diff --git a/src/routes/_actions/lists.js b/src/routes/_actions/lists.js
index 8dba682b..96a04c82 100644
--- a/src/routes/_actions/lists.js
+++ b/src/routes/_actions/lists.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import { store } from '../_store/store'
 import { getLists } from '../_api/lists'
-import { cacheFirstUpdateAfter } from '../_utils/sync'
+import { cacheFirstUpdateAfter, cacheFirstUpdateOnlyIfNotInCache } from '../_utils/sync'
 import { database } from '../_database/database'
 
-export async function updateListsForInstance (instanceName) {
+async function syncLists (instanceName, syncMethod) {
   const { loggedInInstances } = store.get()
   const accessToken = loggedInInstances[instanceName].access_token
 
-  await cacheFirstUpdateAfter(
+  await syncMethod(
     () => getLists(instanceName, accessToken),
     () => database.getLists(instanceName),
     lists => database.setLists(instanceName, lists),
@@ -18,3 +18,11 @@ export async function updateListsForInstance (instanceName) {
     }
   )
 }
+
+export async function updateListsForInstance (instanceName) {
+  await syncLists(instanceName, cacheFirstUpdateAfter)
+}
+
+export async function setupListsForInstance (instanceName) {
+  await syncLists(instanceName, cacheFirstUpdateOnlyIfNotInCache)
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/_store/observers/instanceObservers.js b/src/routes/_store/observers/instanceObservers.js
index 80b98ac4..a17dcd56 100644
--- a/src/routes/_store/observers/instanceObservers.js
+++ b/src/routes/_store/observers/instanceObservers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { updateInstanceInfo, updateVerifyCredentialsForInstance } from '../../_actions/instances'
+import { setupListsForInstance } from '../../_actions/lists'
 import { createStream } from '../../_actions/stream/streaming'
 import { updatePushSubscriptionForInstance } from '../../_actions/pushSubscription'
 import { updateCustomEmojiForInstance } from '../../_actions/emoji'
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ async function doRefreshInstanceDataAndStream (store, instanceName) {
 async function refreshInstanceData (instanceName) {
   // these are all low-priority
   scheduleIdleTask(() => updateCustomEmojiForInstance(instanceName))
+  scheduleIdleTask(() => setupListsForInstance(instanceName))
   scheduleIdleTask(() => updatePushSubscriptionForInstance(instanceName))
 
   // these are the only critical ones
diff --git a/src/routes/_utils/sync.js b/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
index 8c7ce059..ec511bb5 100644
--- a/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
+++ b/src/routes/_utils/sync.js
@@ -20,3 +20,21 @@ export async function cacheFirstUpdateAfter (networkFetcher, dbFetcher, dbUpdate
     }
   }
 }
+
+// Try the cache first. If we get a hit, set the state and do nothing. If we don't get a cache hit,
+// then go to the network, update the cache, and set the state.
+export async function cacheFirstUpdateOnlyIfNotInCache (networkFetcher, dbFetcher, dbUpdater, stateSetter) {
+  let dbResponse
+  try {
+    dbResponse = await dbFetcher()
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('ignored DB error', err)
+  }
+  if (dbResponse) {
+    stateSetter(dbResponse)
+  } else {
+    const networkResponse = await networkFetcher()
+    /* no await */ dbUpdater(networkResponse)
+    stateSetter(networkResponse)
+  }
+}