diff --git a/appview/models/string.go b/appview/models/string.go
index 9993d8a2..718abfcd 100644
--- a/appview/models/string.go
+++ b/appview/models/string.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type String struct {
 	Edited      *time.Time
 }
 
-func (s *String) StringAt() syntax.ATURI {
+func (s *String) AtUri() syntax.ATURI {
 	return syntax.ATURI(fmt.Sprintf("at://%s/%s/%s", s.Did, tangled.StringNSID, s.Rkey))
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index 80e2803b..79281e4b 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -625,14 +625,14 @@ func (p *Pages) EditPinsFragment(w io.Writer, params EditPinsParams) error {
 	return p.executePlain("user/fragments/editPins", w, params)
 }
 
-type RepoStarFragmentParams struct {
+type StarBtnFragmentParams struct {
 	IsStarred bool
-	RepoAt    syntax.ATURI
-	Stats     models.RepoStats
+	SubjectAt syntax.ATURI
+	StarCount int
 }
 
-func (p *Pages) RepoStarFragment(w io.Writer, params RepoStarFragmentParams) error {
-	return p.executePlain("repo/fragments/repoStar", w, params)
+func (p *Pages) StarBtnFragment(w io.Writer, params StarBtnFragmentParams) error {
+	return p.executePlain("fragments/starBtn", w, params)
 }
 
 type RepoIndexParams struct {
@@ -1376,8 +1376,10 @@ type SingleStringParams struct {
 	ShowRendered     bool
 	RenderToggle     bool
 	RenderedContents template.HTML
-	String           models.String
+	String           *models.String
 	Stats            models.StringStats
+	IsStarred        bool
+	StarCount        int
 	Owner            identity.Identity
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/fragments/repoStar.html b/appview/pages/templates/fragments/starBtn.html
similarity index 72%
rename from appview/pages/templates/repo/fragments/repoStar.html
rename to appview/pages/templates/fragments/starBtn.html
index 7ca59a95..6ddf9a6a 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/fragments/repoStar.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/fragments/starBtn.html
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-{{ define "repo/fragments/repoStar" }}
+{{ define "fragments/starBtn" }}
     <button
         id="starBtn"
         class="btn disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed flex gap-2 items-center group"
         {{ if .IsStarred }}
-            hx-delete="/star?subject={{ .RepoAt }}&countHint={{ .Stats.StarCount }}"
+            hx-delete="/star?subject={{ .SubjectAt }}&countHint={{ .StarCount }}"
         {{ else }}
-            hx-post="/star?subject={{ .RepoAt }}&countHint={{ .Stats.StarCount }}"
+            hx-post="/star?subject={{ .SubjectAt }}&countHint={{ .StarCount }}"
         {{ end }}
 
         hx-trigger="click"
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
             {{ i "star" "w-4 h-4" }}
         {{ end }}
         <span class="text-sm">
-            {{ .Stats.StarCount }}
+            {{ .StarCount }}
         </span>
         {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
     </button>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
index 85af97ec..b1242a3d 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@
         </div>
 
         <div class="w-full sm:w-fit grid grid-cols-3 gap-2 z-auto">
-          {{ template "repo/fragments/repoStar" .RepoInfo }}
+          {{ template "fragments/starBtn"
+            (dict "SubjectAt" .RepoInfo.RepoAt
+                  "IsStarred" .RepoInfo.IsStarred
+                  "StarCount" .RepoInfo.Stats.StarCount) }}
           <a
             class="btn text-sm no-underline hover:no-underline flex items-center gap-2 group"
             hx-boost="true"
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/strings/string.html b/appview/pages/templates/strings/string.html
index 3963bc75..71f4bde0 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/strings/string.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/strings/string.html
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
         <span class="select-none">/</span>
         <a href="/strings/{{ $ownerId }}/{{ .String.Rkey }}" class="font-bold">{{ .String.Filename }}</a>
       </div>
-      {{ if and .LoggedInUser (eq .LoggedInUser.Did .String.Did) }}
-        <div class="flex gap-2 text-base">
+      <div class="flex gap-2 text-base">
+        {{ if and .LoggedInUser (eq .LoggedInUser.Did .String.Did) }}
           <a class="btn flex items-center gap-2 no-underline hover:no-underline p-2 group"
              hx-boost="true"
              href="/strings/{{ .String.Did }}/{{ .String.Rkey }}/edit">
@@ -37,8 +37,12 @@
             <span class="hidden md:inline">delete</span>
             {{ i "loader-circle" "w-4 h-4 animate-spin hidden group-[.htmx-request]:inline" }}
           </button>
-        </div>
-      {{ end }}
+        {{ end }}
+        {{ template "fragments/starBtn"
+          (dict "SubjectAt" .String.AtUri
+                "IsStarred" .IsStarred
+                "StarCount" .StarCount) }}
+      </div>
     </div>
     <span>
       {{ with .String.Description }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html b/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
index 725e4245..a3c40efc 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
       <span class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-400 text-xs">{{ template "repo/fragments/time" $repo.Created }}</span>
     </div>
   {{ with $repo }}
-    {{ template "user/fragments/repoCard" (list $root . true true (dict "IsStarred" $event.IsStarred "RepoAt" .RepoAt "Stats" (dict "StarCount" $event.StarCount))) }}
+    {{ template "user/fragments/repoCard" (list $root . true true (dict "IsStarred" $event.IsStarred "SubjectAt" .RepoAt "StarCount" $event.StarCount)) }}
   {{ end }}
 {{ end }}
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         <span class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-400 text-xs">{{ template "repo/fragments/time" .Created }}</span>
     </div>
     {{ with .Repo }}
-      {{ template "user/fragments/repoCard" (list $root . true true (dict "IsStarred" $event.IsStarred "RepoAt" .RepoAt "Stats" (dict "StarCount" $event.StarCount))) }}
+      {{ template "user/fragments/repoCard" (list $root . true true (dict "IsStarred" $event.IsStarred "SubjectAt" .RepoAt "StarCount" $event.StarCount)) }}
     {{ end }}
   {{ end }}
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/user/fragments/repoCard.html b/appview/pages/templates/user/fragments/repoCard.html
index bd3eb8e1..f4392437 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/user/fragments/repoCard.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/user/fragments/repoCard.html
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {{ define "user/fragments/repoCard" }}
+  {{/* root, repo, fullName [,starButton [,starData]] */}}
   {{ $root := index . 0 }}
   {{ $repo := index . 1 }}
   {{ $fullName := index . 2 }}
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@
         </div>
         {{ if and $starButton $root.LoggedInUser }}
         <div class="shrink-0">
-          {{ template "repo/fragments/repoStar" $starData }}
+          {{ template "fragments/starBtn" $starData }}
         </div>
         {{ end }}
       </div>
diff --git a/appview/state/star.go b/appview/state/star.go
index 49c4e96d..8677a759 100644
--- a/appview/state/star.go
+++ b/appview/state/star.go
@@ -75,12 +75,10 @@ func (s *State) Star(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 		s.notifier.NewStar(r.Context(), star)
 
-		s.pages.RepoStarFragment(w, pages.RepoStarFragmentParams{
+		s.pages.StarBtnFragment(w, pages.StarBtnFragmentParams{
 			IsStarred: true,
-			RepoAt:    subjectUri,
-			Stats: models.RepoStats{
-				StarCount: starCount,
-			},
+			SubjectAt: subjectUri,
+			StarCount: starCount,
 		})
 
 		return
@@ -117,12 +115,10 @@ func (s *State) Star(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 		s.notifier.DeleteStar(r.Context(), star)
 
-		s.pages.RepoStarFragment(w, pages.RepoStarFragmentParams{
+		s.pages.StarBtnFragment(w, pages.StarBtnFragmentParams{
 			IsStarred: false,
-			RepoAt:    subjectUri,
-			Stats: models.RepoStats{
-				StarCount: starCount,
-			},
+			SubjectAt: subjectUri,
+			StarCount: starCount,
 		})
 
 		return
diff --git a/appview/strings/strings.go b/appview/strings/strings.go
index 8a291924..f0029fa6 100644
--- a/appview/strings/strings.go
+++ b/appview/strings/strings.go
@@ -148,12 +148,24 @@ func (s *Strings) contents(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		showRendered = r.URL.Query().Get("code") != "true"
 	}
 
+	starCount, err := db.GetStarCount(s.Db, string.AtUri())
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to get star count", "err", err)
+	}
+	user := s.OAuth.GetUser(r)
+	isStarred := false
+	if user != nil {
+		isStarred = db.GetStarStatus(s.Db, user.Did, string.AtUri())
+	}
+
 	s.Pages.SingleString(w, pages.SingleStringParams{
-		LoggedInUser: s.OAuth.GetUser(r),
+		LoggedInUser: user,
 		RenderToggle: renderToggle,
 		ShowRendered: showRendered,
-		String:       string,
+		String:       &string,
 		Stats:        string.Stats(),
+		IsStarred:    isStarred,
+		StarCount:    starCount,
 		Owner:        id,
 	})
 }