644
--- a/data-plane/routes/follows.ts
+++ b/data-plane/routes/follows.ts
@@ -105,31 +105,40 @@ export class Follows {
 
   async getFollowsFollowing(viewerDid: string, subjectDids: string[]) {
     /*
-     * 1. Get all the people Alice is following
-     * 2. Get all the people Dan is followed by
-     * 3. Find the intersection
+     * Find people the viewer follows who also follow each subject.
+     * Uses aggregation to avoid fetching all followers of popular accounts.
      */
 
     const results: FollowsFollowing[] = [];
 
-    for (const subjectDid of subjectDids) {
-      // Get people who follow the subject (Dan's followers)
-      const subjectFollowers = await this.db.models.Follow.find({
-        subject: subjectDid,
-      });
+    // Get all people the viewer follows (bounded by viewer's follow count)
+    const viewerFollows = await this.db.models.Follow.find({
+      authorDid: viewerDid,
+    }).select("subject");
+
+    const viewerFollowsDids = viewerFollows.map((f) => f.subject);
 
-      const followerDids = subjectFollowers.map((f) => f.authorDid);
+    if (viewerFollowsDids.length === 0) {
+      // Viewer follows no one, so no known followers possible
+      return {
+        results: subjectDids.map((targetDid) =>
+          new FollowsFollowing({ targetDid, dids: [] })
+        ),
+      };
+    }
 
-      // Find which of these followers Alice also follows
+    for (const subjectDid of subjectDids) {
+      // Find which of the viewer's follows also follow the subject
+      // This query is bounded by the viewer's follow count, not the subject's follower count
       const mutualConnections = await this.db.models.Follow.find({
-        authorDid: viewerDid,
-        subject: { $in: followerDids },
-      });
+        authorDid: { $in: viewerFollowsDids },
+        subject: subjectDid,
+      }).select("authorDid");
 
       results.push(
         new FollowsFollowing({
           targetDid: subjectDid,
-          dids: mutualConnections.map((connection) => connection.subject),
+          dids: mutualConnections.map((connection) => connection.authorDid),
         }),
       );
     }
diff --git a/data-plane/routes/interactions.ts b/data-plane/routes/interactions.ts
index 2fe82a1..2db45ce 100644
--- a/data-plane/routes/interactions.ts
+++ b/data-plane/routes/interactions.ts
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export class Interactions {
     // Get all DIDs the viewer follows
     const viewerFollows = await this.db.models.Follow.find({
       authorDid: viewerDid,
-    });
+    }).select("subject");
     const followedDids = viewerFollows.map((f) => f.subject);
 
     if (followedDids.length === 0) {
@@ -173,15 +173,21 @@ export class Interactions {
       this.db.models.Like.find({
         subject: { $in: subjectUris },
         authorDid: { $in: followedDids },
-      }).sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
+      })
+        .select("uri cid subject authorDid indexedAt")
+        .sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
       this.db.models.Repost.find({
         subject: { $in: subjectUris },
         authorDid: { $in: followedDids },
-      }).sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
+      })
+        .select("uri cid subject authorDid indexedAt")
+        .sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
       this.db.models.Reply.find({
         "reply.parent.uri": { $in: subjectUris },
         authorDid: { $in: followedDids },
-      }).sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
+      })
+        .select("uri cid reply.parent.uri authorDid indexedAt text")
+        .sort({ indexedAt: -1 }),
     ]);
 
     // Build result map keyed by subject URI