diff --git a/src/services/contactService.ts b/src/services/contactService.ts
index 00dabd78..468777b3 100644
--- a/src/services/contactService.ts
+++ b/src/services/contactService.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-import { RelayPool, completeOnEose } from 'applesauce-relay'
-import { lastValueFrom, merge, Observable, takeUntil, timer, toArray } from 'rxjs'
+import { RelayPool } from 'applesauce-relay'
+import { Observable } from 'rxjs'
 import { prioritizeLocalRelays } from '../utils/helpers'
+import { queryEvents } from './dataFetch'
+import { CONTACTS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '../config/network'
 
 /**
  * Fetches the contact list (follows) for a specific user
@@ -15,24 +17,27 @@ export const fetchContacts = async (
 ): Promise<Set<string>> => {
   try {
     const relayUrls = prioritizeLocalRelays(Array.from(relayPool.relays.values()).map(relay => relay.url))
-    
     console.log('🔍 Fetching contacts (kind 3) for user:', pubkey)
-    
-    // Local-first quick attempt
-    const localRelays = relayUrls.filter(url => url.includes('localhost') || url.includes('127.0.0.1'))
-    const remoteRelays = relayUrls.filter(url => !url.includes('localhost') && !url.includes('127.0.0.1'))
-    const local$ = localRelays.length > 0
-      ? relayPool
-          .req(localRelays, { kinds: [3], authors: [pubkey] })
-          .pipe(completeOnEose(), takeUntil(timer(1200)))
-      : new Observable<{ created_at: number; tags: string[][] }>((sub) => sub.complete())
-    const remote$ = remoteRelays.length > 0
-      ? relayPool
-          .req(remoteRelays, { kinds: [3], authors: [pubkey] })
-          .pipe(completeOnEose(), takeUntil(timer(6000)))
-      : new Observable<{ created_at: number; tags: string[][] }>((sub) => sub.complete())
-    const events = await lastValueFrom(
-      merge(local$, remote$).pipe(toArray())
+
+    const partialFollowed = new Set<string>()
+    const events = await queryEvents(
+      relayPool,
+      { kinds: [3], authors: [pubkey] },
+      {
+        relayUrls,
+        remoteTimeoutMs: CONTACTS_REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        onEvent: (event: { created_at: number; tags: string[][] }) => {
+          // Stream partials as we see any contact list
+          for (const tag of event.tags) {
+            if (tag[0] === 'p' && tag[1]) {
+              partialFollowed.add(tag[1])
+            }
+          }
+          if (onPartial && partialFollowed.size > 0) {
+            onPartial(new Set(partialFollowed))
+          }
+        }
+      }
     )
     const followed = new Set<string>()
     if (events.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/services/dataFetch.ts b/src/services/dataFetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f4f31bb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/dataFetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { RelayPool, completeOnEose, onlyEvents } from 'applesauce-relay'
+import { Observable, merge, takeUntil, timer, toArray, tap, lastValueFrom } from 'rxjs'
+import { NostrEvent } from 'nostr-tools'
+import { prioritizeLocalRelays, partitionRelays } from '../utils/helpers'
+import { LOCAL_TIMEOUT_MS, REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS } from '../config/network'
+
+export interface QueryOptions {
+  relayUrls?: string[]
+  localTimeoutMs?: number
+  remoteTimeoutMs?: number
+  onEvent?: (event: NostrEvent) => void
+}
+
+/**
+ * Unified local-first query helper with optional streaming callback.
+ * Returns all collected events (deduped by id) after both streams complete or time out.
+ */
+export async function queryEvents(
+  relayPool: RelayPool,
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  filter: any,
+  options: QueryOptions = {}
+): Promise<NostrEvent[]> {
+  const {
+    relayUrls,
+    localTimeoutMs = LOCAL_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    remoteTimeoutMs = REMOTE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    onEvent
+  } = options
+
+  const urls = relayUrls && relayUrls.length > 0
+    ? relayUrls
+    : Array.from(relayPool.relays.values()).map(r => r.url)
+
+  const ordered = prioritizeLocalRelays(urls)
+  const { local: localRelays, remote: remoteRelays } = partitionRelays(ordered)
+
+  const local$: Observable<NostrEvent> = localRelays.length > 0
+    ? relayPool
+        .req(localRelays, filter)
+        .pipe(
+          onlyEvents(),
+          onEvent ? tap((e: NostrEvent) => onEvent(e)) : tap(() => {}),
+          completeOnEose(),
+          takeUntil(timer(localTimeoutMs))
+        ) as unknown as Observable<NostrEvent>
+    : new Observable<NostrEvent>((sub) => sub.complete())
+
+  const remote$: Observable<NostrEvent> = remoteRelays.length > 0
+    ? relayPool
+        .req(remoteRelays, filter)
+        .pipe(
+          onlyEvents(),
+          onEvent ? tap((e: NostrEvent) => onEvent(e)) : tap(() => {}),
+          completeOnEose(),
+          takeUntil(timer(remoteTimeoutMs))
+        ) as unknown as Observable<NostrEvent>
+    : new Observable<NostrEvent>((sub) => sub.complete())
+
+  const events = await lastValueFrom(merge(local$, remote$).pipe(toArray()))
+
+  // Deduplicate by id (callers can perform higher-level replaceable grouping if needed)
+  const byId = new Map<string, NostrEvent>()
+  for (const ev of events) {
+    if (!byId.has(ev.id)) byId.set(ev.id, ev)
+  }
+  return Array.from(byId.values())
+}
+
+