diff --git a/src/components/feed/Feed.tsx b/src/components/feed/Feed.tsx
index b1e1f56..90e15e6 100644
--- a/src/components/feed/Feed.tsx
+++ b/src/components/feed/Feed.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useUserStore } from "../../stores/user";
 import { useMuteStore } from "../../stores/mute";
 import { useUIStore } from "../../stores/ui";
 import { useWoTStore } from "../../stores/wot";
-import { fetchFollowFeed, getNDK, ensureConnected } from "../../lib/nostr";
+import { fetchFollowFeed, getNDK, ensureConnected, batchFetchProfileAges } from "../../lib/nostr";
 import { diagWrapFetch, logDiag } from "../../lib/feedDiagnostics";
 import { detectScript, getEventLanguageTag, FILTER_SCRIPTS } from "../../lib/language";
 import { NoteCard } from "./NoteCard";
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ export function Feed() {
   useEffect(() => {
     // Show cached notes immediately, then fetch fresh ones once connected
     loadCachedFeed();
-    connect().then(() => loadFeed());
+    connect().then(() => loadFeed().then(() => {
+      const pubkeys = [...new Set(useFeedStore.getState().notes.map((e) => e.pubkey))];
+      batchFetchProfileAges(pubkeys);
+    }));
   }, []);
 
 
diff --git a/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx b/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
index 9dcd81d..f91bef6 100644
--- a/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/feed/NoteCard.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { useUserStore } from "../../stores/user";
 import { useMuteStore } from "../../stores/mute";
 import { useUIStore } from "../../stores/ui";
 import { timeAgo, shortenPubkey } from "../../lib/utils";
-import { getNDK, fetchNoteById, ensureConnected } from "../../lib/nostr";
+import { getNDK, fetchNoteById, ensureConnected, getProfileAge } from "../../lib/nostr";
 import { getParentEventId } from "../../lib/threadTree";
 import { NoteContent } from "./NoteContent";
 import { NoteActions, LoggedOutStats } from "./NoteActions";
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export const NoteCard = memo(function NoteCard({ event, focused, onReplyInThread
   const nip05 = typeof profile?.nip05 === "string" ? profile.nip05 : null;
   const verified = useNip05Verified(event.pubkey, nip05);
   const time = event.created_at ? timeAgo(event.created_at) : "";
-  const profileCreatedAt = typeof profile?._createdAt === "number" ? profile._createdAt : null;
+  const profileCreatedAt = getProfileAge(event.pubkey);
   const isNewAccount = profileCreatedAt !== null && (Date.now() / 1000 - profileCreatedAt) < 60 * 24 * 3600;
 
   const loggedIn = useUserStore((s) => s.loggedIn);
diff --git a/src/components/thread/ThreadView.tsx b/src/components/thread/ThreadView.tsx
index 8814fb2..49e7748 100644
--- a/src/components/thread/ThreadView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/thread/ThreadView.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useAutoResize } from "../../hooks/useAutoResize";
 import { useUIStore } from "../../stores/ui";
 import { useUserStore } from "../../stores/user";
 import { useMuteStore } from "../../stores/mute";
-import { fetchNoteById, fetchThreadEvents, fetchAncestors, publishReply, getNDK, ensureConnected } from "../../lib/nostr";
+import { fetchNoteById, fetchThreadEvents, fetchAncestors, publishReply, getNDK, ensureConnected, batchFetchProfileAges } from "../../lib/nostr";
 import { buildThreadTree, getRootEventId } from "../../lib/threadTree";
 import type { ThreadNode } from "../../lib/threadTree";
 import { debug } from "../../lib/debug";
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ export function ThreadView() {
 
         const built = buildThreadTree(root.id, allEvents);
         setTree(built);
+        batchFetchProfileAges([...new Set(allEvents.map((e) => e.pubkey))]);
       } catch (err) {
         debug.error("Failed to load thread:", err);
         if (!cancelled) setLoadError(`Failed to load: ${err}`);
diff --git a/src/lib/nostr/index.ts b/src/lib/nostr/index.ts
index 6ccde72..0f992f6 100644
--- a/src/lib/nostr/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/nostr/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 export { getNDK, getNDKUptimeMs, connectToRelays, ensureConnected, resetNDK, getStoredRelayUrls, normalizeRelayUrl, addRelay, removeRelay, fetchWithTimeout, withTimeout, FEED_TIMEOUT, THREAD_TIMEOUT, SINGLE_TIMEOUT } from "./core";
 export { fetchGlobalFeed, fetchMediaFeed, fetchFollowFeed, fetchUserNotes, fetchUserNotesNIP65, fetchNoteById, fetchReplies, publishNote, publishReply, publishRepost, publishQuote, fetchHashtagFeed, fetchThreadEvents, fetchAncestors } from "./notes";
-export { publishProfile, publishContactList, fetchProfile, fetchFollowSuggestions, fetchMentions, fetchFollowers, fetchNewFollowers } from "./social";
+export { publishProfile, publishContactList, fetchProfile, fetchFollowSuggestions, fetchMentions, fetchFollowers, fetchNewFollowers, batchFetchProfileAges, getProfileAge } from "./social";
 export { publishArticle, fetchArticle, fetchAuthorArticles, fetchArticleFeed, searchArticles, fetchByAddr } from "./articles";
 export { publishReaction, fetchReplyCount, fetchZapCount, fetchReactions, groupReactions, fetchBatchEngagement, fetchZapsReceived, fetchZapsSent } from "./engagement";
 export type { GroupedReactions, BatchEngagement } from "./engagement";
diff --git a/src/lib/nostr/social.ts b/src/lib/nostr/social.ts
index f631932..831d27b 100644
--- a/src/lib/nostr/social.ts
+++ b/src/lib/nostr/social.ts
@@ -33,14 +33,26 @@ export async function publishContactList(pubkeys: string[]): Promise<void> {
 
 export async function fetchProfile(pubkey: string) {
   const instance = getNDK();
-  const events = await fetchWithTimeout(instance, { kinds: [0], authors: [pubkey] }, FEED_TIMEOUT);
-  const event = [...events].sort((a, b) => (b.created_at ?? 0) - (a.created_at ?? 0))[0];
-  if (!event) return null;
-  try {
-    const content = JSON.parse(event.content) as Record<string, unknown>;
-    return { ...content, _createdAt: event.created_at ?? null };
-  } catch {
-    return null;
+  const user = instance.getUser({ pubkey });
+  await user.fetchProfile();
+  return user.profile ?? null;
+}
+
+// Bulk-fetch kind-0 events for many pubkeys in one relay query and populate
+// the profile-age cache. Called once per feed/thread load — not per note.
+const profileAgeCache = new Map<string, number>();
+
+export function getProfileAge(pubkey: string): number | null {
+  return profileAgeCache.get(pubkey) ?? null;
+}
+
+export async function batchFetchProfileAges(pubkeys: string[]): Promise<void> {
+  const needed = pubkeys.filter((pk) => !profileAgeCache.has(pk));
+  if (needed.length === 0) return;
+  const instance = getNDK();
+  const events = await fetchWithTimeout(instance, { kinds: [0], authors: needed }, FEED_TIMEOUT);
+  for (const event of events) {
+    if (event.created_at) profileAgeCache.set(event.pubkey, event.created_at);
   }
 }