diff --git a/src/api/hooks/nostr/useSignerStream.ts b/src/api/hooks/nostr/useSignerStream.ts
index df221d175..35f4090d7 100644
--- a/src/api/hooks/nostr/useSignerStream.ts
+++ b/src/api/hooks/nostr/useSignerStream.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ const secretStorageKey = 'soapbox:nip46:secret';
 sessionStorage.setItem(secretStorageKey, crypto.randomUUID());
 
 function useSignerStream() {
-  const { relay, signer } = useNostr();
+  const [isSubscribed, setIsSubscribed] = useState(false);
+  const [isSubscribing, setIsSubscribing] = useState(true);
+
+  const { relay, signer, hasNostr } = useNostr();
   const [pubkey, setPubkey] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
 
   const authStorageKey = `soapbox:nostr:auth:${pubkey}`;
@@ -16,7 +19,7 @@ function useSignerStream() {
   useEffect(() => {
     let isCancelled = false;
 
-    if (signer) {
+    if (signer && hasNostr) {
       signer.getPublicKey().then((newPubkey) => {
         if (!isCancelled) {
           setPubkey(newPubkey);
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ function useSignerStream() {
     return () => {
       isCancelled = true;
     };
-  }, [signer]);
+  }, [signer, hasNostr]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!relay || !signer || !pubkey) return;
@@ -39,6 +42,10 @@ function useSignerStream() {
         localStorage.setItem(authStorageKey, authorizedPubkey);
         sessionStorage.setItem(secretStorageKey, crypto.randomUUID());
       },
+      onSubscribed() {
+        setIsSubscribed(true);
+        setIsSubscribing(false);
+      },
       authorizedPubkey: localStorage.getItem(authStorageKey) ?? undefined,
       getSecret: () => sessionStorage.getItem(secretStorageKey)!,
     });
@@ -47,6 +54,11 @@ function useSignerStream() {
       connect.close();
     };
   }, [relay, signer, pubkey]);
+
+  return {
+    isSubscribed,
+    isSubscribing,
+  };
 }
 
 export { useSignerStream };
diff --git a/src/contexts/nostr-context.tsx b/src/contexts/nostr-context.tsx
index f138a1754..5eab5d15e 100644
--- a/src/contexts/nostr-context.tsx
+++ b/src/contexts/nostr-context.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { useInstance } from 'soapbox/hooks/useInstance';
 interface NostrContextType {
   relay?: NRelay;
   signer?: NostrSigner;
+  hasNostr: boolean;
+  isRelayOpen: boolean;
 }
 
 const NostrContext = createContext<NostrContextType | undefined>(undefined);
@@ -18,7 +20,10 @@ interface NostrProviderProps {
 
 export const NostrProvider: React.FC<NostrProviderProps> = ({ children }) => {
   const instance = useInstance();
+  const hasNostr = !!instance.nostr;
+
   const [relay, setRelay] = useState<NRelay1>();
+  const [isRelayOpen, setIsRelayOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const { account } = useOwnAccount();
 
@@ -30,17 +35,24 @@ export const NostrProvider: React.FC<NostrProviderProps> = ({ children }) => {
     [accountPubkey],
   );
 
+  const handleRelayOpen = () => {
+    setIsRelayOpen(true);
+  };
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (url) {
-      setRelay(new NRelay1(url));
+      const relay = new NRelay1(url);
+      relay.socket.underlyingWebsocket.addEventListener('open', handleRelayOpen);
+      setRelay(relay);
     }
     return () => {
+      relay?.socket.underlyingWebsocket.removeEventListener('open', handleRelayOpen);
       relay?.close();
     };
   }, [url]);
 
   return (
-    <NostrContext.Provider value={{ relay, signer }}>
+    <NostrContext.Provider value={{ relay, signer, isRelayOpen, hasNostr }}>
       {children}
     </NostrContext.Provider>
   );
diff --git a/src/features/nostr/NConnect.ts b/src/features/nostr/NConnect.ts
index 1eb23c7de..a87489b3b 100644
--- a/src/features/nostr/NConnect.ts
+++ b/src/features/nostr/NConnect.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ interface NConnectOpts {
   signer: NostrSigner;
   authorizedPubkey: string | undefined;
   onAuthorize(pubkey: string): void;
+  onSubscribed(): void;
   getSecret(): string;
 }
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ export class NConnect {
   private signer: NostrSigner;
   private authorizedPubkey: string | undefined;
   private onAuthorize: (pubkey: string) => void;
+  private onSubscribed: () => void;
   private getSecret: () => string;
 
   private controller = new AbortController();
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ export class NConnect {
     this.signer = opts.signer;
     this.authorizedPubkey = opts.authorizedPubkey;
     this.onAuthorize = opts.onAuthorize;
+    this.onSubscribed = opts.onSubscribed;
     this.getSecret = opts.getSecret;
 
     this.open();
@@ -32,7 +35,10 @@ export class NConnect {
     const pubkey = await this.signer.getPublicKey();
     const signal = this.controller.signal;
 
-    for await (const msg of this.relay.req([{ kinds: [24133], '#p': [pubkey] }], { signal })) {
+    const sub = this.relay.req([{ kinds: [24133], '#p': [pubkey] }], { signal });
+    this.onSubscribed();
+
+    for await (const msg of sub) {
       if (msg[0] === 'EVENT') {
         const event = msg[2];
         this.handleEvent(event);
diff --git a/src/init/soapbox-load.tsx b/src/init/soapbox-load.tsx
index ccd3ce70e..2b1951863 100644
--- a/src/init/soapbox-load.tsx
+++ b/src/init/soapbox-load.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { fetchMe } from 'soapbox/actions/me';
 import { loadSoapboxConfig } from 'soapbox/actions/soapbox';
 import { useSignerStream } from 'soapbox/api/hooks/nostr/useSignerStream';
 import LoadingScreen from 'soapbox/components/loading-screen';
+import { useNostr } from 'soapbox/contexts/nostr-context';
 import {
   useAppSelector,
   useAppDispatch,
@@ -44,7 +45,8 @@ const SoapboxLoad: React.FC<ISoapboxLoad> = ({ children }) => {
   const [localeLoading, setLocaleLoading] = useState(true);
   const [isLoaded, setIsLoaded] = useState(false);
 
-  useSignerStream();
+  const { hasNostr, isRelayOpen } = useNostr();
+  const { isSubscribed } = useSignerStream();
 
   /** Whether to display a loading indicator. */
   const showLoading = [
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ const SoapboxLoad: React.FC<ISoapboxLoad> = ({ children }) => {
     !isLoaded,
     localeLoading,
     swUpdating,
+    hasNostr && (!isRelayOpen || !isSubscribed),
   ].some(Boolean);
 
   // Load the user's locale