diff --git a/src/state/queries/preferences/index.ts b/src/state/queries/preferences/index.ts
index f42c9d79b2..8ffaf23c88 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/preferences/index.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/preferences/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
 import {STALE} from '#/state/queries'
 import {useLabelDefinitions} from '#/state/queries/preferences/moderation'
 import {useHiddenPosts} from '#/state/preferences'
+import {saveLabelers} from '#/state/session/agent-config'
 
 export * from '#/state/queries/preferences/types'
 export * from '#/state/queries/preferences/moderation'
@@ -42,6 +43,13 @@ export function usePreferencesQuery() {
         return DEFAULT_LOGGED_OUT_PREFERENCES
       } else {
         const res = await agent.getPreferences()
+
+        // save to local storage to ensure there are labels on initial requests
+        saveLabelers(
+          agent.session.did,
+          res.moderationPrefs.labelers.map(l => l.did),
+        )
+
         const preferences: UsePreferencesQueryResponse = {
           ...res,
           feeds: {
diff --git a/src/state/session/agent-config.ts b/src/state/session/agent-config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ee2718a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/state/session/agent-config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage'
+
+const PREFIX = 'agent-labelers'
+
+export async function saveLabelers(did: string, value: string[]) {
+  await AsyncStorage.setItem(`${PREFIX}:${did}`, JSON.stringify(value))
+}
+
+export async function readLabelers(did: string): Promise<string[] | undefined> {
+  const rawData = await AsyncStorage.getItem(`${PREFIX}:${did}`)
+  return rawData ? JSON.parse(rawData) : undefined
+}
diff --git a/src/state/session/index.tsx b/src/state/session/index.tsx
index 323b59bf11..6b14748393 100644
--- a/src/state/session/index.tsx
+++ b/src/state/session/index.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {useLoggedOutViewControls} from '#/state/shell/logged-out'
 import {useCloseAllActiveElements} from '#/state/util'
 import {track} from '#/lib/analytics/analytics'
 import {hasProp} from '#/lib/type-guards'
+import {readLabelers} from './agent-config'
 
 let __globalAgent: BskyAgent = PUBLIC_BSKY_AGENT
 
@@ -661,12 +662,23 @@ export function Provider({children}: React.PropsWithChildren<{}>) {
 
 async function configureModeration(agent: BskyAgent, account: SessionAccount) {
   if (IS_TEST_USER(account.handle)) {
-    console.warn('USING TEST ENV MODERATION')
-    const did = (await agent.resolveHandle({handle: 'mod-authority.test'})).data
-      .did
-    BskyAgent.configure({appLabelers: [did]})
+    const did = (
+      await agent
+        .resolveHandle({handle: 'mod-authority.test'})
+        .catch(_ => undefined)
+    )?.data.did
+    if (did) {
+      console.warn('USING TEST ENV MODERATION')
+      BskyAgent.configure({appLabelers: [did]})
+    }
   } else {
     BskyAgent.configure({appLabelers: [BSKY_LABELER_DID]})
+    const labelerDids = await readLabelers(account.did).catch(_ => {})
+    if (labelerDids) {
+      agent.configureLabelersHeader(
+        labelerDids.filter(did => did !== BSKY_LABELER_DID),
+      )
+    }
   }
 }