diff --git a/lexicons/app/bsky/feed/defs.json b/lexicons/app/bsky/feed/defs.json
index 436782d4ec..a59b32914d 100644
--- a/lexicons/app/bsky/feed/defs.json
+++ b/lexicons/app/bsky/feed/defs.json
@@ -202,10 +202,37 @@
         },
         "embeddingDisabled": {
           "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "knownLikers": {
+          "description": "This property is present only in selected cases, as an optimization.",
+          "type": "ref",
+          "ref": "#knownLikers"
         }
       },
       "description": "Metadata about the requesting account's relationship with the subject content. Only has meaningful content for authed requests."
     },
+    "knownLikers": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "description": "The post's likers whom you also follow",
+      "required": [
+        "count",
+        "actors"
+      ],
+      "properties": {
+        "count": {
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "actors": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "minLength": 0,
+          "maxLength": 5,
+          "items": {
+            "type": "ref",
+            "ref": "app.bsky.actor.defs#profileViewBasic"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "feedViewPost": {
       "type": "object",
       "required": [
diff --git a/src/analytics/features/types.ts b/src/analytics/features/types.ts
index d86ad83ff7..b08d3c55fa 100644
--- a/src/analytics/features/types.ts
+++ b/src/analytics/features/types.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ export enum Features {
   ComposerLanguageDetectionEnable = 'composer:language_detection:enable',
   PostGalleryEmbedEnable = 'post_gallery_embed:enable',
   PostThreadKnownLikersEnable = 'post_thread:known_likers:enable',
-  PostThreadKnownLikersFetchEnable = 'post_thread:known_likers:fetch:enable',
   CustomLogoJapanEnable = 'custom_logo:japan:enable',
   VideoAllow10MinuteEnable = 'video:allow-10-minute:enable',
   VideoMultipartUploadEnable = 'video:multipart_upload:enable',
diff --git a/src/screens/PostThread/components/LikesStat.tsx b/src/screens/PostThread/components/LikesStat.tsx
index fab45ab155..15cbeba3ac 100644
--- a/src/screens/PostThread/components/LikesStat.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/PostThread/components/LikesStat.tsx
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import {Plural, Trans, useLingui} from '@lingui/react/macro'
 import {makeProfileLink} from '#/lib/routes/links'
 import {sanitizeDisplayName} from '#/lib/strings/display-names'
 import {useModerationOpts} from '#/state/preferences/moderation-opts'
-import {useLikedBySampleQuery} from '#/state/queries/post-liked-by'
-import {useSession} from '#/state/session'
 import {atoms as a, useTheme} from '#/alf'
 import {AvatarStack} from '#/components/AvatarStack'
 import {InlineLinkText, Link} from '#/components/Link'
@@ -59,29 +57,16 @@ export function LikesStat({post}: {post: app.bsky.feed.defs.PostView}) {
  * the post's recent likers, renders a face pile plus "Liked by A and B" on
  * its own row below the interaction stats line. Renders nothing otherwise.
  *
- * Known likers are sourced client-side from a single `getLikes` request (100
- * likes, the API max per page), so they are a sample of the most recent
- * likers, not an exhaustive list.
+ * Known likers are included in the post viewer state so this can render with
+ * the rest of the thread, without a separate request or layout shift.
  */
 export function KnownLikers({post}: {post: app.bsky.feed.defs.PostView}) {
   const t = useTheme()
   const {t: l} = useLingui()
-  const {hasSession, currentAccount} = useSession()
   const moderationOpts = useModerationOpts()
   const ax = useAnalytics()
 
   const likeCount = post.likeCount ?? 0
-  /*
-   * Kill switch for the getLikes sample request itself, separate from the
-   * display gate below.
-   */
-  const fetchEnabled = ax.features.enabled(
-    ax.features.PostThreadKnownLikersFetchEnable,
-  )
-  const {data} = useLikedBySampleQuery({
-    uri: fetchEnabled && hasSession && likeCount > 0 ? post.uri : undefined,
-  })
-
   if (likeCount === 0) return null
 
   const urip = new AtUri(post.uri)
@@ -89,17 +74,14 @@ export function KnownLikers({post}: {post: app.bsky.feed.defs.PostView}) {
   const onPressLikedBy = () => ax.metric('post:likedBy:click', {})
 
   const knownLikersAndModeration = moderationOpts
-    ? (data?.likes ?? [])
-        .map(like => like.actor)
+    ? (post.viewer?.knownLikers?.actors ?? [])
         .map(actor => ({
           actor,
           moderation: moderateProfile(actor, moderationOpts),
         }))
-        .filter(({actor, moderation}) => {
+        .filter(({moderation}) => {
           const modui = moderation.ui('profileList')
-          const isMe = actor.did === currentAccount?.did
-          const following = actor.viewer?.following
-          return !isMe && following && !modui.filter
+          return !modui.filter
         })
     : []
 
diff --git a/src/state/queries/post-liked-by.ts b/src/state/queries/post-liked-by.ts
index 0964d0be24..b59c5f55c0 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/post-liked-by.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/post-liked-by.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@ import {
   type QueryClient,
   type QueryKey,
   useInfiniteQuery,
-  useQuery,
 } from '@tanstack/react-query'
 
-import {STALE} from '#/state/queries'
-import {createQueryKey} from '#/state/queries/util'
 import {useAppviewClient} from '#/state/session'
 import {app} from '#/lexicons'
 
@@ -43,42 +40,6 @@ export function useLikedByQuery(resolvedUri: string | undefined) {
   })
 }
 
-/**
- * The maximum `limit` accepted by `app.bsky.feed.getLikes` in a single
- * request.
- */
-const SAMPLE_SIZE = 100
-
-const likedBySampleQueryKeyRoot = 'liked-by-sample'
-export const createLikedBySampleQueryKey = (args: {uri: string}) =>
-  createQueryKey(likedBySampleQueryKeyRoot, args)
-
-/**
- * A single-request sample of a post's most recent likers, as many as the API
- * allows in one page (100). Used for the known-likers social proof on the
- * post thread page. Kept separate from `useLikedByQuery` so it does not
- * perturb the liked-by screen's pagination.
- */
-export function useLikedBySampleQuery({uri}: {uri: string | undefined}) {
-  const client = useAppviewClient()
-  return useQuery({
-    queryKey: createLikedBySampleQueryKey({uri: uri ?? ''}),
-    queryFn: async () => {
-      return await client.call(app.bsky.feed.getLikes, {
-        uri: (uri ?? '') as AtUriString,
-        limit: SAMPLE_SIZE,
-      })
-    },
-    staleTime: STALE.MINUTES.FIVE,
-    enabled: !!uri,
-    /*
-     * Consumers fall back to a plain like count when this query fails, so
-     * failing fast is preferable to amplifying getLikes load with retries.
-     */
-    retry: 1,
-  })
-}
-
 export function* findAllProfilesInQueryData(
   queryClient: QueryClient,
   did: string,
@@ -100,18 +61,4 @@ export function* findAllProfilesInQueryData(
       }
     }
   }
-  const sampleQueryDatas =
-    queryClient.getQueriesData<app.bsky.feed.getLikes.$OutputBody>({
-      queryKey: [likedBySampleQueryKeyRoot],
-    })
-  for (const [_queryKey, queryData] of sampleQueryDatas) {
-    if (!queryData?.likes) {
-      continue
-    }
-    for (const like of queryData.likes) {
-      if (like.actor.did === did) {
-        yield like.actor
-      }
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
index afc7465ceb..42c2a05fc9 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
@@ -325,6 +325,12 @@ export function* findAllProfilesInQueryData(
           yield item.value.post.author
         }
 
+        for (const actor of item.value.post.viewer?.knownLikers?.actors ?? []) {
+          if (actor.did === did) {
+            yield actor
+          }
+        }
+
         const qp = getEmbeddedPost(item.value.post.embed)
         if (qp && qp.author.did === did) {
           yield qp.author