diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopLocalCache.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopLocalCache.kt
index 78d7f2e7e..7952ff5c2 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopLocalCache.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopLocalCache.kt
@@ -491,6 +491,29 @@ class DesktopLocalCache : ICacheProvider {
         eventStream.emitDeletedNotes(notes)
     }
 
+    // ----- Profile count cache -----
+
+    private val followerCounts = ConcurrentHashMap<HexKey, Int>()
+    private val followingCounts = ConcurrentHashMap<HexKey, Int>()
+
+    fun getCachedFollowerCount(pubkey: HexKey): Int = followerCounts[pubkey] ?: 0
+
+    fun getCachedFollowingCount(pubkey: HexKey): Int = followingCounts[pubkey] ?: 0
+
+    fun cacheFollowerCount(
+        pubkey: HexKey,
+        count: Int,
+    ) {
+        followerCounts[pubkey] = count
+    }
+
+    fun cacheFollowingCount(
+        pubkey: HexKey,
+        count: Int,
+    ) {
+        followingCounts[pubkey] = count
+    }
+
     // ----- Stats -----
 
     fun userCount(): Int = users.size()
@@ -503,6 +526,8 @@ class DesktopLocalCache : ICacheProvider {
         addressableNotes.clear()
         deletedEvents.clear()
         _followedUsers.value = emptySet()
+        followerCounts.clear()
+        followingCounts.clear()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/ui/UserProfileScreen.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/ui/UserProfileScreen.kt
index 80a9919cf..32ea06258 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/ui/UserProfileScreen.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/ui/UserProfileScreen.kt
@@ -127,12 +127,22 @@ fun UserProfileScreen(
     val relayStatuses by relayManager.relayStatuses.collectAsState()
     val connectedRelays = remember(relayStatuses) { relayStatuses.keys }
 
-    // User metadata
-    var displayName by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
-    var about by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
-    var picture by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
-    var followersCount by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
-    var followingCount by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
+    // User metadata — seed from cache so returning to profile is instant
+    val cachedUser = remember(pubKeyHex) { localCache.getUserIfExists(pubKeyHex) }
+    val cachedMetadata = remember(pubKeyHex) { cachedUser?.metadataOrNull() }
+    var displayName by remember { mutableStateOf(cachedMetadata?.bestName()) }
+    var about by remember {
+        mutableStateOf(
+            cachedMetadata
+                ?.flow
+                ?.value
+                ?.info
+                ?.about,
+        )
+    }
+    var picture by remember { mutableStateOf(cachedMetadata?.profilePicture()) }
+    var followersCount by remember { mutableStateOf(localCache.getCachedFollowerCount(pubKeyHex)) }
+    var followingCount by remember { mutableStateOf(localCache.getCachedFollowingCount(pubKeyHex)) }
 
     // Profile editing state (only for own profile)
     val isOwnProfile = account != null && pubKeyHex == account.pubKeyHex
@@ -279,8 +289,9 @@ fun UserProfileScreen(
                 pubKeyHex = pubKeyHex,
                 onEvent = { event, _, _, _ ->
                     if (event is ContactListEvent) {
-                        // Count the number of people this user follows
-                        followingCount = event.verifiedFollowKeySet().size
+                        val count = event.verifiedFollowKeySet().size
+                        followingCount = count
+                        localCache.cacheFollowingCount(pubKeyHex, count)
                     }
                 },
                 onEose = { _, _ -> },
@@ -314,7 +325,9 @@ fun UserProfileScreen(
                 onEvent = { event, _, _, _ ->
                     // Count unique authors who follow this user
                     if (followerAuthors.add(event.pubKey)) {
-                        followersCount = followerAuthors.size
+                        val count = followerAuthors.size
+                        followersCount = count
+                        localCache.cacheFollowerCount(pubKeyHex, count)
                     }
                 },
                 onEose = { _, _ -> },
diff --git a/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopCachePipelineTest.kt b/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopCachePipelineTest.kt
index 9c92e54f3..e3f2e77ea 100644
--- a/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopCachePipelineTest.kt
+++ b/desktopApp/src/jvmTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/amethyst/desktop/cache/DesktopCachePipelineTest.kt
@@ -568,4 +568,69 @@ class DesktopCachePipelineTest {
         assertEquals(1, filtered.size, "applyFilter should only include followed users")
         assertEquals(followedPubKey, filtered.first().author?.pubkeyHex)
     }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // 10. Profile count caching
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    fun `profile follower count is cached and survives clear of note cache`() {
+        val cache = DesktopLocalCache()
+
+        assertEquals(0, cache.getCachedFollowerCount(userPubKey))
+
+        cache.cacheFollowerCount(userPubKey, 42)
+        assertEquals(42, cache.getCachedFollowerCount(userPubKey))
+
+        // Updating again overwrites
+        cache.cacheFollowerCount(userPubKey, 100)
+        assertEquals(100, cache.getCachedFollowerCount(userPubKey))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `profile following count is cached`() {
+        val cache = DesktopLocalCache()
+
+        cache.cacheFollowingCount(userPubKey, 150)
+        assertEquals(150, cache.getCachedFollowingCount(userPubKey))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `clear resets profile count caches`() {
+        val cache = DesktopLocalCache()
+        cache.cacheFollowerCount(userPubKey, 42)
+        cache.cacheFollowingCount(userPubKey, 150)
+
+        cache.clear()
+
+        assertEquals(0, cache.getCachedFollowerCount(userPubKey))
+        assertEquals(0, cache.getCachedFollowingCount(userPubKey))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `metadata is available from cache after consumption`() {
+        val cache = DesktopLocalCache()
+        val metadata =
+            com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.metadata.MetadataEvent(
+                id = "meta1".padEnd(64, '0'),
+                pubKey = userPubKey,
+                createdAt = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000,
+                tags = emptyArray(),
+                content = """{"name":"TestUser","display_name":"Test User","about":"A test user"}""",
+                sig = dummySig,
+            )
+
+        cache.consume(metadata, relayUrl)
+
+        val user = cache.getUserIfExists(userPubKey)!!
+        val cached = user.metadataOrNull()
+        assertTrue(cached != null, "Metadata should be cached after consumption")
+        assertEquals("Test User", cached.bestName())
+        assertEquals(
+            "A test user",
+            cached.flow.value
+                ?.info
+                ?.about,
+        )
+    }
 }