diff --git a/src/components/Skeleton.tsx b/src/components/Skeleton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11cd63d0e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Skeleton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import {View} from 'react-native'
+
+import {
+  atoms as a,
+  flatten,
+  type TextStyleProp,
+  useAlf,
+  useTheme,
+  type ViewStyleProp,
+} from '#/alf'
+import {normalizeTextStyles} from '#/alf/typography'
+
+type SkeletonProps = {
+  blend?: boolean
+}
+
+export function Text({blend, style}: TextStyleProp & SkeletonProps) {
+  const {fonts, flags, theme: t} = useAlf()
+  const {width, ...flattened} = flatten(style)
+  const {lineHeight = 14, ...rest} = normalizeTextStyles(
+    [a.text_sm, a.leading_snug, flattened],
+    {
+      fontScale: fonts.scaleMultiplier,
+      fontFamily: fonts.family,
+      flags,
+    },
+  )
+  return (
+    <View
+      style={[a.flex_1, {maxWidth: width, paddingVertical: lineHeight * 0.15}]}>
+      <View
+        style={[
+          a.rounded_md,
+          t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
+          {
+            height: lineHeight * 0.7,
+            opacity: blend ? 0.6 : 1,
+          },
+          rest,
+        ]}
+      />
+    </View>
+  )
+}
+
+export function Circle({
+  size,
+  blend,
+  style,
+}: ViewStyleProp & {size: number} & SkeletonProps) {
+  const t = useTheme()
+  return (
+    <View
+      style={[
+        a.rounded_full,
+        t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
+        {
+          width: size,
+          height: size,
+          opacity: blend ? 0.6 : 1,
+        },
+        style,
+      ]}
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+export function Pill({
+  size,
+  blend,
+  style,
+}: ViewStyleProp & {size: number} & SkeletonProps) {
+  const t = useTheme()
+  return (
+    <View
+      style={[
+        a.rounded_full,
+        t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
+        {
+          width: size * 1.618,
+          height: size,
+          opacity: blend ? 0.6 : 1,
+        },
+        style,
+      ]}
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+export function Col({
+  children,
+  style,
+}: ViewStyleProp & {children?: React.ReactNode}) {
+  return <View style={[a.flex_1, style]}>{children}</View>
+}
+
+export function Row({
+  children,
+  style,
+}: ViewStyleProp & {children?: React.ReactNode}) {
+  return <View style={[a.flex_row, style]}>{children}</View>
+}
diff --git a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor.tsx b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor.tsx
index 096c0d0dbe..d72b8fd19c 100644
--- a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import {type AppModerationCause} from '#/components/Pills'
 import {PostControls} from '#/components/PostControls'
 import * as Prompt from '#/components/Prompt'
 import {RichText} from '#/components/RichText'
+import * as Skele from '#/components/Skeleton'
 import {Text} from '#/components/Typography'
 import {VerificationCheckButton} from '#/components/verification/VerificationCheckButton'
 import {WhoCanReply} from '#/components/WhoCanReply'
@@ -574,3 +575,33 @@ function getThreadAuthor(
     return ''
   }
 }
+
+export function ThreadAnchorSkeleton() {
+  return (
+    <View style={[a.p_lg, a.gap_md]}>
+      <Skele.Row style={[a.align_center, a.gap_md]}>
+        <Skele.Circle size={42} />
+
+        <Skele.Col>
+          <Skele.Text style={[a.text_lg, {width: '20%'}]} />
+          <Skele.Text blend style={[a.text_md, {width: '40%'}]} />
+        </Skele.Col>
+      </Skele.Row>
+
+      <View>
+        <Skele.Text style={[a.text_xl, {width: '100%'}]} />
+        <Skele.Text style={[a.text_xl, {width: '60%'}]} />
+      </View>
+
+      <Skele.Text style={[a.text_sm, {width: '50%'}]} />
+
+      <Skele.Row style={[a.justify_between]}>
+        <Skele.Pill blend size={24} />
+        <Skele.Pill blend size={24} />
+        <Skele.Pill blend size={24} />
+        <Skele.Circle blend size={24} />
+        <Skele.Circle blend size={24} />
+      </Skele.Row>
+    </View>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost.tsx b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost.tsx
index e43964bd69..55b1105a53 100644
--- a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost.tsx
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import {PostHider} from '#/components/moderation/PostHider'
 import {type AppModerationCause} from '#/components/Pills'
 import {PostControls} from '#/components/PostControls'
 import {RichText} from '#/components/RichText'
+import * as Skele from '#/components/Skeleton'
 import {SubtleWebHover} from '#/components/SubtleWebHover'
 import {Text} from '#/components/Typography'
 
@@ -320,3 +321,40 @@ function SubtleHover({children}: {children: React.ReactNode}) {
     </View>
   )
 }
+
+export function ThreadPostSkeleton() {
+  const t = useTheme()
+  return (
+    <View
+      style={[
+        {paddingHorizontal: OUTER_SPACE, paddingVertical: OUTER_SPACE / 1.5},
+        a.gap_md,
+        a.border_t,
+        t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
+      ]}>
+      <Skele.Row style={[a.align_start, a.gap_md]}>
+        <Skele.Circle size={42} />
+
+        <Skele.Col style={[a.gap_xs]}>
+          <Skele.Row style={[a.gap_sm]}>
+            <Skele.Text style={[a.text_md, {width: '20%'}]} />
+            <Skele.Text blend style={[a.text_md, {width: '30%'}]} />
+          </Skele.Row>
+
+          <Skele.Col>
+            <Skele.Text blend style={[a.text_md, {width: '100%'}]} />
+            <Skele.Text blend style={[a.text_md, {width: '60%'}]} />
+          </Skele.Col>
+
+          <Skele.Row style={[a.justify_between, a.pt_xs]}>
+            <Skele.Pill blend size={16} />
+            <Skele.Pill blend size={16} />
+            <Skele.Pill blend size={16} />
+            <Skele.Circle blend size={16} />
+            <View />
+          </Skele.Row>
+        </Skele.Col>
+      </Skele.Row>
+    </View>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/screens/PostThread/index.tsx b/src/screens/PostThread/index.tsx
index 20e40d7c57..62b76fe567 100644
--- a/src/screens/PostThread/index.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/PostThread/index.tsx
@@ -20,8 +20,14 @@ import {PostThreadShowHiddenReplies} from '#/view/com/post-thread/PostThreadShow
 import {List, type ListMethods} from '#/view/com/util/List'
 import {HeaderDropdown} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/HeaderDropdown'
 import {ReadMore} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ReadMore'
-import {ThreadAnchor} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor'
-import {ThreadPost} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost'
+import {
+  ThreadAnchor,
+  ThreadAnchorSkeleton,
+} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadAnchor'
+import {
+  ThreadPost,
+  ThreadPostSkeleton,
+} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadPost'
 import {ThreadReply} from '#/screens/PostThread/components/ThreadReply'
 import {atoms as a, useBreakpoints, useTheme, web} from '#/alf'
 import * as Layout from '#/components/Layout'
@@ -305,6 +311,12 @@ export function Inner({uri}: {uri: string | undefined}) {
           }
         />
       )
+    } else if (item.type === 'skeleton') {
+      if (item.item === 'anchor') {
+        return <ThreadAnchorSkeleton />
+      } else if (item.item === 'reply') {
+        return <ThreadPostSkeleton />
+      }
     }
     return null
   }
@@ -358,7 +370,7 @@ export function Inner({uri}: {uri: string | undefined}) {
                  * Using `isFetching` over `isFetchingNextPage` is done on
                  * purpose here so we get the loader on initial render
                  */
-                isFetchingNextPage={isFetching}
+                // isFetchingNextPage={isFetching}
                 error={cleanError(error)}
                 onRetry={refetch}
                 /*
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
index 933881251e..7c72e91b4e 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function usePostThread({
       if (placeholder) {
         return {thread: [placeholder], hasHiddenReplies: false}
       }
-      return
+      return {thread: [], hasHiddenReplies: false}
     },
     select(data) {
       const threadgate = getThreadgateRecord(data.threadgate)
@@ -96,6 +96,38 @@ export function usePostThread({
     queryClient: qc,
   })
 
+  if (query.isPlaceholderData) {
+    const anchor = items.at(0)
+    const skeletonReplies =
+      anchor && anchor.type === 'threadPost'
+        ? anchor?.value.post.replyCount ?? 4
+        : 4
+
+    if (!items.length) {
+      items.push({
+        type: 'skeleton',
+        key: params.anchor!,
+        item: 'anchor',
+      })
+
+      if (hasSession) {
+        items.push({
+          type: 'skeleton',
+          key: 'replyComposer',
+          item: 'replyComposer',
+        })
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < skeletonReplies; i++) {
+      items.push({
+        type: 'skeleton',
+        key: `${params.anchor!}-reply-${i}`,
+        item: 'reply',
+      })
+    }
+  }
+
   return {
     ...query,
     data: {
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
index 59772432ba..f849543175 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ export type ThreadItem =
       moreReplies: number
       skippedIndentIndices: Set<number>
     }
+  | {
+      type: 'skeleton'
+      key: string
+      item: 'anchor' | 'reply' | 'replyComposer'
+    }
 
 export type TraversalMetadata = {
   /**