diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index e3ebf655..6b73a555 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { useOnlineStatus } from './hooks/useOnlineStatus'
 import { RELAYS } from './config/relays'
 import { SkeletonThemeProvider } from './components/Skeletons'
 import { loadUserRelayList, loadBlockedRelays, computeRelaySet } from './services/relayListService'
-import { applyRelaySetToPool, getActiveRelayUrls, ALWAYS_LOCAL_RELAYS } from './services/relayManager'
+import { applyRelaySetToPool, getActiveRelayUrls, ALWAYS_LOCAL_RELAYS, HARDCODED_RELAYS } from './services/relayManager'
 import { Bookmark } from './types/bookmarks'
 import { bookmarkController } from './services/bookmarkController'
 import { contactsController } from './services/contactsController'
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ function App() {
           loadUserRelayList(pool, pubkey, {
             onUpdate: (userRelays) => {
               const interimRelays = computeRelaySet({
-                hardcoded: [],
+                hardcoded: HARDCODED_RELAYS,
                 bunker: bunkerRelays,
                 userList: userRelays,
                 blocked: [],
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ function App() {
             const blockedRelays = await blockedPromise.catch(() => [])
 
             const finalRelays = computeRelaySet({
-              hardcoded: userRelayList.length > 0 ? [] : RELAYS,
+              hardcoded: userRelayList.length > 0 ? HARDCODED_RELAYS : RELAYS,
               bunker: bunkerRelays,
               userList: userRelayList,
               blocked: blockedRelays,
diff --git a/src/services/relayManager.ts b/src/services/relayManager.ts
index 48d89d23..877cbdbe 100644
--- a/src/services/relayManager.ts
+++ b/src/services/relayManager.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ export const ALWAYS_LOCAL_RELAYS = [
   'ws://localhost:4869'
 ]
 
+/**
+ * Hardcoded relays that are always included
+ */
+export const HARDCODED_RELAYS = [
+  'wss://relay.nostr.band'
+]
+
 /**
  * Gets active relay URLs from the relay pool
  */