diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/StarterPackDialog.tsx b/src/components/dialogs/StarterPackDialog.tsx
index 0b7759673b..e6025606fb 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/StarterPackDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/StarterPackDialog.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   useListMembershipAddMutation,
   useListMembershipRemoveMutation,
 } from '#/state/queries/list-memberships'
+import {useProfileQuery} from '#/state/queries/profile'
 import {atoms as a, native, platform, useTheme} from '#/alf'
 import {AvatarStack} from '#/components/AvatarStack'
 import {Button, ButtonIcon, ButtonText} from '#/components/Button'
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ function StarterPackList({
 }) {
   const control = Dialog.useDialogContext()
   const {_} = useLingui()
+  const {data: subject} = useProfileQuery({did: targetDid})
 
   const {
     data,
@@ -153,9 +155,13 @@ function StarterPackList({
 
   const renderItem = useCallback(
     ({item}: {item: StarterPackWithMembership}) => (
-      <StarterPackItem starterPackWithMembership={item} targetDid={targetDid} />
+      <StarterPackItem
+        starterPackWithMembership={item}
+        targetDid={targetDid}
+        subject={subject}
+      />
     ),
-    [targetDid],
+    [targetDid, subject],
   )
 
   const onClose = useCallback(() => {
@@ -244,9 +250,11 @@ function StarterPackList({
 function StarterPackItem({
   starterPackWithMembership,
   targetDid,
+  subject,
 }: {
   starterPackWithMembership: StarterPackWithMembership
   targetDid: string
+  subject: bsky.profile.AnyProfileView
 }) {
   const t = useTheme()
   const ax = useAnalytics()
@@ -257,6 +265,7 @@ function StarterPackItem({
 
   const {mutate: addMembership, isPending: isPendingAdd} =
     useListMembershipAddMutation({
+      subject,
       onSuccess: () => {
         Toast.show(_(msg`Added to starter pack`))
       },
diff --git a/src/state/queries/list-memberships.ts b/src/state/queries/list-memberships.ts
index b1c1dd9a3a..dd7fde2482 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/list-memberships.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/list-memberships.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
 import {STALE} from '#/state/queries'
 import {RQKEY as LIST_MEMBERS_RQKEY} from '#/state/queries/list-members'
 import {useAgent, useSession} from '#/state/session'
+import type * as bsky from '#/types/bsky'
 import {RQKEY_WITH_MEMBERSHIP as STARTER_PACKS_WITH_MEMBERSHIPS_RKEY} from './actor-starter-packs'
 
 // sanity limit is SANITY_PAGE_LIMIT*PAGE_SIZE total records
@@ -101,9 +102,14 @@ export function getMembership(
 }
 
 export function useListMembershipAddMutation({
+  subject,
   onSuccess,
   onError,
 }: {
+  /**
+   * Needed for optimistic update of starter pack query
+   */
+  subject?: bsky.profile.AnyProfileView
   onSuccess?: (data: {uri: string; cid: string}) => void
   onError?: (error: Error) => void
 } = {}) {
@@ -133,7 +139,7 @@ export function useListMembershipAddMutation({
       // -prf
       return res
     },
-    onSuccess: async (data, variables) => {
+    onSuccess: (data, variables) => {
       // manually update the cache; a refetch is too expensive
       let memberships = queryClient.getQueryData<ListMembersip[]>(RQKEY())
       if (memberships) {
@@ -163,10 +169,6 @@ export function useListMembershipAddMutation({
       }, 1e3)
 
       // update WITH_MEMBERSHIPS query
-      const subject = await agent
-        .getProfile({actor: variables.actorDid})
-        .then(res => res.data)
-        .catch(() => undefined)
 
       if (subject) {
         queryClient.setQueryData<