diff --git a/src/components/Feed.tsx b/src/components/Feed.tsx
index efd75949..7e37ae27 100644
--- a/src/components/Feed.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Feed.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import SignupDialog from '@/components/auth/SignupDialog';
 import { useFeed } from '@/hooks/useFeed';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
 import { useAuthors } from '@/hooks/useAuthors';
+import { useEngagementCounts } from '@/hooks/useEngagementCounts';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import type { FeedItem } from '@/hooks/useFeed';
 
@@ -73,6 +74,11 @@ export function Feed() {
   }, [feedItems]);
   useAuthors(feedPubkeys);
 
+  // Batch-fetch engagement counts for visible posts using NIP-45 COUNT
+  // queries instead of downloading full interaction events per card.
+  const feedEvents = useMemo(() => feedItems.map((item) => item.event), [feedItems]);
+  const { data: engagementCounts } = useEngagementCounts(feedEvents);
+
   const handleLogin = () => {
     setLoginDialogOpen(false);
     setSignupDialogOpen(false);
@@ -128,6 +134,7 @@ export function Feed() {
               key={item.repostedBy ? `repost-${item.repostedBy}-${item.event.id}` : item.event.id}
               event={item.event}
               repostedBy={item.repostedBy}
+              stats={engagementCounts?.get(item.event.id)}
             />
           ))}
 
diff --git a/src/components/NoteCard.tsx b/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
index fe1437cf..f366d3ae 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { FollowPackContent } from '@/components/FollowPackContent';
 import { ChestIcon } from '@/components/icons/ChestIcon';
 import { useAuthor } from '@/hooks/useAuthor';
 import { useEventStats } from '@/hooks/useTrending';
+import type { EngagementCounts } from '@/hooks/useEngagementCounts';
 import { genUserName } from '@/lib/genUserName';
 import { timeAgo } from '@/lib/timeAgo';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ interface NoteCardProps {
   repostedBy?: string;
   /** If true, hide action buttons (used for embeds). */
   compact?: boolean;
+  /** Pre-fetched engagement counts from feed-level batch query. When provided, skips per-card useEventStats. */
+  stats?: EngagementCounts;
 }
 
 /** Formats a sats amount into a compact human-readable string. */
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ function encodeEventId(event: NostrEvent): string {
   return nip19.neventEncode({ id: event.id, author: event.pubkey });
 }
 
-export function NoteCard({ event, className, repostedBy, compact }: NoteCardProps) {
+export function NoteCard({ event, className, repostedBy, compact, stats: propStats }: NoteCardProps) {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const author = useAuthor(event.pubkey);
   const metadata = author.data?.metadata;
@@ -126,7 +129,10 @@ export function NoteCard({ event, className, repostedBy, compact }: NoteCardProp
   const nip05 = metadata?.nip05;
   const npub = useMemo(() => nip19.npubEncode(event.pubkey), [event.pubkey]);
   const encodedId = useMemo(() => encodeEventId(event), [event]);
-  const { data: stats } = useEventStats(event.id);
+  // Use pre-fetched stats from feed-level batch when available;
+  // only fall back to per-card query when rendered outside a feed (e.g. PostDetailPage).
+  const { data: fetchedStats } = useEventStats(!propStats ? event.id : undefined);
+  const stats = propStats ?? fetchedStats;
   const [moreMenuOpen, setMoreMenuOpen] = useState(false);
   const [replyOpen, setReplyOpen] = useState(false);
 
diff --git a/src/hooks/useEngagementCounts.ts b/src/hooks/useEngagementCounts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4597f65e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useEngagementCounts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
+import type { NRelay1, NostrEvent } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
+
+export interface EngagementCounts {
+  replies: number;
+  reposts: number;
+  quotes?: number;
+  reactions: number;
+  zapAmount: number;
+  reactionEmojis?: string[];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Batch-fetch engagement counts for multiple events using NIP-45 COUNT queries.
+ *
+ * Instead of downloading hundreds of full events per post just to count them,
+ * this fires lightweight COUNT requests to relay.ditto.pub (which supports NIP-45).
+ * Each COUNT returns a single number. All requests run in parallel.
+ *
+ * Call this once at the feed level, then pass counts down as props.
+ */
+export function useEngagementCounts(events: NostrEvent[]) {
+  const { nostr } = useNostr();
+
+  // Stable query key from sorted event IDs
+  const eventIds = events.map((e) => e.id).sort();
+
+  return useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['engagement-counts', ...eventIds],
+    queryFn: async (c) => {
+      if (events.length === 0) return new Map<string, EngagementCounts>();
+
+      const signal = AbortSignal.any([c.signal, AbortSignal.timeout(10000)]);
+      const relay = nostr.relay('wss://relay.ditto.pub') as NRelay1;
+
+      const counts = new Map<string, EngagementCounts>();
+
+      // Initialize all events with zero counts
+      for (const e of events) {
+        counts.set(e.id, { replies: 0, reposts: 0, reactions: 0, zapAmount: 0 });
+      }
+
+      const promises: Promise<void>[] = [];
+
+      for (const event of events) {
+        // Replies (kind 1 referencing this event)
+        promises.push(
+          relay.count([{ kinds: [1], '#e': [event.id] }], { signal })
+            .then((result) => { counts.get(event.id)!.replies = result.count; })
+            .catch(() => { /* leave as 0 */ }),
+        );
+
+        // Reposts
+        promises.push(
+          relay.count([{ kinds: [6], '#e': [event.id] }], { signal })
+            .then((result) => { counts.get(event.id)!.reposts = result.count; })
+            .catch(() => { /* leave as 0 */ }),
+        );
+
+        // Reactions
+        promises.push(
+          relay.count([{ kinds: [7], '#e': [event.id] }], { signal })
+            .then((result) => { counts.get(event.id)!.reactions = result.count; })
+            .catch(() => { /* leave as 0 */ }),
+        );
+
+        // Zap receipts (count only — no amount without full events)
+        promises.push(
+          relay.count([{ kinds: [9735], '#e': [event.id] }], { signal })
+            .then((result) => { counts.get(event.id)!.zapAmount = result.count; })
+            .catch(() => { /* leave as 0 */ }),
+        );
+      }
+
+      await Promise.all(promises);
+
+      return counts;
+    },
+    enabled: events.length > 0,
+    staleTime: 30_000,
+    placeholderData: (prev) => prev,
+  });
+}