diff --git a/src/logger/metrics.ts b/src/logger/metrics.ts
index 46ce3c7cae..4b1ea5230b 100644
--- a/src/logger/metrics.ts
+++ b/src/logger/metrics.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export type MetricEvents = {
   'signup:handleTaken': {typeahead?: boolean}
   'signup:handleReserved': {typeahead?: boolean}
   'signup:handleAvailable': {typeahead?: boolean}
+  'signup:handleSuggestionSelected': {method: string}
   'signin:hostingProviderPressed': {
     hostingProviderDidChange: boolean
   }
diff --git a/src/screens/Signup/StepHandle.tsx b/src/screens/Signup/StepHandle.tsx
index 980389450c..60a1b0083e 100644
--- a/src/screens/Signup/StepHandle.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/Signup/StepHandle.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import {useState} from 'react'
 import {View} from 'react-native'
 import Animated, {
+  Easing,
   FadeIn,
   FadeInDown,
   FadeOut,
-  FadeOutDown,
   LayoutAnimationConfig,
   LinearTransition,
 } from 'react-native-reanimated'
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ export function StepHandle() {
 
   const validCheck = validateServiceHandle(draftValue, state.userDomain)
 
-  const {data: isHandleAvailable, isLoading} = useHandleAvailabilityQuery({
+  const {
+    enabled: queryEnabled,
+    query: {data: isHandleAvailable, isPending},
+  } = useHandleAvailabilityQuery({
     username: draftValue,
     serviceDid: state.serviceDescription?.did ?? 'UNKNOWN',
     serviceDomain: state.userDomain,
@@ -121,7 +124,10 @@ export function StepHandle() {
   }
 
   const textFieldInvalid =
-    (!isLoading && isHandleAvailable && !isHandleAvailable.available) ||
+    (!isPending &&
+      queryEnabled &&
+      isHandleAvailable &&
+      !isHandleAvailable.available) ||
     !validCheck.frontLengthNotTooLong ||
     !validCheck.handleChars ||
     !validCheck.hyphenStartOrEnd ||
@@ -129,7 +135,7 @@ export function StepHandle() {
 
   return (
     <ScreenTransition>
-      <View style={[a.gap_sm, a.pt_lg]}>
+      <View style={[a.gap_sm, a.pt_lg, a.z_10]}>
         <View>
           <TextField.Root isInvalid={textFieldInvalid}>
             <TextField.Icon icon={AtIcon} />
@@ -142,7 +148,7 @@ export function StepHandle() {
                 setDraftValue(val)
               }}
               label={state.userDomain}
-              defaultValue={draftValue}
+              value={draftValue}
               keyboardType="ascii-capable" // fix for iOS replacing -- with —
               autoCapitalize="none"
               autoCorrect={false}
@@ -166,7 +172,8 @@ export function StepHandle() {
                 <RequirementText>{state.error}</RequirementText>
               </Requirement>
             )}
-            {isHandleAvailable &&
+            {queryEnabled &&
+              isHandleAvailable &&
               !isHandleAvailable.available &&
               validCheck.overall && (
                 <>
@@ -189,7 +196,9 @@ export function StepHandle() {
                               state.userDomain.length * -1,
                             ),
                           )
-                          // TODO: add logging
+                          logger.metric('signup:handleSuggestionSelected', {
+                            method: suggestion.method,
+                          })
                         }}
                       />
                     )}
@@ -225,12 +234,14 @@ export function StepHandle() {
           </View>
         </LayoutAnimationConfig>
       </View>
-      <BackNextButtons
-        isLoading={isNextLoading}
-        isNextDisabled={!validCheck.overall || !!state.error}
-        onBackPress={onBackPress}
-        onNextPress={onNextPress}
-      />
+      <Animated.View layout={native(LinearTransition)}>
+        <BackNextButtons
+          isLoading={isNextLoading}
+          isNextDisabled={!validCheck.overall || !!state.error}
+          onBackPress={onBackPress}
+          onNextPress={onNextPress}
+        />
+      </Animated.View>
     </ScreenTransition>
   )
 }
@@ -270,33 +281,43 @@ function HandleSuggestions({
 
   return (
     <Animated.View
-      entering={FadeInDown}
-      exiting={FadeOutDown}
+      entering={native(FadeInDown.easing(Easing.out(Easing.exp)))}
+      exiting={native(FadeOut)}
       style={[
         a.flex_1,
         a.border,
         a.rounded_sm,
-        a.shadow_md,
+        t.atoms.shadow_sm,
         t.atoms.bg,
         t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
+        a.mt_xs,
+        a.z_50,
+        a.w_full,
+        a.zoom_fade_in,
       ]}>
       {suggestions.map((suggestion, index) => (
         <Button
           label={_(msg`Select ${suggestion.handle}`)}
           key={index}
           onPress={() => onSelect(suggestion)}
+          hoverStyle={[t.atoms.bg_contrast_25]}
           style={[
             a.w_full,
             a.flex_row,
             a.align_center,
             a.justify_between,
-            a.px_md,
-            a.py_lg,
+            a.p_md,
             a.border_b,
             t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
-            index === 0 && {borderTopEndRadius: borderRadius.sm},
+            index === 0 && {
+              borderTopStartRadius: borderRadius.sm,
+              borderTopEndRadius: borderRadius.sm,
+            },
             index === suggestions.length - 1 && [
-              {borderBottomEndRadius: borderRadius.sm},
+              {
+                borderBottomStartRadius: borderRadius.sm,
+                borderBottomEndRadius: borderRadius.sm,
+              },
               a.border_b_0,
             ],
           ]}>
diff --git a/src/state/queries/handle-availablility.ts b/src/state/queries/handle-availablility.ts
index e5d9f208f1..6f2a83263b 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/handle-availablility.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/handle-availablility.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const RQKEY_handleAvailability = (
   handle: string,
   domain: string,
   serviceDid: string,
-) => ['handle-availability', handle, domain, serviceDid]
+) => ['handle-availability', {handle, domain, serviceDid}]
 
 export function useHandleAvailabilityQuery(
   {
@@ -46,68 +46,71 @@ export function useHandleAvailabilityQuery(
     }
   }, [serviceDid])
 
-  return useQuery({
+  return {
     enabled: enabled && name === debouncedHandle,
-    queryKey: RQKEY_handleAvailability(
-      debouncedHandle,
-      serviceDomain,
-      serviceDid,
-    ),
-    queryFn: async () => {
-      const handle = createFullHandle(name, serviceDomain)
-      if (serviceDid === BSKY_SERVICE_DID) {
-        // entryway has a special API for handle availability
-        const {data} = await agent.com.atproto.temp.checkHandleAvailability({
-          handle,
-          birthDate,
-          email,
-        })
-
-        if (
-          bsky.dangerousIsType<ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.ResultAvailable>(
-            data.result,
-            ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.isResultAvailable,
-          )
-        ) {
-          return {available: true} as const
-        } else if (
-          bsky.dangerousIsType<ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.ResultUnavailable>(
-            data.result,
-            ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.isResultUnavailable,
-          )
-        ) {
-          return {
-            available: false,
-            suggestions: data.result.suggestions,
-          } as const
-        } else {
-          throw new Error(
-            `Unexpected result of \`checkHandleAvailability\`: ${JSON.stringify(data.result)}`,
-          )
-        }
-      } else {
-        // 3rd party services won't have this API so just try and resolve the handle
-        try {
-          const res = await agent.resolveHandle({
+    query: useQuery({
+      enabled: enabled && name === debouncedHandle,
+      queryKey: RQKEY_handleAvailability(
+        debouncedHandle,
+        serviceDomain,
+        serviceDid,
+      ),
+      queryFn: async () => {
+        const handle = createFullHandle(name, serviceDomain)
+        if (serviceDid === BSKY_SERVICE_DID) {
+          // entryway has a special API for handle availability
+          const {data} = await agent.com.atproto.temp.checkHandleAvailability({
             handle,
+            birthDate,
+            email,
           })
 
-          if (res.data.did) {
-            logger.metric(
-              'signup:handleReserved',
-              {typeahead: true},
-              {statsig: true},
+          if (
+            bsky.dangerousIsType<ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.ResultAvailable>(
+              data.result,
+              ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.isResultAvailable,
+            )
+          ) {
+            return {available: true} as const
+          } else if (
+            bsky.dangerousIsType<ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.ResultUnavailable>(
+              data.result,
+              ComAtprotoTempCheckHandleAvailability.isResultUnavailable,
+            )
+          ) {
+            return {
+              available: false,
+              suggestions: data.result.suggestions,
+            } as const
+          } else {
+            throw new Error(
+              `Unexpected result of \`checkHandleAvailability\`: ${JSON.stringify(data.result)}`,
             )
-            return {available: false} as const
           }
-        } catch {}
-        logger.metric(
-          'signup:handleAvailable',
-          {typeahead: true},
-          {statsig: true},
-        )
-        return {available: true} as const
-      }
-    },
-  })
+        } else {
+          // 3rd party services won't have this API so just try and resolve the handle
+          try {
+            const res = await agent.resolveHandle({
+              handle,
+            })
+
+            if (res.data.did) {
+              logger.metric(
+                'signup:handleReserved',
+                {typeahead: true},
+                {statsig: true},
+              )
+              return {available: false} as const
+            }
+          } catch {}
+          logger.metric(
+            'signup:handleAvailable',
+            {typeahead: true},
+            {statsig: true},
+          )
+          return {available: true} as const
+        }
+      },
+    }),
+  }
 }