diff --git a/src/components/Feed.tsx b/src/components/Feed.tsx
index ebba592c..7b3446cc 100644
--- a/src/components/Feed.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Feed.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { Loader2 } from 'lucide-react';
 import LoginDialog from '@/components/auth/LoginDialog';
 import SignupDialog from '@/components/auth/SignupDialog';
-import { useFeed } from '@/hooks/useFeed';
+import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
+import { useFeed, prefetchFeedData } from '@/hooks/useFeed';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import type { FeedItem } from '@/hooks/useFeed';
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ export function Feed() {
     }
   }, [user]);
 
+  const { nostr } = useNostr();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
   const {
@@ -67,6 +69,15 @@ export function Feed() {
     return items;
   }, [data?.pages]);
 
+  // After each new page renders, prefetch authors and stats in the background.
+  // Runs after render so it never blocks pagination — the 400px early sentinel
+  // gives enough lead time for profiles to arrive before the user scrolls to them.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (feedItems.length > 0) {
+      prefetchFeedData(feedItems, nostr, queryClient);
+    }
+  }, [feedItems, nostr, queryClient]);
+
   const handleLogin = () => {
     setLoginDialogOpen(false);
     setSignupDialogOpen(false);
diff --git a/src/hooks/useFeed.ts b/src/hooks/useFeed.ts
index cb735630..05d78e58 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useFeed.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useFeed.ts
@@ -41,15 +41,15 @@ function parseRepostContent(repost: NostrEvent): NostrEvent | undefined {
 }
 
 /**
- * Fire-and-forget: seed ['author', pubkey] and ['event-stats', id] caches
- * for a page of feed items so that NoteCard's per-card hooks resolve from
- * cache rather than firing individual relay queries.
+ * Prefetch author profiles and interaction stats for a set of feed items,
+ * seeding the TanStack Query cache so per-card hooks resolve without opening
+ * individual relay subscriptions.
  *
- * Runs in the background — does NOT block the queryFn from returning items.
- * Includes post authors, repost authors, and mentioned p-tag pubkeys so that
- * @mentions and reply-to lines also resolve without individual round trips.
+ * Called from a useEffect in Feed.tsx — runs after render, never blocks
+ * the queryFn. Authors use a 1500ms timeout (partial results are fine);
+ * stats are fully fire-and-forget.
  */
-async function prefetchPageData(
+export function prefetchFeedData(
   items: FeedItem[],
   nostr: ReturnType<typeof import('@nostrify/react').useNostr>['nostr'],
   queryClient: ReturnType<typeof import('@tanstack/react-query').useQueryClient>,
@@ -71,11 +71,8 @@ async function prefetchPageData(
     .map((item) => item.event.id)
     .filter((id) => queryClient.getQueryData(['event-stats', id]) === undefined);
 
-  // Await author prefetch with a short deadline — whatever profiles arrive
-  // in time get cached; cards whose authors miss the window fall back to
-  // individual useAuthor queries (acceptable for a minority of cards).
   if (pubkeysToFetch.length > 0) {
-    await nostr.query(
+    nostr.query(
       [{ kinds: [0], authors: pubkeysToFetch }],
       { signal: AbortSignal.timeout(1500) },
     ).then((profileEvents) => {
@@ -87,7 +84,6 @@ async function prefetchPageData(
     }).catch(() => {});
   }
 
-  // Stats are fire-and-forget — nice to have pre-cached but not worth blocking on.
   if (eventIdsToFetch.length > 0) {
     nostr.query(
       [
@@ -203,11 +199,6 @@ export function useFeed(tab: 'follows' | 'global') {
           .map((ev) => ({ event: ev, sortTimestamp: ev.created_at }));
       }
 
-      // Prefetch authors and stats in parallel before returning.
-      // This ensures cache is populated before NoteCards mount, so individual
-      // useAuthor/useEventStats calls hit cache and never open relay subscriptions.
-      await prefetchPageData(items, nostr, queryClient);
-
       return items;
     },
     getNextPageParam: (lastPage) => {