diff --git a/src/components/Explore.tsx b/src/components/Explore.tsx
index 68db0bc6..ab01537c 100644
--- a/src/components/Explore.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Explore.tsx
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ const Explore: React.FC<ExploreProps> = ({ relayPool, eventStore, settings, acti
     }
 
     loadData()
-  }, [relayPool, activeAccount, blogPosts.length, highlights.length, refreshTrigger])
+  }, [relayPool, activeAccount, blogPosts.length, highlights.length, refreshTrigger, eventStore, settings])
 
   // Pull-to-refresh
   const pullToRefreshState = usePullToRefresh(exploreContainerRef, {
diff --git a/src/services/profileService.ts b/src/services/profileService.ts
index 5c09e9b2..4ada00ba 100644
--- a/src/services/profileService.ts
+++ b/src/services/profileService.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { RelayPool, completeOnEose, onlyEvents, mapEventsToStore } from 'applesauce-relay'
-import { lastValueFrom, merge, Observable, takeUntil, timer, toArray } from 'rxjs'
+import { RelayPool, completeOnEose, onlyEvents } from 'applesauce-relay'
+import { lastValueFrom, merge, Observable, takeUntil, timer, toArray, tap } from 'rxjs'
 import { NostrEvent } from 'nostr-tools'
 import { IEventStore } from 'applesauce-core'
 import { prioritizeLocalRelays, partitionRelays } from '../utils/helpers'
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ export const fetchProfiles = async (
       const existing = profilesByPubkey.get(event.pubkey)
       if (!existing || event.created_at > existing.created_at) {
         profilesByPubkey.set(event.pubkey, event)
+        // Store in event store immediately
+        eventStore.add(event)
       }
     }
 
@@ -43,9 +45,9 @@ export const fetchProfiles = async (
           .req(localRelays, { kinds: [0], authors: uniquePubkeys })
           .pipe(
             onlyEvents(),
+            tap((event: NostrEvent) => processEvent(event)),
             completeOnEose(),
-            takeUntil(timer(1200)),
-            mapEventsToStore(eventStore)
+            takeUntil(timer(1200))
           )
       : new Observable<NostrEvent>((sub) => sub.complete())
 
@@ -54,15 +56,13 @@ export const fetchProfiles = async (
           .req(remoteRelays, { kinds: [0], authors: uniquePubkeys })
           .pipe(
             onlyEvents(),
+            tap((event: NostrEvent) => processEvent(event)),
             completeOnEose(),
-            takeUntil(timer(6000)),
-            mapEventsToStore(eventStore)
+            takeUntil(timer(6000))
           )
       : new Observable<NostrEvent>((sub) => sub.complete())
 
-    const events = await lastValueFrom(merge(local$, remote$).pipe(toArray()))
-    
-    events.forEach(processEvent)
+    await lastValueFrom(merge(local$, remote$).pipe(toArray()))
 
     const profiles = Array.from(profilesByPubkey.values())
     console.log('✅ Fetched', profiles.length, 'unique profiles')