diff --git a/src/app/chat/page.tsx b/src/app/chat/page.tsx
index fd6a16c..97c68cb 100644
--- a/src/app/chat/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/chat/page.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export default function Home() {
   /* SECT: LHUA; Lord help us all these ones */
   const [ textBox, setTextBox ] = useState<React.ReactNode>(null);
   let Message = useRef<(message:MessageType) => React.ReactNode>(() => <></>);
-  const [, forceUpdate] = useState({});
+  const [ affectedByUpdate, forceUpdate ] = useState({});
   const externCachedUsers = useRef(new Map());
   /* END_SECT LHUA; */
 
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ export default function Home() {
       if (token != null)
         socket.emit('SIG_CHAT_JOIN', { token }, joinChatRes);
 
+      socket.emit('SIG_CHAT_CHANNELS', {}, channelsChatRes);
+
       setTextBox(<div className={styles.textBox}>
         <textarea rows={2} className={styles.textBoxInput} ref={chatInput}></textarea>
         <button className={styles.textBoxButton} onClick={() => socket.emit('SIG_CHAT_MESSAGE', { message: chatInput.current?.value }, messageChatRes)}>Send</button>
@@ -195,7 +197,9 @@ export default function Home() {
         const timeSent = new Date(message.timestamp * 1000).toLocaleTimeString();
         return <div className={styles.Message} key={message.id}>
           <h3 className={styles.MessageHeader}>
-            <a href={`/jams/user/${user?.id}`} target="_blank">{user?.username}@{user?.instance}</a>
+            {user?.id != null ?
+              <a href={`/jams/user/${user?.id}`} target="_blank">{user?.username}@{user?.instance}</a>
+            : <i>Fetching user...</i>}
             {" "}
             <Conditional condition={canDelete} 
               truthy={<button onClick={() => socket.emit('SIG_CHAT_RMMESSAGE', { messageId: message.id }, rmmessageChatRes)} className={styles.deleteButton}>
@@ -331,7 +335,6 @@ export default function Home() {
       setError(type, spec, data);
     } else {
       setWhoAmI(data);
-      socket.emit('SIG_CHAT_CHANNELS', {}, channelsChatRes);
     }
   }
 
@@ -385,7 +388,7 @@ export default function Home() {
         </form>
         <p><small>Tested on Discord, GitHub, Mastodon, GoToSocial, Pleroma, and Misskey</small></p>
       </>);
-  }, [messages]);
+  }, [affectedByUpdate, messages]);
 
   return (
     <ChatLayout